The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-09

pineapple and cocoanut plantations were abund-
ant / sat on deck until late at night, enjoy
ing the view, watching the people as we made
the landings, and listening to the singing of
the negroes. AT Fort Pierce, a noted winter
resort for sportsmen, we took the train for
Palm Beach. The home of the Seminole In
dams is near Fort Pierce, and the red men are
often seen there trading their alligator skins,
plumes and game for ammunition and supplies.
Palm Beach is, by far, the prettiest place
ever saw. | cannot begin to tell you how beau
tiful it is | have seen some nice places before,
and have heard of heaven, but l never mag
ined anything so beautiful as this spot.
have been disappointed all the way because
did not see more flowers, but this place is
further south and the tropical plants are in
full bloom-among others are the oleander,
HIBISCUS and passion flowers.
There are two large, magnificent hotels here;
accommodating fourteen hundred guests. This,
the Royal Poinciana" is the largest of the
two, and it is, indeed, royal in every respect.
The furnishings are elegant. 1t has many of
the attractions of the Tampa Bay Hotel
among them swimming pool An orchestra
furnishes music at the pool almost continuously;
another at the hotel and still another in the
park. Everything is nice and attractive. The
hotel at Tampa is probably more expensive
and more elegant The amount of money
statuary, ETC., must have been enormous, but
this is nice enough for me, and the surround
ings much more beautiful. Tampa is a
city, but there is really nothing of interest but
the hotel, and should soon tire of that Here
there is no village, even, but the surroundings
cannot be surpassed The scenery is more
charming, the vegetation more tropical, the
climate more delightful and the air more balmy
and invigorating.
The Royal Poinciana' is situated in a
garden of several acres in extent, and in the
garden are several groves of palm and cocoa.
nut trees-besides the nnumerable kinds of
tropical plants and shrubs brought here from
all parts of the globe. Near the hotel, in front,
is Lake Worth" beautiful sheet of water,
which is great attraction, and there is also a
fine view of the ocean, It is half mile to the
other large hotel, the Palm Beach Inn, and
there is a lovely avenue of palms all the way.
The branches of the trees meet at the top over
the walk, and between the trees are beautiful
plants in full bloom All this loneliness for
half mile Walks, twenty feet wide and a
mile long, bordered with cocoanut palms, ole
anders and azalias, lead from the lake front,
where are located the residences and hotels, to
the ocean front. The " Palm Beach Inn " is
on the ocean and there is bathing all the year.
| improved the opportunity and plunged in
yesterday, enjoying it very much. The tenn
place for fishing. There are many kinds of
fish both in the lake and in the ocean. In one
day, it is said that one hundred and thirty
three king fish, weighing two thousand one
hundred and two pounds were caught off Palm
Beach. There are nice walks and drives all
about. Two miles south of the hotel is a rub
Der tree, two miles in another direction is a
lake, one and half miles north is Lake Worth
village. Not far away are pineapple planta-
tiOns and along the shore are cocoanut avenues.
On strip of land, one mile wide, between
the lake and ocean for five miles are many
beautiful gardens and tasteful cottages OF the
northerners. To all this beauty must be added
the songs of the mocking birds, robins, cat
birds, red birds, wood peckers and others, some
of which have come from the north to enjoy
this climate. At night the whip poor-wills
keep up " continuous condemnation of poor
William. | have tried to describe the attrac-
tons of this lovely spot, but cannot do it. 1t
must be seen to be appreciated. | regard it as
the ideal winter resort.
MIAMI, Fla, Jan "a.
Miami is about fifty miles below Palm Beach
and is the southernmost railroad point in the
United States This place is something like
Palm Beach, but not nearly so beautiful.
There is an elegant hotel here, Hotel Royal
Palm" which commands fine view. Pine
apple growing is an industry here. The ma
ture plant is two and half feet high. The
fruit is borne ON a stalk in the center, and each
plant produces one pine i'll u season. They are
grown from suckers, slips, or the crowns of
the pines and are set out iii midsummer. The
fresh pineapples are as much superior to the
imported ones as are the oranges. Havana is
ninety miles from here l gentleman
from Chicago who had Just come from Cuba,
and after hearing his experience | concluded
not to go. He said when he went he had no
passport, but as soon as he got to Havana he
went to Consul Gen. Lees office and got a
permit, but had only gotten a block away when
he was stopped by Spanish soldiers. He pro-
duced the permit and was then allowed 10 90
on, but every few blocks he was stopped BY BY
the Spainards, who could not speak word of
English, and was continually followed by two
soldiers who had evidently been detailed to
keep watch of him. At the end of two hours
he had enough of it, and came back on the
same boat that took him over