The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-04-07
OFF FOR FLORIDA.
Mr.. and Mrs. Arp Go South for a
Visit.
The Ostrich Farm mt Jacksonville
Trip to Pablo Beach and Other
PIaces-Reminder of
Old Times.

Going, gong, gone! FOR Two week.
it had been the family talk-will the
maternal ancestor go to Florida or not
Her posterity down there had beer
calling her long and frequently ano
with to provide a suitable parapher'
MALTA and pay her way to Jacksonville
1t was an awful struggle. The girls
limited that if she was not going she
ought to send the check back, and
when at last she bought the beautiful
silk mohair Henrietta Maria Vendetta
or words to that effect, and turned il
over to the dressmaker, it looked like
she was certainly going, but | had my
doubts. She wanted me to decide the
momentous question, but l looked sol
emn and maintained dignified neu-
trality. IF you are going" said l,
''of course will go with you, for where
thou goest 1 will go, but you must start
next Tuesday eve and stay week only,
for have got to go to Carolina again
the last of next week." Still she hest
tated and gave no certain sign. There
were posterity at home that she feared
would fall into well or get bitten by
mad dog, or get run over on the
street, or catch the measles or some
thing else, and every time they came to
greet her her eyes would get watery
at the thought of leaving them. Neigh
bors and kindred urged her to go, for
she had not been as far as Atlanta in
five years, and needed change of air
and water and scenery. And so we
escorted her to the depot and there were
SO many to kiss and so many parting
injunctions about the children that
she had liked to have been left after
all. For ten miles she never said a
word, but looked out of the window
and ruminated.
An ACQUAINTANCE on the car came for
ward and that relieved the monotony,
and we got to Atlanta in due time, and
after a short stay left for Florida.
Now we are both glad that we came,
Cor we made our kindred happy and
will make some more happy when we
get back. This evening we visited
the ostrich farm, the Florida zoo,
which of itself is worth a trip to Jack
sonville.
1 wish that all the children could
visit it, for it is bigger thing than
circus or menagerie; it is much
larger than it was two years ago, for
now, besides over 100 ostriches the
proprietors have many varieties of the
most beautiful birds in the world. They
are of exquisite plumage-pheasants,
ducks, parrots, pelicans, cranes-and
there are deer, monkeys, crocodiles,
offers and many other creatures that
are never seen travelling around, and
are things of beauty that would de-
light the little folks. My wife says
that it is the best show for quarter
that she ever witnessed. 1t is worth
that to see the offers playing in the
water. This zoo is an established sue
cess and speciality for Jacksonville.
Crowds visit it every day, and the
touristsbu feathers and eggs most lib
orally.
The street car takes you there for
a nickel and they are always full. We
are going to Pablo Beach tomorrow,
and to st. Augustine next day, and
keep on the go all the time as long as
letters from home tell us all is well.
What a wonderful change has come
over the city since first knew it, when
there were about 10000 people, and il
was under the ban-a suspect home
for pestilence, and the tourists hur-
ried through it to safe Ravens Now
there are $4,000 people, and during the
winter half as many more. The city |
has been thoroughly severed and
drained and is supplied with the purest
water and the streets and walk ways
are all paved and everything looks
clean as a parlor l