The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-04-15
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Arp Is Now Down Where The Flowers
are Blooming.
O. Constitution,

leave home and wife and two daughters
and numerous grandchildren and run
down to Florida on business. Here I
am again at Clearwater, breathing its
balmy air and feasting my vision upon
the same beautiful sunsets and dane
ing waters and tropical scenery that
always charm me when I come. I am
happy with three other daughters and
two dear little grandchildren and with
congenial friends who greeted my
coming and gave me a glad welcome.
Life is still worth living, if for moth
ing else but the pleasure Of meeting
those who are dear to you and receiv-
ing the cordial salutation of friends.
They tell me that if Ibid not discover
Clearwater, I uncovered it to the
Southern people, who had never heard
Of such a place, and now I find scores
Of visitors who are looking in upon
the beauties of this place and buying
property, and preparing to plant here
their winter homes. [ was surprised
to see so many Of Atlanta's good peo-
pie visiting here-the Hillyers, Hemp
hills, Howells, Inmans, Swans, Eng
lish, Colonel George W. Scott, DR..
Palmer and others-and even Mr..
Plant and Colonel Wrenn and their
wives did for a time leave the Tampa
Bay hotel and found a happy hiding
place in Clearwater. Just think Of
Captain Evan Howell staying here a
week or two without saying q word
about Cleveland or finance or conven-
tons or any other politics during his
stay. The calm serenity Of this heaven
favored spot put politics to the blush
and smothers all selfish ambition and
ungodly thoughts. The tired mind
comes here in search Of rest, and
finds it.
Evan Howell used to smile at my
gushing letters, and declared there
was no such place this side of heaven;
but now that he has seen it with his
eyes, he can't find adjectives enough
to express his admiration, and, like a
loyal husband, has gone after MS wife
to come down and make a choice Of a
bay-front lot. He says he is prepared
to believe anything I say-yes, even
my fish stories. I told him about an
old lady who had lived near here for
fifty years, and when she wanted fish
for breakfast, walked down the bluff
and waded out a few yards into the
crystal water and held out her apron
and let the fish jump in it, Evan
smiled, but said nothing. Next morn
ing I met my old friend, Turner, who
publishes a paper at Statesboro, Ga.
I introduced him to Captain Howell
as a man who was born and raised
here, and captain, thinking to put of
a good joke on me, told Mr.. Turner
what I said about an old woman catch
ing fish here in her apron before the
war. Mr.. Turner looked at him
solemnly and seriously and said: "He
told you the truth, sir; that woman
vas my mother
When a man first comes here and
sees extrao binary things, he is almost
afraid to teal of them when he goes
back home, and he begins to look
around for a credible witness. Col
onel Scott, the quiet old gentleman
who founded the Agnes Scott ipsti-
tute, has bought a beautiful bay-front,
with an orange grove attached, and
asked me to walk down and see him
measure a grape fruit tree. He did it
very carefully, and found it was fifty
two inches around four feet from the
ground. He said he had measured it
before, but wanted a witness. So, for
fear he may be suspected Of exagger-
alton, I had just as well give the
certificate. That tree is seventeen
inches in diameter, four feet up from
its base. The groves around here
have pretty much recovered from the
freeze and are now covered with
blooms. Some groves suffered but
little, and never lost a crop. Mr..
Bailey's grove, near Clearwater, gave
him an average crop, and so did Mr..
M~arkley's. Our home market has
not been without a supply of fine,
frst-class fruit, rs far superior to the
California oranges as an apple is to a
persimmon. If I had money, I would
invest in a grove or two on specula-
ton, for here is the safety line, and
Florida oranges and grape fruit will
command high prices for some years
to come.
Yesterday morning our young people
made up a grouper party and sailed
out to the coral reefs in the green blue
gulf. I was respectfully invited to
stay at home and look after the little
girl, and they promised to be back by
4 o'clock. I read and wrote and rum
mated and played with the child and
helped her make sand pies, until the
sun was nearing the horizon, but still
there was no sail in sight. Every
few minutes I scanned the distant
waters and the two passes between the
islands. The twilights are brief down
here, and when the dark had spread
it's lonely curtain I began to be tron-
bled, and walked the veranda with
anxiety and impotence. Then /
walked down to the dock, and was
comforted with the information that
our boat could not possibly get in un-
til the tide rose and brought them,
for there was not a breath of air to
move a sail. Slowly and sadly I came
home, and our little household had
supper and cheered the lingering hours
with prose and poetry and converse
ton. Ever and anon [ came out and
listened for a song to float its melody
over the waters, for they always come
back singing; but there was no sound
save the ominous notes of a screech
owl and the plaintive song of the
whip-poor-will in the grove near by.
At 8 o'clock we put the little girl to
bed, but she, too, had become excited,
and couldn't sleep I sat by her and
stroked her hair and her hands for an
hour, when at last, with a sigh, she
dropped asleep. Eleven o'clock came
and IL and 1890 clock: and [ reason
ed that the boat was on a sand bar
and could not get off till morning. A
boat party from Duneden was stranded
on a bar last week aud had to stay
there all night, and their families and
friends were greatly alarmed and sent
-..oz e.. Ill.,. II