The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-04-14
DOWN IN FLORIDA AGAIN.
BILL ARP AMONG THE FLOWERS.

| ~~N~$A AhAst CANAAN" LtD w kJlGS
He Meets Good Many Acuuaint
ances-How Fishing Party Caus
ed Him Anxiety.
With but little warning l had t,
leave home and wife and two daughter
and numerous grandchildren aud rur
down to Florida on business. Here
am again at Clearwater, breathing it,
balmy air and feasting my vision upon
the same beautiful sunsets and dancing
waters and tropical scenery THAI
always charm me when | come. | am
happy with three other daughters and
two dear little grandchildren and with
congenial friends who greeted my
coming and gave me glad welcome.
Life is still worth living, if for nothing
else but the pleasure of meeting those
who are dear to you and receiving the
cordial salutation OF friends. They
tell me that If did not discover Clear
water, / uncovered it to the Southern
people, who had never heard of such u
place, and now 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 people visit
ing here-tbe Hillyers, Hemphills,
Howells, Inmans, Swannas, English,
Colonel George w. Scott Dr. Palmer
and others-and even MIR. Plant ana
Colonel Wrenn and thcir wives did fer
time leave the Tampa Bay hotel and
1ound happy hiding place in Clear
water. Just think of Captain Evan
Howell staying here week or two
without saying word about Cleve-
land or finance or conventions or any
other politics during his stay. The
calm serenity of this heaven-favored
spot put politics to the blush and
smothors all selfish ambition and
ungodly thoughts. The tired mind
comes here in search of rest, and finds
IL.
Evan Howell used to smile 1T m,
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
~ express his admiration, and, like
loyal husband, has gone after his wifi
to come down aud make a choice of q
bay-frOnt lot. Bc says he is prepared
70 believe anything | say-yes, even
my fish stories. | told him about an
Old lady who had lived near here for
fifty years, and whom she wanted fish
for breakfast, walked down the hlutf
and waded out II few yards into the
crystal water and neld out her apron
and let the fish jump in it. Evan
smiled, but said nothing. Next morn
ing L met my old friend Turner who
publishes paper at Statesboro, Ga.
l introduced him to Captain Howell as
u man who was born and raised here,
and captain, thinking to put of a good
joke on me, told Mr.. Turner what
said about an old woman catching fish
here in her apron before the war. Mr..
Turner looked at him: He told YOU
the truth, sir; that woman was my
mother"
When a man first comes here and
sees extraordinary things, he is almost
afraid to tell OF them when ne goes
back home, and he begins to look
around for credible witness. Colonel
Scott, the quiet old gentleman who
founded the Agnes Scott institute, has
bought 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 care
fully, ana found it was tiftytwo inches
around four feet from the ground. He
said he had measured it before, but
waited a witness. SO, for fear he may
be suspected OF cXaggeration, | 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 re-
covered from the freeze and are now
covered with blooms. Some groves
suffered but little, and never lost Il
crop. Mr.. Bailcy's grove, near Clear
wator, gave him AN average crop, and
SO did Mr.. Markicy's. Our home mar
kct has not been without Il supply of
fine, iirst-clase fruit, as far superior TO
the California oranges as an apple is
to pcrsimmon. Ii | had money, !
would invest in grove or two on
speculation, for here is the safety line,
and Florida oranges and grape fruit
will command high prices for some
years to como.
Yesterday morning our young people
mado up grOupcr party and sailed out
gulf. | was respectfully invited TO
stay at home and LOOK after the little
girl aud they promised to be back by
o'clock. | reau and wrote and ru-
minated 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 | scanned the distant
waters and the two passes between the
islands The twilights are brief down
here, and when the dark had spread
its lonely curtain began to be troubled,
and walked the vcranda with anxiety
and impaticncc. Then | walked down
to the dock, and was comforted with
the information that on" boat could
not possibly get in until the tide rose
and brought them, for there was not u
iIuath or air to move Il sail. Slowly
and sadly ! came homo, and our little
household had supper and cheered the
lingering hours with prose and poetry
and conversation. Ever and anon |
came out and listened for song to
float it's melody over the waters, for
they always come back singing but
there wa! no sound save the ominous
notes Of q scrccch owl aud the plaintivr
| song OF the whip-poor- 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. sat by
her and stroked her hair and her hands
for an hour, when at last with sigh
she dropped asleep. Eleven O'clock
came and II and 1890 o'clock, and
reasoned that the boat was on sumo
bar and could not get Off till MORN :
A boat party from Duneden was stra! i,
| ed on bar last week and had to s.