The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-05
IMPRESSIONS or TAMPA.
FlOrida's Thriving Gulf Port as
Seen by a Savannahian.

ber almost under protest. l left Sa-
vannah for the city of Tampa, with
an indefinite leave of absence from my
physician. On the morning of the goth
/ was met at the depot in Tampa by
loving relatives and conveyed to the
hospitable home of Mr.. S. S. Varnedoe,
expecting to remain his guest for a
few weeks. to try the effects of the
change upon my health. sadly impaired
by a long and severe illness. The sec
ond day of the second year of the
twentieth century finds me still a res
ident Of Tampa, looking forward to the
time when l may once more take up
my abode in my old home and mingle
again with my old friends.
AS refuge from winter winds.
Tampa, to my mind, is the most at
tractive of the many resorts in the
state Of Florida. Offering to the tour
ist and the invalid the greatest number
OF Inducements Without attempting to
be exhaustive in naming all of them,
and without attempting a crescendo
movement, let me state some of them.
First then, Tampa is on the west or
Gulf coast of Florida removed from
the track of the storms that are en-
gendered in the tropics and gathering
force as they move, or are drawn bv
the mysterious influence of the Gulf
stream along the Atlantic coast of
Florida. Built upon the shore of the
beautiful Hillsborough bay, it does not
lace limitless waste of waters like
the broad Atlantic nor is it bounded
by the narrow banks of some sluggish
stream or inland lake.
Its handsome views face the blue
waters from the Gulf of Mexico. with
lust pnOnPh Of GhOra To
eye and impart the restful feeling of
safe and commodious haven Rarely
is this handsome sheet of water buff
feted by tempestuous winds into angry
billows; yet its bosom is ever rippled
With the steady flow of the trade
winds, moderated by the recurring land
and sea breezes. Only once in a while
do the icy currents of the north beat
back these warm and soothing winds
and chill the genial radiance of the
sun. In winter Tampa is, or should be.
the Mecca for the invalid.
There is subtle element in the at
mosphere which gently lulls the ner-
vous. wakeful sufferer to pleasant and
refreshing slumbers.
The sunlight feels beautiful and in
viting. The air is balmy and soothing
to weak lungs so that one is not con-
tent TO remain shut up in close rooms,
but gladly goes forth to healthy ex-
ercise in the open air.
The water is as crystal and flows
clear and copious in a stream from un-
known depths at point near the city,
and is distributed through the city by
system of water works. This water
is exceedingly soft, impregnated slight
ly with iron and sulphur. 1t has a
strong solvent energy, soothing es-
pecially to those human organs re-
quiring flushing to free them from dan
gerous secretions
The Plant Investment Company, i'm
pressed with the advantages offered by
Tampa as a winter resort, have erected
one of the largest hotels in the United
States.
The Tampa Bay Hotel is located in
Hyde Park, the most beautiful resi-
Dental part OF the city, in the center,
nearly, of a magnificent park, mar
vel of artistic engineering, in its de-
vious and winding walks. 1t is filled
with rare exotics, semi-tropcal trees,
shrubs, fruits and flowers In it may
be found trees and plants from China,
Japan, Australia, India and the islands
of the Eastern seas. What was form
erly race track has been changed
TO golf grounds. There is a large mu-
scum and a commodious theater within
the enclosure; and in the midst and
over all towers the grand hotel, with
its domes, towers and mnerets of Ori-
entail design.
The hotel is sumptuously furnished,
steam heated. with its own electric
plant and with its environments is a
veritable cosmos.
1t is said that over SO. 000, 900 were ex-
pended in the construction of what l
have attempted to describe.
The hotel does not open it's doors to
the travelling public until in January,
and closes them in April. To think, this
enormous expenditure and such elabor-
ate buildings for only three months
occupation yearyl
The advantages and attractions of
Tampa ought to bring the invalids and
persons of delicate constitutions from
the North with the first frosts of Win
ter, and its balmy climate should keep
both the sick and the pleasure seeker
at least until May, with a season of
that length. This hotel might conduct
a profitable business, and yet keep its
charges within the means of modest
incomes. AS now conducted, the profits
must be a very small per cent. upon
the amount invested. and to earn that
per cent. the charges have to be so
steep that only the wealthy can afford
to pay them. There are five other ho-
tells offering comfortable accommoda-
tions to the public. Belonging to the
invalid class, ] have not collected sta
tistics of the business of Tampa, but
slight observation reveals the fact that
its citizens are energetic, intelligent
and progressive and earnestly engaged
in developing its natural advantages
and extending its trade.
The proximity of the city to the
Manatee country, the safest orange
growing section of Florida. makes 1t
a convenient DEPOT for this luscious
and popular fruit.
Tampa and it's near neighbor. ~Port
Tampa, have established a flourishing
business in naval stores and mineral
phosphate. Saverese, well known to
the people of Savannah, has DEVELOPED
here large and lucrative fishing busi-
ness. during the season shipping i'm
mense quantities of the finny tribe.
There are cigar box manufactures, ex-
tensive iron works for the manufac-
ture and repair of machinery, boilers
and other articles of iron. Our fellow
citizen. Mr.. George j. Baldwin, is the
president of a system of electric street
and suburban railways and electric
works, furnishing lights and motive
power sufficient to meet all present
demands. Perhaps the most important
industry is the manufacture of cigars.
1t is said that there are over six hun
dred tobacco factories and eight thou
sand operatives. An important section
of the city under the name of Ybor
City has a population almost entirely
composed of employees of these facto-
ries named after one of fhe rionaars