The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-05-01
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
a RUS DOWN TO FLORIDA ON
BUSINESS.
Breathing Balmy Air and Viewing
Beautiful Sunsets.

cave home and wife and two daugh-
lers and numerous grandchildren and
run down 10 Florida on business.
Here / am again nc Clearwater, breath
lug It's balmy air aud feasting my Wis
ion upon the same beautiful sunsets
aud dancing waters and tropical seem
cry that always charm me when / come.
| am happy with three other daugh-
ters and two dear little grandchildren
and with congenial friends who greet
ed my coming and gave me a glad vel
come. Life is still worth living, il for
nothing else but the pleasure Of meet
ing those who are dear TO you and re-
eeiving the cordial salutation Of friends.
They tell me that If did not discover
Clearwater, / uncovered il 10 the south
ern people, who had never
heard of such a place, and nov
/ 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 visiting here
the Hillyers, Hemphills, Howells,
Inmans, Swans, English, Colonel
George w. Scott, DR.. Palmer and
others-and even Mr.. Plant and Col
onel Wrenn and their wives did for
time leave the Tampa Bay hotel and
found a happy hiding place in Clear
water. Just think Of Captain Evan
Howell staying here a 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 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 adlectives enough
to express his admiration, and, like q
loyal 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 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 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.
l introduced him to Captain Howell
as a man who was born and raised
here, and captain, thinking to put
off a good joke on me, told Mr.. Tur-
ner what said about an old woman
catching 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
was my mother"
When a man first comes here and
sees extraordinary things, he is almost
afraid to tell of them when he goet
back home. and he begins to looE
around for a creditable 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 8
grape fruit tree. He did it very care
fully, and found it was fifty-two inches
around, four feet from the ground. HI
said he had measured it before, but
wanted a witness. So, for fear he may
be suspected of exaggeration, I haC
just as we'll give the certificate. Tha
tree is seventeen inches in diameter
four feet up from its base. The grover
around here have pretty much recov
cred from the freeze and are now GOV
cred with blooms. Some groves suffer
ed but little, and never lost q crop
Mr.. Bailey's grove, near Clearwater
gave him an average crop, and so die
Mr.. Marklev's. Our home market ha
not been without a supply of fine
frst.class fruit, as far superior to tn
California oranges as an apple is to
persimmon. If l had money, woul
invest in a grove or two on specula
ton, for here is the safety line, ant
Florida oranges and grape fruit vii
command high prices for some year
to come.
Yesterday morning our young PEG
pie made up a grouper party an
sailed out to the coral reefs in tn
green blue gulf. l was respectful
invited to stay at home and look afte
the little girl, and they promised t
be back by 4 o'clock. I read an
: wrote and ruminated and prayed wit
the child and helped her make san
pies, until the sun was nearing tE
horizon, but still there was no sail /
sight. Every few minutes scanne
the distant waters and the two passt
between the islands. The twilight
are brief down here, and when Il
dark had spread its lonely curtain