The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-14
BEAUTIES OF
PALM BEACH
QUEEN OF ALL WINTER RE-
SORTS ON COAST OF FLORIDA.

QUEEN OF ALL WINTER NE
SORTS ON COAST OF FLORIDA.
A Glance at the Palm and Orange
Groves Of the New Peninsula.
Pineapple and Banana Culture in
the Southern Belt-origin of the
Cocoanut and Date Palm-The Pa
latial Hotels and transportation
Facilities.
THE charm and lovliness of Palm
Beach, as a winter resort,
transcends 1t seems to me, any
possibility of description. on Lake
Worth, some go miles south of St,
Augustine, broad and fertile penin-
sula. covered with luxuriant tropical
growth. is by far, the queen of all the
east coast resorts. The great, green.
gulf stream sweeps along on one side,
close to the shore laden with life and
sea -ozone, while the tranquil Lake
Worth with its resistcss temptations
for sailing and fishing, peacefully lays
on the other side. The cocoanut palm
one says, "ever an index to an earthly
paradise" grows here to perfection.
The shores Of the lake, for miles are
fiineed with stately cocoanut trees al
ways in full bearing. Great groves OF
them with large lunches of green
husked cocoanuts, hanging from the
crown, together with the banana, are
seen on all sides. Nature has here
supplied all the material the most
lavish gardner or lover of nature could
covet.
Lake Worth, is like other waters Of
the Indian river system, saltwater
lagoon, % miles long, by an average
width of mile and separated from the
Atlantic ocean by this peninsula about
a mile wide.
Crossing the lake and approaching
West Palm Beach, even before alight
Ing from the train, one feels that the
most expressive adiectives at his COM
mand is too insignificant to express
his delight at the matchlcss and
majestic view that greets him. The
grounds favored by stature, have been
greatly enhanced in beauty, by the
lavish expenditure of money. Here
are tropical trees and plants gathered
from all parts ofs the world. In the
Royal Poinciana" grounds are cocoa
nut palms of lordly dimensions and
great variety of other tropical fora.
These groves extend to the spacious
veranda's of the hotel, and the walks
around and connecting with 'the
Breakers" (these two famous hotels
about one-quarter of a mile apart)
The walks are of asphalt shaded on
all sides by a variety of rare and in
borders are a solid bloom of sweet
scented flowers. Think of walks laid
out In seometrical patterns, bordered
with concrete curhs, and with lawns
protected by curved sea a-walls OF con-
crete and coquina on the lake front
Walks twenty feet wide and one mile
long, bordered with cocoanut palms,
oleanders, and azaleas, that lead from
the lake to the ocean with steep
and narrow beach, upon which a mag
nfcent surf breaks, in color a clear,
bright and ultramarine blue.
The lawns, too, of which there are
acres upon acres planted in Santa Lucia
grass, green the entire year. like vel
vet carpet with no signs, keep off the
grass" to heed Here oleanders, hibs-
Gus and passion flowers are in bloom
in January. Mangoes, guavas, lines,
lemons, oranges, figs, sapodillas, date
palms, bananas, pinearples and carly
vegetables are common in all the gar
dens. Some have straw berries ripe in
February and tomatoes in abundance
in March. Then here is the rubber
tree, the royal poinciana. paradize.
coffee and other curious trees, Orna-
ment the gardens, while the gnarled
struggling arms of great live oaks,
covered with knobs and bunchs of
orchids and hanging moss, add to the
beauty Of this paradise.
Glance at the Hotels.
OF the two palatial hotels, I will only
describe one, the incompatible Royal
Poinciana," built in colonial style, 555
feet long, six stories high and contains
800 hundred sleeping rooms, besids the
usual public rooms. One good feature
is each OF there rooms contain thirty
six square feet of closet space. Here
is dining room, 2lO feet long, re-
eembling royal court, where over
six hundred guests can at one time sit
down to banquet. Wide pavillions ex-
tend nearly around the superb struc-
ture, which stands in the midst Of
tropical vegetation of which the rare
and beautiful Royal Poinciana. is a
CONSPICUOUS growth, and which has
given name to the hotel itself
There are other and less pretentious
hotels here, with rates varying from
$500 TO $500 with superior service, viz.
Hotel Hibiscus" located near the
railroad station amidst tropical seem
cry for those who dislike the stir and
oustle of the Royal Polnciana and
Breakers.
In addition to its delightful climate.
It's tropical fruits and flowers, Palm
Beach offers unrivalled sport for the
hunter and angler. 1t is said that "a
fish in the hand, is worth two of the
angler story" still it is a fact that
nearly all the sea fish are found in
Lake Worth, such as blue fish, spotted
sea trout, vale d-snapper, barracu-
da, pompano, saw fish, mullet and
channel bass. The king fish Is caught
outside of the inlet and is a very gamy
one. Extraordinary catches have been
made her. On March 90 two men with
hook and line, caught one hundred and
thirty-three king FISH that weighed
9io2 pounds 1t seems hardly possible,
sat true. From the ocean pier, which
extends one-thrds OF a mile into the
ocean, almost any kind of fish are
caught and one never returns empty
handed.
Other attractions at Palm Beach are
he immense saltwater swimming pools.
,urf bathing 365 days of the year. The
original Indian trails, the bicycle
,aths and Palm Beach golf links. The
after enclosed by a dense forest of
ropical palms and shrubbery, sur