The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-27
Incidents of a Visit.
To Old Florida.
Second Letter Describing Picturesque Scenes
and Experiences OF Vacation Tour i'm the
Land of Flowers. rs &

pecial Correspondence of The Tribune.
Arlington, Fla, March 1S.-We have
ow been in Florida for two weeks and
hile we have experienced no wild eX-
tement during these weeks still they
Ave been two of the pleasantest that
can remember ever to have spent.
he weather could not have been more
satisfactory If we had been able to or
der it each morning. Possibly we are
more enthusiastic about Florida than
many other tourists and 1t may be due
| n a large measure to our rather ex-
optional surroundings. Most visitors
D Florida stop at the large hotels at
he different resorts (Which are very
similar to good hotels in other places
and do not as ii We're. get an insight
Apto the everyday life of the natives.
Ne were fortunate in being able to
bake our headquarters with friends
no have beautiful winter home In
he flowery state. We seemed to have
IL the pleasure Of travel and sightsee-
ing while every day or two we would
be at home and not cooped up in a
small hotel room.
our first excursion was up the Ar
lngton river in a row boat. The Ar
lngton is small tributary of the st.
Johns and not more than six or eight
miles long. Most of the way it is not
more than 25 to so yards wide, but it Is
from 10 to 20 feet deep. Along the
banks We could see the remains of a
number of old before the war plan
tations. Remains scarcely the
word to describe them, however, for
there is not enough left to really pass
muster as even remains" The eli
mate seems specially adapted to reduce
all things to their original elements.
If any one should close his house and
grounds for year or two and then
return he could readily imagine that
he was looking upon a place that had
been standing vacant since before the
war"
THE GREAT FREEZE.
Up until two years ago we We're told
that everything dated from the war
SO many years before or after the war
but now everything dates from before
or since the freeze Of two years ago
when all the orange groves We're de-
stroyed. We have verified the later
part of this statement for we con
atantly heard of the year before the
freeze" and six months after the
freeze" etc, etc. The great sources
of wealth in Florida We're oranges and
lumber. The lumber industry con-
tinues. but the orange trade is mild
and as a result business is dead. 1t
seemed to us that most of the money
in circulation was being put there by
northern tourists. But we are digres-
sing from our trip up the Arlington.
This little stream Is as crooked as the
proverbial rams horn. There is prac-
ttcally no current for it is a tidal
stream After passing up the river for
mile or two the plantations cease to
be in evidence at all and the banks
are lined with beautiful large and
overhanging trees While twined and in
tertWined about them are many va
rieties of vines and creepers The af-
ternoon that we took this row was
bright and warm so that We saw a
great many turtles on the banks and
few alligators out summing them.
selves on the banks and half sub.
merged logs. The banks of the stream
We're literally carpeted with what the
natives call Easter lilies, beautiful
white lily, but not quite as large as oul
Easter lilies