The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-03-12
Letter from F1orida.


| William Wright, of Mount Holly, who
is taking vacation in Florida, has writer
very interesting letter to THE News
which we print:
West Palm Beach, Florida,
March /, 1901.
THE NEWS:
II you wish to print little sketch of Flor
ida, so taras have gone, offer this.
MY first visit was to falatka, situated on the
st. John River. about 70 miles by water south
! of Jacksonville Is miles west of the Atlantic
ocean and S5 miles east of the Gulf of Mexico
The channel of the st. John runs to The
wharves. affOrding, without any improve
ments, % feet of water. In this river there is
an abundance OF fish such as trout, brim, shad
and numerous other kinds. There are three
kinds of catfish, channel, surface and mud
and have been standing on the wharf when
they have brought in catfish weighing-45 to 81
lbs. each. The colored boys get spool oil
black patent thread double 1t. put hook on
no sinker, bait it with a piece of bakers
bread half as large as your fist, throw it on
top OF the water and let 1t float. Presently
you can see whirl and down goes the bait
and the boys pull in large catfish, some as
large as have mentioned. 1t is much sport
to see them catch the fish. The little coons
can't wait until they catch the second one
but pick it up and hurry to the nearest fish
market and sell the catch for two cents d
pound.
These fish are dressed, packed and shipped
away. The natives will not eat them. There
are plenty of fine boats on this river where
you can take excursions up the OcklaWahH
river to SILVER Spring, where the water is 81
and 40 feet deep but so clear any one can see
the fish at the bottom swimming around
These steamboats, also make regular trips n
the st. John river TO Sanford, Jacksonville
Crescent City, Lake George and several other
places of interest.
Palatka was once very prosperous town,
but since the freeze OF a few years ago the
town has no charms, owing to the failure OF
one Of the largest orange belts in the state OF
Florida. have Travelled for miles along the
ST. John river and can see groves, once q
blooming garden, now wasteless patch oil
broken up orange trees lying all over the
ground. Now ana then you can see an orange
branch sprouting up from the root OF some old
tree. But as they sprout up i'll the warm sum-
mer months, the frost soon cuts them down.
But the time, am afraid, has passed tor grow
ing oranges in and around Palatka, as the
frost gets down so close to the tender branches
On my trips while out cunning came across
several farms with fine dwellings and out
buildings, but found no one living there.
The people have left their homes account
Of their orange groves being frozen out.
have also seen an orange grove with fine
house of nine large rooms, including bath, hot
and cold water, furnished. iout-buildlngs with
ali the farm implements and every thing COM
pete, costing $4,000. that can be bought for a
mere song. There are still several large
orange groves and some look very nice, but
they are well protected. Each tree is covered
with tent. and on nights when frost is feared
lamps are lighted and placed unoer each tent
In large tents they place two lamps and iiIthey
did not protect their groves IN this way they
would not be able to raise any oranges in
Putnam county. Some natives think there
Will be no more frost, but since l was at Pa.
latka 1 have seen pretty heavy frOsts. All
along the ST. JOnn river at night you can see
these tents lighted. At a distance they looked
very pretty.
From Pafatka we came to Fort Pierce, $50
miles south. The sights on the trip were
beautiful. You can see the beautiful Florida
moss hanging from the trees. The dense for
ests of beautiful palm trees, the fine lakes tn =
beautiful birds flying along the banks of the
n q
fill you with delight and as you reach Titus
vile you come into the orange groves loaded
down with its golden fruit, you feel like jun D.
ing out thu car window and rushing into the
orchards to pluck the fruit. AS our train
pulled up on a branch road to Rocklege, the
car stopped right in the midst OF an orange
grove. You could almost reach them from the
car window. The train remained there fully
ten minutes and passengers rushed out in the
orange groves and came back loaded down
with oranges. 1t is sight to be hold and the
scenery will never blot fra;n ones memory.
All along the road you could see grove after
grove loaded with bright yellow oranges. But
these groves are so far down that the frost
has not bleached these trees.
We pulled into Fort Pierce at G. 20 z. NJ. Feb.
ruary 4, and found it a very pleasant little
village of about 800 Inhabitants, situated on
the banks of the beautiful Indian river,
which is only halt mile wide and several
miles long. Sailing across the stream we
reached strip of land which is about fifteen
miles long and is inhabited by black bear,
wild cats and few deer
From Fort Pierce we came to West Palm
Beach, a village of about 1900 Inhabitants, sit
uated on the Lake Worth, which divides west
Palm Beach from Palm Beach. This river is a
half mile wide and to get across, there is a
bridge, built by the Railroad Company, feet
wide. They charge &c trip one way or you
can get 40 tickets for $l.O0. There are also
several steam launches going and coming at
&c trip or 30 tickets for 81 90 and as you cross
this river. you reach what l call the most
beautiful place ever looked upon. 1 call it
the paradise of the world. No sooner do you
step from the bridge than you see cocoanut
Iadn rr5fb ham
acres of them. In some places the ground
lays covered with the nuts
The Hotel Royal s'oinciana is q sight of IL
self and is said to be one of the largest frame
hotels in America 1t is certainly beauti tut
ana the grounds, with walks decorated with
the most beautiful flowers and orange trees
dotted here and there loaded down with IN.
precious yellow fruit would make you think
you were as near Heaven as anyone could get
on this earth. From the Royal Poinciana you
take stroll with the beautiful palms on each
side of the walk until you reach 1.-The Break
err" this is certainly magnificent hotel,
situated along the Atlantic ocean and you
can see hundreds in bathing. They seem to
have forgotten there was any cold weather t.
chill them. But they have no winter here,
and how soon we forget it when we reach this
blessed sunny land of Florida. The walks
here are covered with the foliage OF cOcoanut
trees for miles and as you walk through these
paths, you hear the sounds of bells from q
bicycle or bicycle chair which keeps you
lodging from one side to the other all the
time. Whether you go to see the Ostrich
farm or the Alligator farm or the wild ami
NAL place or everywhere you go the bells
keep ringing. Finally you will bring up at Il
curiosity store or u photograph place or along
some fine lake where you can sit and rest and
enjoy the scenery. The time flies before you
are aware 1t is time TO so back to your board
ing place. The days are not long enough
when you are over to Palm Beach and the
time flies swiftly. But no matter how tired
anyone gets, when you leave there you are
always ready to go back the next day to en-
JOY the beauties to be seen and If you get
hungry just pick up cocoanut ana help
yourself.
find the Seminole Indians here also, but
not quite as many as l found at Fort Pierce
One of the most interesting things l have
seen in my travels south is an old Indian
canoe, bewn out of a solid log 1 was so much
interested in it got lady friend to photo
graph 1t. 1t is certainly a sight and some
use It to cross to West Palm Beach from their
reservation out in the Everglades. The boat
is Is feet long, ~ feet wide, out OF solid
log. No oars but large pole to push through
the water. l thought l would try and find
their village and got a boat and went for
miles and gave up in despair tor l never got
on such trip. The Everglades are nothin q
but islands and watel how the Indians get
through from island TO island is wonderful
for could not follow their trail. 1 expect to
take q trip TO Miami next week and there
can see all the Indians l want TO, as that is
their trading post. l saw them bring in lots
OF otter hides also black bear, alIigators and
wild cat hides They are great trappers
They sell them tor little cash and buy fire
water ana have jolly time.
Yours truly,
WILLIAM WRIGHT.