The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-17

Mr.. y. A. Crews at Miami Where
They Are Eating trawberrfes,
omatoe New Irish Potatoes, etc.
People Think He is n Millionaire
Miami. Fla, January s. 1901.

2ss from Jacksonville and So from Palm
Beach, my last stop. I go from here to
Nassau. which is distant 1876 miles The
distance from here to Key West Is lS5
miles. to Havana go. to Matanzas s75
and to San Juan LOIS miles.
I reached here last night about HOO
and walked out this morning TO
find myself in what appeared to be the
tropics Ia spring time. judging from the
balmy atmosphere. the bright sunshine
the singing OF birds and the great aDuh-
dance and variety Of fruits and vegeta-
bles displayed in stores and az lruit
stands. Strawberries are now ripenlhs
down here. and on the dinner table TO-
day at the Pioneer hotel. where am
now I found new sweet and
Irish POTATOES. sQuashes, cucumDers, on
tons etc Tomatoes and other vege1a-
bles are being shipped from mere 10
markets further north all n ume now
and I actually oun myself Walking on
tbe shady side of the street today about
noon. to keep out Of the sun. and saw
ladies on the streets with opened UNI
hrellas while the thermometer stood at
noon at about 40.
There are three boats running out
from here now-One to Nassau. one III
Kew West and one TO Havana, while the
fare is $500 to Nassau. $3.50 10 Key
West and S21. 90 to Havana. / find Miami
TO be a city of some $500 people, lighted
by electricity, with a fine system OF
water works. with pretty smooth ana
hard streets. fine hotels. handsome. bus
mess blocks mostly brick. a NUMBER Oh
churches. newspapers and other Things
which go to make a convenient anu
pleasant place in which to i've. Near
nv IS the great Atlantic ocean. ms pref
Nv Miami river and the beautiful bay
Biscayne. The greatest ~undan OF
fish. oysters and game are to be found
In the waters and country about mere.
Encfrcling here on every side are CO.
coanut groves farms on which. Z
sands OF are grown, num-
dreds of truck farms where a great va
riety of early vegetables grow almost
the year round. and where. 1t is SAID.
the visitor may eat strawberries ana
fresh vegetables while his friends at
home are struggling through nuee
s~nowdrifts. 1t is claimed by the Miami
friends that they have the largest city
OF it's age not only in the United states
but in the world. n that their city Is
at the terminus Of a great railway
which extends the farthest south OF
any railroad in the country
In connection with the Florida East
Coast railroad runs the en~insul ana
Occidental Steamship Company. operat-
lnE three pretty SlCdIiloAliPS' I'm
the City of Key West and the Martl-
niuue.
i commenced this letter yesterday,
January Sth. and after a good nights
rest. I went on q tour OF the DeautIul
and picturesque city today and am just
in. had dinner and finishing 1t so l can
get IL off on the next train. On this
trip I strolled along that large and pref
sheet of water. the Bay Biscayne. Tor
some distance. took a look at the great
Atlantic ocean and the Miami river, n
strolled through the grounds OF the
great hotel Royal Palms and went into
the great structure. The Royal Palms
is one of nine hotels owned and operat-
ed by Mr.. Flagler from st. Augustine TO
Nassau. the names of which are: The
Ponce de Leon. Alcazar and Cordova at
st. Augustine: Ormond at Ormond;
ROYAL Poinciana and the Breakers at
Palm Beach. the Royal Palm, here. n
the Colonial and the Royal Victoria at
Nassau. These are all regular palaces,
ut for the dwelling places of kings. cost
many millions of dollars n have given
and are giving employment to thou
sands of people. Just think about the
Royal Poinciana at Palm Beach cover
ing a space equal to about eight of the
business blocks of Wilmington. The
Palms. here. is an Immense bu1ld-
ing, being $40 feet long, 300 feet wide
five stories high-three years being
spent in building and completing the
rounds. Leaving the buildings and
grounds of this mammoth hotel ] took a
view of the beautiful church and manse
which Mr.. Flagler presented no the
of Miami. He not My
built the church and manse n gave
the ground. but he handsomely and
COMPLETELY furnished il with carpets,
hymn books and everything else which
necessary. 1t is said that it is one
of the handsomest in the country and
cost a large sum of money-how much
public nay eve know. l then
went down town. took a seat in a store,
wiped the perspiration from my face
asked the storekeeper what the
temperature was. He went to the front
OF the store, looked art thermometer ana
told me il was Sc. I told him that thar
the first time I had needed a hand
for the purpose OF cleaning my
face of perspiration in many months
By people down here I am sometimes
taken for a regular millionaire tourist,
IL seems. from the way they charge Tor
lots of things. and the way they talk to
about investments. etc. Up at ram
Beach a man told me. as ] was leaving
that he wished to see me as / returned.
in that connection mentioned sew
eral nice openings for investments. j
did not let him know that I was a poor
man and did not have a dol
lar except what I had made as travel-
ing representative of a newspaper and
that every one I was spending was d
which / was poorly able 10
make. but which / was making in order
10 see understandable beauties of nature
I was seeing at Palm Beach. had
seeing on the pretty East Florida
and hoped to continue to see as L
cntinued my journey to the pretty is
of the sea-
Instead Of finding a sandy soil here,
&C T exnected TO do, find that the
whole country. almost. is undertake with
porous rocklike substance. The streets
are almost a rock ~oundatio ana are
rs pretty and smooth as If paved WITH
brick. They might be termed naturat
For the bicycle.
md fine carriages. which are the mooes
conveyance here. they are as hne as |
well be. The bottom or Miami
I am told. is a solid foundation.
,uch as is found under the surface OF
he land. Dade county. in which Miami
: Ss+rafad is about 40 miles long. i am |