The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-26

here and greater improvements than had
been anticipated by the falnthearted. Our
elegant Tropical hotel has for some time
needed the fostering care of the general
manager of the Plant system of hotels on
the west coast, and everything now points
to that much desired arrangement. Then
q line of fine passenger steamers to Fort
Myers and the Gulf coast with other con-
templated improvements, would make this
a most charming place for tourists who
seek natural scenery In its primitive con-
dition.
1t is not generally known that the old
South Florida railroad narrow gauge from
Sanford, came to Kissimmee for the pur-
pose OF getting a water outlet to the Gulf
via Lake Tohopekaliga, Lake Olxeecbo5ee
and the Caloosahatchie river. where eep
water harbors are easily found. But the
Plant system, then in embryo, came up
TO Kissimmee with an all rail route direct
70 Fort Tampa, with ample water connec-
tons, and therefore the original plan was
abandoned. In those days Kissimmee was
lin the woods" and few Of scattered set
tiers dreamed that 1t would ever be a city
Of some 5000 Inhabitants and so spread
out that each one could have, IL averaged,
over mile OF It's territory. Robert Brass
who came here and cleared a homestead
in 1870, was about the first actual settler
Others followed, and some ten years later
Capt. r. =. Rose, the prime mover in the
original development of land and water
enterprises here, located his family almost
I'm the woods" However, by his faith and
work, and that of his associates, he soon
saw this whole section bud and blossom
as the rose" Capt. Rose) desired It to I'M
fold The modern hotel and newspa pea.
came in due time, with court house.
bank, stores and manufacturing enter
prlses. the Narcoosee settlement sprang
up and the famous D.sston Company gave
the place world wide fame.
IL is among the possibilities Of the near
future that the Plant system, which in
embryo defeated the original water route
TO the Gulf, may open up in a more pre-
tentious and attractive manner that early
projected water way. One reason of this
IS found In the gratifying fact that Flor
ter a large body Of tourists. who have
been coming TO our state for the past
twenty years. OF late they have found
traetive, but that region was soon robbed
of its wild aspect by a rush of settlers
The Ocklawaha river, so famous in song
and story, has become a back numberd
to old visitors, and they yearn for some
thing new and yet of the same wild and
weird character. Now, this is just what
70 the Gulf, via Lakes Tohopekallga and
Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchie river
This carries the tourist through the same
wild, weird and uninhabitable scenes as
used to make the Ocklawaha the. great
est natural attraction in Florida At the
lower end of the route the tourists find
himself at Fort Myers, or Punta Gorda.
or Charlotte Harbor. or Punta Rassa. or
a dozen other places. where he can stop
fishing, being IN the famous tarpon fish
off and find the best of hunting or
ing grounds, and not far from whore
bears. deer and other big wild game can
be readily bagged. OF course the open-
ing Of such water way from here TO the
Gulf requires energy capital. etc, all
Of which the Plant system can easily turn
into the prompt inauguration Of this en-
terprise.
There are thousand OF visitors 10 Flor
Ida who do not like railway transporta-
ton. az u shown by the immense pas
senfer traffic OF the Ocean Sfeamshlp OF
Savannah and the Clyde line from Jack
sonyille, When these people reach our
state they seek The shortest rail INES
always araiiinE themselves ~ steam
boat accommodations wherever found.