The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-04-03
ATTRACTIONS
IN FLORIDA
Rev. Kennedy Describes
Scenes In Land Of
Flowers.


Canton, who has been sojourniny in
Florida this winter writes as follows
Of tho pleasures and attractions Of the
land of flowers:
Ponce, Park, Florida, March 20.
With the beginning Of March the
weather turned quite warm, and since
then the thermometer has registered
from 65 to s6 degrees. At this writ
ing Vegetation is advanced to what 1t
will be in Ohio by the latter part OF
May. Peaches are as large as Dam
son plums; strawberries have been
ripe for some time; also mulberries.
The promise for the next crop of or
anges is exceptionally good, and as
the orange crop is the mainstay OF
Florida, the people are hopeful. The
severe freeze of few years ago
checked the orange industry of the
state, but those who Immediately re-
planted, will, we think, be well re-
warded.
But after all, the money that comes
here through northern tourists, does
more for Florida than any one or all
Of her home industries. 1t Is source
Of income, too, that increases with
each winter. One must spend win
ter here to realize this. This winter
the hotels and boarding houses have
heen taxed to their utmost capacity,
and many Of them have been forced to
turn away scores of persons who have
applied for entertainment. One result
of this winters increase of tourists
viii be the enlargement OF some of thu
principal hotels, and, perhaps. an en-
| largement of charges
FISHERMAN'S' LUCK.
Those who come here expect to
spend most Of their time fishing, con-
lsequently the rivers and bays a~o
crowded with boats OF all shapes and
sizes, the occupants Of which are
armed with fishing tackle and cat bait
ard intent on finding the place whe e
the channel bass are most numerous.
He who takes the largest bass Is the
hero of the hour-untii some one
takes a larger ore, and then he Is a
nobody, and, unless he recovers his
| luck he must take a back seat Oae
day your corresps nGent came in with
. twelve-roaader, and everybody
cheered him. but the next day fellow
from New York came in with one that
tipped the scales at fifteen pounds.
Well well, such is fame"
| On my leaving home s5me OF my
| friends expressed the fear that an al
! ligator would get away with me SO
to quiet their fears / would just say
that the gator is never seen in salt
/ water. But a few days ago party tf
us hired a launch and went into tho
iinterirr to fresh water creek to fish
fol' black bass. The bass were moi "a
home, but the alligators were, and
/ big ones, too Our party agreed that
i the largest, were from ten to twelve
feet long | think however, that if
our party had agreed to the susges-
ton made by the Ohio man, that we
should, in the interest OF science, lard
and secure an exact measurement, the
largest wonld not have exec ,ded eight
feet. &
ALL.GATOR'S HABITS.
Our pilot remarked that "he had
bnever known any good TO come from
an attempt to interview a sleeping a.
tlieator," and for once, the Ohio man
had to give in The waters here
abound in porpoise. At food tide they
come into the river,to feed, but as
/ their size is so great that they have
To confine their movements to deep
| water we do not often get a coed
view Of them. Seen from a distance
! they have the appearance, when in
mCticn, of cow or horse turning
| somersaults in the water When
/ frightened or when in pursuit of fish
they move with great rapidity.
Two and half miles from our ho-
tel, and on bit OF high land from
which miles of the ocean may be seen.
stands an ancient stronghold the his
tory Of which is unknown. The peo-
| pie Of Florida have no knowledge OF
the purpose for which it was con-
structed. The theory adopted by
nearly all who visit the place is that
1t was once the rendezvous of Spanish
pirates. However that may be, one
thing is quite certain, 1t is older than,
the traditional or written history CT
Florida, and therefore becomes piac |,
Of no small interest. II is deserving
of larger notice than has yet been
given It.