The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-13
Tells Iof Delights Of Warm Gil.
mate in Winter.
IAEllsIAND's GREAT WEALTH
Natural Resources Hardly Appreciated
byAmerican People-some ofthe
Customs and Eccentricities
of the Natives.

of the Natives.
When the winter has grown apace and
the SHOWS and freezes prevail over our
northern belt, those who can 3Hord II
banker for the sunshine and baimy air
OF the far South. Men and women are
always seeking for change, II not OF
climate then for some other new con-
di,ions Florida and Cuba during the
winter months will always attract the
Neil-to-1e. and even those who are not.
Tho weather is open and the air ls brac-
ing in Florida. There are streams and
lakes and woods everywhere. The broad
Atlantic on the cast and the Gull of
Mexico on the West tend. with the MD
of that mighty current of the ocean the
Gulf stream, 10 make it d desirable habi-
tat for several months Of the winter.
The orange is not in its fullncss or luxu-
7iance Of former days, because of the
great freeze of 1895. but that other crop
thc tourists-was abundant THIS winter.
Jlagler is still alive, and his East Coast
a,ailroad and his East Coast Hotels are
alow paying handsomely. Plant has
passed away, but the Plant and West
Coast system is q fixture. The Pant
hotels are gradually being sold, and there
Is n rumor that Flagler may own the
PLANT system and the hotels. Al all
Formed Florida. and to-day it is & we'll
developing State OF 100000 people, who
are raising vegetables and melons. heW-
ing the forests and saving lumber. get.
ling out turpentinc. and doing many
things whereby wealth Is gotten. Ihey
have many high-grade schools, nearly
all on the co-cducational plan. indeed.
there is said 10 be not a. single highest
grade female school in Florida, and the
cne for young men only is The
Florida Military Academy. its State
Nest Point.
JACKSONVILLE.
Florida owes but little more than
snillion of dollars. and not a 1.-THE of this
Is held outside of State educational in
etitutioIs.
Jacksonville. fire-swcpt last May. is
literally Phoenix from its ashes, as if
touched with the spear of some wonder
1ul magician. II is in new form of brick
and granite and marble More Imposing,
more costly. more useful than the day
when the flames in few hours almost
blottcd Jacksonville out The work OF
rebuilding is still going on. Congress is
about TO provide for PAL. feet OF water
at low tide and 29l2 feet at high tide.
And this. as | believe, means that the
Jacksonville of 1910 will show popula-
zion of nigh unto $4,000 souls Common
justice demands that the trut:l be told
that the black man has been mighty
factor by which this reconstruction of
jacksonville has been wrought, and save
as stone-maSons. every branch OF buiid-5
ing has contained the men of Ebony hue,
end they have wrought well. Every one
visiting Jacksonville should make it a
point to visit the ostrich farm and sec
The ostrich WHICH has been trained TO
draw ---aS-.uF- wheeled vehicle with all the
case of a horse. Florida usually has,
1lavc been informed, only some four or
live frosts during the winter, but the
past winter has been the coolest winter
IN living memory. and there have-been.
] have been told. between fifty and sixty
frosts.
CUBA.
But lsayirg Florida you can sail to Ca,ta
on the east side from Miami in seven
teen-hour sail and from Tampa on the
west side in a twenty-four hour sail, CT
More APPLY YOU can say that ycr can
steam there in that time. The Gulf is
often tcmpestuous with its chopped seas
and the Florida Straits have been often
ugly and angry this winter. One gels Z
good shaking-up and that IS said 10 be
healthful but it is awfully unconfort-
able whilst 1t is going on. yet The ic-
Election that it will soon be over makes
1t cndurable for the time. From the west
side one enters Havana on a February
morning with IL clear sky and the sun
full high in the heavens. browning Nor
TO and Cabanans Castalias on the left
OF YOU to the east. and Castalia Principe
10 the west overlook Havana. a. compa ct
Spanish city OF 20O1p5 souls before you.
You land right alongside the derelict. the
bat1leship Maine whose smokestac:l SIS
still there 1t is common belief among
the Cubans that tho explosion Of The
,naine's magazine caused its destruction
and they say they can prove it. Che
harbor of Havana is n beautiful one ard
filled With many craft In Havana IN
February YOU feel as If YOU were i'll the
l,alny days of early June in the Middle
States Everything is open, tho mel, are
hustling along i'll the open air. but the
women are like hot-house plants. They
stay In their csstlc-like homes. that is,
the better Classes OF them, only cccasions
ally peeping out Of their barred enclos-
ures The men are everywhere in the
restaurants and earthquakes by them
selves and they seem to cat and drink all
the time. but they never get drunk.
American money. is good $l.40 for 81. and
American currency heats Spanish gold by
s per cent. But Your hotel men arc
americanized to the extent Of running
their hotels strictly on the American plan
and making their contract in American
money.
MODE OF LIVING.
The mode of living in Havana at tho
hotels is this: Coffee. bread and an
orange are furnished on rising: these are
ready from six TO nine: from nine TO noon
a substantial meal; breakfast is served.
Dinner runs all the way from four to eight
r NJ Before American occupation these
hotels were run strictly on the Eu-
ropcan plan and their rates We're Very
moderate. Now they are Very hish. Tho
stores and cafes, however. take Spanish
silver. There are .'casas de cambios
everywhere to exchange Your money; Rid
ing in clean carriages or cabs is hardly
more expensive than car-fare In America.
as two people can ride almost anywhere
In the city for twenty cents In Spanish
money or ten cents cach-about fourteen
cents in our American money. The car
r!aScs all have bells attached to the Sdriv-
cr's scat. which are used very literally
and very successfully to prevent col.
lisions The automobiles blow a. horn to
notify YOU to keep out of the way. There