Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-20


had not seen elsewhere in Florida.
The cabbage-palm, cocoanut, pappa-
dilla, banana, date, orange, lemon,
lime, banyan and rubber tree all are
here in rich abundance, with u great
variety Of beautiful shrubs and CEN
tury plants. Rarely have we seen
a spot more lovely and beautiful
than the grounds around this great
hotel-laid off as they are into flower
beds Of curious designs, with spark
ling fountains, fine walks and bloom
ing flowers on every hand. In rear
of the hotel, running back to the
ocean beach quarter of a mile, is
an avenue of cabbage and cocoanut
palms, at the end of which stands
the Palm Beach Inn, built as an an
mex to the Royal Poinciana, a superb
bathing'pool, and number of stores
supplied with curios of great interest
to the visitor. Though the grounds
are already beautiful, there is large
force, under the guidance of an ex-
pert superintendent, busily at work
day and night, making walks, filling
up uneven places, cleaning off rub
bish, planting shrubs and flowers and
otherwise improving and beautify.
ing the grounds. When all is com.
pleted, we predict that there will be
no place south of Mason and Dixon's
line more attractive and popular as a
winter resort than Palm Beach.
Along the shores of Lake Worth,
particularly on the east shore, many
Northern people have built pretty
winter homes. The grounds around
some of these have been greatly i'm
proved and beautified and, as a school
girl would say, are just too lovely
for anything. We enjoyed one af-
ternOon ride on lake steamer to
Pitts Island, nine miles north of
Palm Beach, and a point of much
interest to tourists, and we'll worth q
visit. Last but by no means least of
the pleasures enjoyed at Palm Beach
was the sea-bathing, in which many
of our party INDUCED. 1t was to us
a novel and exhilarating pleasure for
the month of January, and the bill
lows were sufficiently high to make
the sport exciting.
AT Palm Beach and other places
we had fresh lettuce, cucumbers, ra-
dishes, peas, tomatoes and other
and, at Jacksonville,
strawberries.
Three nights and two days delight
fully spent at this charming resort
brought our visit to an end, and on
Wednesday morning, the Goth, we
found ourselves comfortably seated
in our palace cars and on our way,
over the same route, to Jacksonville.
AT Eden we halted to visit the pine
apple plantations, which are found,
we believe, In no other part of the
State. Here the land, though APP
poor, is very valuable,
worth, we were told, 5000 per acre.
We stopped for dinner at Rockledge,
A pretty little town on the Indian
river, where we found a number of
excellent hotels and many handsome
on both sides of the river,
built by Northern people. Here we
got some delicious Florida oranges,
grown in spot in the community
which had fortunately escaped the
frost of last winter, which,
as the reader will remember, de-
stoyed nearly every orange grove in
the State.
On our ride from Palm Beach that
day an amusing incident occurred.
We had halted at little station
called Fort Pierce to take on sup
ply of Florida coal (pine cord wood.)
Near the depot we saw two ox-carts
full of the largest and most lucious
looking oranges we had ever seen,
and manned by a number of Semi
mole Indians and two Florida Crack
ers. Forthwith every man aboard
bolted for the platform and soon sur
rounded the carts. The oranges
were going like hot cakes at 25 cents
dozen, and pretty soon every man
had his hands, hat and pockets full.
We had contented ourself with half
a dozen, but on our return to our car
found our better half standing on
the platform, eager with delightful
of feast on Florida or
anges. She insisted that we should
return and make out the dozen at
least. One lady from Richmond,
mindful of the little ones left be-
hind, borrowed a pillow-case from
the porter ard had her husband to
fill it. When all were supplied, the
feast begun. But imagine our dis
appointment and chagrin when we
found that the tempting fruit was
nothing but wild oranges, juiceless
and bitter, which even a pig would
refuse to eat The Indians and the
Crackers got our money and we got
bit; but we accepted the situation,
and the incident afforded us no little
amusement.
To be concluded next week.