The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-17
THE GUAVA AND THE ORANGE.
They Are Seen in Perfection at Char
lotto HarbOr.

Punta Gorda, Fla, March 16.-To
Ceorgia-Floridian from Orange county
who has not seen a guava bush fruiting
for six or seven years, 1t is a luxury in
deed to stand here famed by the balmy
breezes across Charlotte Harbor and gaze
upon thrifty, unfrozen guava bursting in
bloom and fruiting, while the air is heavy
with the fragrance of thousands of orange
blossoms. What a change from the des-
olated upper counties of the state, where
dead or injured trees, plants and vines tell
of cold snaps that were destructive to all.
tender vegetation.
Doubling Thomases have only to come
here and behold with their own eyes the
green, healthy verdure that tells its own
story of exemption from destructive
frosts, and to inhale the rich fragrance
of orange and lemon and grape fruit
trees in full bloom. TO be convinced that
for the present, at least, this is the fav-
ored section of Florida.
And yet Punta Gorda as once booming
city, has had her ups and downs" but
Just now she is tipping a little, and feels
hopeful of the future With one of the
largest and finest winter resort hotels in
the state-the Punta Gorda-with Mana
ger r. G. Rogers, formerly of the Mark
ham House, in Atlanta, in charge, she
ought to have a big crowd of tourist seek
| ing a delightful climate and beautiful land
and water sports. This is the gateway to
| the famous Fort Myers region. the Plant
! System steamers connecting here with the
| railway service on the dock. The steamer
| St Lucie, Capt II. Fisher, came in this
! afternoon and made close onnection for
! passengers and express matter for the
| North. This train also carried the big
! catch of fish of last night, which required
| two tons Of ice to put it in barrels for
| shipment The oyster and fish shipment
! from here are large and bring back plenty
! of ready cash for the retail merchants
| To-day ! saw an immense jew fish, caught
| on the fish dock, that was six feet long
aud weighed over 800 pounds.
Charlotte Harbor is also noted for its
| fine tarDon, and guests of the Puuta Gorda
| Hotel have captured many such, the larg-
est weighing $50 pounds. Mr. Charles
a. Dean of Boston, whose pleasure craft
! the MYaka. is now here is the champion
! tarpon catcher, while MIR. James ,Hutchi-
son of Louisville, Ky. is the champion
all-round fisherman, his catch to-day he
| ing over fifty.
Quite a number of new buildings of va
i rious kinds shows that Punta Gorda Is
| reviyins, and that the future looks bright
| The merchants seem to be doing a tnriv-
| ing business. and with a fine fruit crop
| ahead they VIII not be seriously set back
| by the usual dun summer that comes TO
| all Florida towns. l was pleased to find
the Morning News at DR.. W. A. Burland's
| Gulf Pharmacy and News Depot where
ne was just hanging out handsome new
! thermometer from the Morning News Of
| fee which he thinks an attractive and
| useful advertiser of one of the best news
papers that pass over his counter Now
that the naval stores business has got a
| foothold in this vicinity the Morning News
| viii be in greater demand by the uoople
| engaged In these new enterprises