St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-05-16
In FLORIDA AGAIN.
Arp Is Now Down Where the
Flowers Are Blooming.
reils who He Met There-How Fishing
Party OF Young People Caused Great
Anxiety to Their Friends
and Relatives,

Anxiety to Their Friends
and Relatives,
With but little warning i had to
leave home and wife and two daughters
and numerous grandchildren and run
down to Florida on business. Here ]
am again at Clearwater, breathing its
balmy air and feasting my vision upon
the same beautiful sunsets and dancing
waters and tropical scenery that al
ways charm ME when come. Gm
happy with three other daughters and
! two dear little grandchildren and with
congenial friends who greeted my COM
ling 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 Clearwater.
I uncovered it to the southern people,
| who had never heard of such a place,
and now / find scores of visitors who
are. looking in upon the beauties Of this
place and buying property, and pre-
pairing TO plant here their winter
homes. was surprised to see so many
of Atlanta's s good people visiting here
the Hillyers, Henphills, Howells, In
mans, Swanns, English, Col. George w.
Scott, DR.. Palmer and others-and even
/ Mr. Plant and Col. Wrenn and their
wives did for time leave the Tampa
Bay hotel and found happy hiding
place in Clearwater. just think OF
Capt. Evan Howell staying here week
or two without saying a word about
! Cleveland or finance or conventions or
any other politics during his stay. The
/ calm serenity of this heaven favored
/ spot puts politics to the blush and
smothers all selfish ambition and un-
godly thoughts. The tired mind comes
here in search of rest, and finds it.
Evan Howell used to smile at my
gushing letters and declare there was
/ no such place this side OF Heaven; but
now that he has seen it with his
eyes, he can't find adiectises enough to
express his admiration, and, lilfesaloy-
. al husband, has gone after his wife
to come down and make a choice Of a
bay-front lot. He says he is prepared
To believe anything / say-yes, even my
i fish stories. / told him about an old
lady who had liyed near here for so
4 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 met my old friend Turner, who
publishes a paper at Statesboro, Ga.
introduced him to Capt. Howell as a
man who was born and raised here, and
captain, thinking to put off good joke
on me, told Mr.. Turner what said
about yhe old woman catching fish here
IN her apron before the war. Mr.. Tur-
ner looked at him solemnly and serious,
/ ly and said: He told you the truth, sir;
that woman was my mother.
When man first comes here and sees
extraordinary things, he is almost
afraid to tell of them when he goes
back home, and he begins to look
around for credible witness. Col.
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
a fully, and found it was SO inches around
four feet from the ground. He said
that he had measured it before, but
wanted witRess. So, for fear Ms may
be suspected of exaggeration, had just
rs well give the certificate. That tree
is II inches in diameter four feet uI
from it's base. The groves around
here have pretty much recovered from
the freeze and are now covered with
blooms. Some groves suffered but lit
tie, and never lost a crop. Mr.. Baiiey's
grove, near Clearwater, gave him ar
average crop, and SO did Mr.. Markley's
Our home market has not been without
a supply of fine, first-class fruit, as fan
superior to the California oranges as. ar
= apple is to a persimmon. IL had
money, would invest in q grove or tvs
on speculation, for here is the safety
. line, and Florida oranges and grape
fruit will command high prices fol
some years to come.
Yesterday morning our young people
made up a grouper party and sailed on
to the coral reefs in the green blue gulf
was respectfully invited TO stay al
. home and look after the little girl, anl
they promised to be back by foul
o'clock. I read and wrote and r,1min
afed and played with the child ant
helped her make sand pies, until tht
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 twiiights are brief down here, ant
I when the dark had spread it's lonely cur
tain began to be troubled, and walked
the yeranda with anxiety ane
| inipatience. Then walked doWr
: to the dock, and was com
j torted with the information tha
our boat could not possibly get ii
I until the tide rose and brought theHl,f
j there was not breath of air to move
; sail. Slowly and sadly came home
4 a.:a our little household had supper ant
. cheered the lingering hours with pros
: and poetry and conversation. Ever an,
: anon came out and listened for asonl
: TO float its melody over the waters, TO
they always come back singing: bu
there was no sound save the ominon
notes of Ia screech owl and the plaintiv
:. song of the whip-poor-Will in the grov
!, near by. AT nine o'clock we put the lit
: fIa fyirI RI hsd bt,f che foo had hae0rn