Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-01-31
AMONG THE PlNEAPPLEs.
The Editors Away Down In The Florida
Peninsula.

PALM BEACH, Fla, Jan. 26.-The
stay of the National Editorial Associ-
alton at st. Augustine was brought
to an end Saturday morning. On
Friday night there was swell din
ner at Ponce de Leon, followed by a
dance and collation. at the Alcazar ca
sino. The cars pulle out at 9 o'clock
Saturday for this place, 2e3 miles
South and the lowest point we have
been so far. After run of three
hours, stop was made at Daytona,
on the Halifax river, four miles from
Ormond. Daytona is in my opinion
the prettiest town l have ever seen in
Florida. The reception there was
most cordial. The town has about
200 inhabitants and probably as
many more visitors who are spending
the winter at the hotels and boarding
houses. The entire population seemed
to be at the depot and hundred or
more vehicles were filed with editors
and drive was taken over the town.
The streets were shell roads that ran
down long avenues of live oaks from
which hung luxuriant growth of
moss, living drapery of lead colored
festoons. Many beautiful houses
were passed and all of them were
decorated with flags and flowers and
the people stood in the yards waving
their hats and handkerchiefs as the
crowd passed by. The gentlemen
were many of them on foot, as there
were not enough carriages for all.
After tour over the town the editors
returned to the cars and proceeded to
Ormond, where a stop was made for
a day. At Daytona the writer was
one OF a party Of seven or eight who
fell into the hands of MIR. Chas. Bal
Tough. After driving over town with
the rest of the party, the occupants
OF his vehicles were taken across the
Halifax river mile or more to the
Halifax Club House, charming re-
sort just finished and opened for bus.
mess by Messrs. Post & Ballough.
They have built an elegant little
hotel on handsomely improved
grounds overlooking the broad Hall
fax, which is merely an inlet from the
sea, that is only mile away across
narrow peninsula. An avenue of
palmetto trees extends from river to
sea, the broad and we'll improved
road being lighted with electricity
from the plant near the hotel. The
hotel was decorated with palms and
flowers, the former gathered from the
woods surrounding the house and the
latter cut from the gardens in front.
On every hand there was an air of
comfort, elegance and ease. Thirty
or forty boarders were already in the
the house, although it had not been
formally opened. After dinner the
proprietors escorted us over the beau
tiful grounds and took us to the OBJ
servatory on top of the hotel where
fine view was obtained of the pictur-
esque landscape. A pretty driveway
ran in front through a park where
orange trees were growing under the
stately pines and beds of blooming
roses raised only in hot houses in
Kentucky were houishing in the open
air. The gardens were between the
park and the river where all of the
vegetables of May were supplying
the hotel tables. Radishes, green
peas, cabbage, ripe tomatoes and let
tuce were seen and irish potatoes
were up and growing several inches
out of the ground. Mrs. Ballough
soon joined the little party and
gathered bouquets for the ladies
from the garden surrounding her
own cottage on the river bank. Down
in the edge of the river was an oyster
bed, where some of the bivalves were
taken from their native element and
eaten raw from the shell. We also
visited the bathing pool near by,
where the water was heated by steam
and the building lighted by cleo
tricity, but we did not have the time
to accept the invitation to take a
plunge in the brine. The carriages
were then brought out and we were
driven down the beautiful palmetto
avenue and four miles up the hard
sandy beach to Ormond, where we
joined the party again This beach |
is said to be the finest long beach oin
the world. For % miles it is as
smooth as floor and almost as hari
as cement. 1t is from 80 to 100 feet
vide, according to the tide, and
slopes gently to the sea, being almost
eyel. 1t is used as driveway by
vehicles of all kinds and makes BIZ
cycle course that could not be inn
proved upon anywhere. On the way
up l found loon stranded on the
beach, having been brought ashore
oy the breakers, and as it cannot get
'bout on land, caught it before it
Gould escape. 1t showed fight and
Uttered plaintiye cry when taken.
t is as large as goose and of beau
iful plumage. 1t is still alive, but |
nay get tired of it and turn it loose
before | get home. Many wild ducks
we're also seen riding the waves with
n few yards Of the coast.
The cars remained at Ormond un-
il Sunday afternoon and as there