The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-15

From snow and Ice to sunshine and
flowers. from your winter overcoat to last
summers blue serge suit-well. that's
obout 1t. To say that the Virginia Press
Association enjoyed their trip to Florida
would be drawing 1t very mildly. When
ever We have stopped in a town we have
stopped at some sidebonrd and partaken
OF refreshments. It has been sideboards
In the towns and seaboard between towns,
and the combination is hard to beat.
The wrIer was among those who left
Richmond on the FIRST section. that car
ried the Virginia Press over The 6eaboard
last Monday We left Richmond on time,
and after delightful trip through the
Southern States we rea.ied Jacksonville
the next morning. on time to the minute.
And, by the way, allow me to say, for
politeness and attention to the passengers
commend me to the employees Of the Sea-
board Air Line. Our trip was made even
more enjoyable by the politeness Of the
railroad officials with whom we came in
contact. Particularly are we indebted to
Mr.. u. P. Smith. district passenger agent,
who accompanied the party, for his un-
firing care of the members Of the ASSOC
citation.
IN THE TROPICS.
Tuesday morning when we awoke and
locked from the car windows We beheld
i the land Of the pine and palmetto. It's
pretty ndTU W OGSCl4DC IL " w. 1SdS
everywhere the eye rested We're lovely,
green, luxuriant palms. Invountarily ono
enld to himself: Some one is giving a
handsome party tonight and the decora-
tions are unusually handsome" The sun
shone brightly, the birds sang, and tho
Virginia editors enjoyed lifo and forgot
entirely the cares and duties of the press
room. After a while houses began to ap-
pear, and soon the porter came IN and
called out Jacksonville" Ny, what a
busting around and hunting for bags!
Soon we are In Jacksonville, and jack
Z Eonvllle Is worth being In. The station IS
very large one, with many trains rush
Ing IN and out and great army OF tou-
rists. Jacksonville is the largest city in
Florida, and 1t is very Wideawake and
full OF life About two years ago half Of
the city went up In smoke In one day. 1t
would have discouraged most folks, but
the next day the citizens of Jacksonville
armed themselves with palnl-leaf fans
and went down to tho burned district and
began to fan the ashes away. To-day
most of the burned houses have been re-
placed by new ones, as good as, and often
: much better, than the old ones. And 1t
may interest you to know that ono of the
handsomest new buildings is the Elks
Club House, newly erected in the burned
district. 1t is q beautiful building, and
The "IIello Bills" are Justly proud of It,
IN wondrous fashion,
FLORIDA HOSPITALITY.
The Virginia editors enjoyed their visit
ana visited most of the principal places
OF interest in the city, The TImes7Union
extended the Old Dominion press hearty
welcome, and detailed one OF their stan
10 guide Their brothers of the quill around
the city. Ono Of the most enjoyable
OF the excursions (Which included trolley
rides around the town and the like) was
O visit to the ostrich farm, where over
ono hundred live ostriches are kept,
Among the other sights of the farm Is
SOLVER W.. the famous trotting ostrich
who Is litched to q sulky and driven by
grown man at a two minute gait, We
learned two things about the noble bird,
who La the father Of the beautiful fans
namely, that the only way to manage
him Is to blindfold him. II the birds
cannot see you. you can pull them around
or do anything to them. but 1t don't
ce7nt. Another thing Is, that to drive
m ostrich, the man in the splky drives