, 1905-04-12
FLORIDA LETTER
The Seminole Indians and the
Beautiful Shells Found on the
Shores of the Gulf State.
THE FISHING IN THE GULF

Sarasota is a town of about 500 inhab-
itants, situated on Sarasota Bay, 26O
miles south of jacksonville.
Florida has about 1900 miles of coast
line, dotted with numerous bays, from
three to ten miles wide. Beyond these
are an almost continuous chain of KEYS
or islands along the west and south
coast between which are passes or chan
nels through which one must sail to
reach the Gulf of Mexico. Some of
these islands are partially cultivated
while Others are not, and they are from
one to twenty miles in length and one
to five miles wide. Some are of coral
and others shell formation. and all
thickly covered with tropical growth to
the very edge of the beach.
March 28th, | crossed Sarasota Bay
with a party from Ohio, in a launch
chartered for the trip, and together we
gathered shells on an island known as
Long Key, one of the chain of Sarasota
Keys. Thousands of bushels of many
colored shells in numberless variety
lined the beach. Beautiful conch shells
| am unable to classify. | wanted to
gather a boat load. | was entranced
with the sight, but what could | do but
leave them; 1850 miles from home, one
must be satisfied to leave most of the
curios where they are found. I'll gath
cred all the nice things | have seen, all
novel to Northern eyes, | would need TO
hire a freight train to haul them.
The water on the gulf was warm
enough for bathing and | found my
umbrella needed all the time as a shield
from the burning sun.
For a mile we walked along the Key
mot inhabited except by two or three
families, | am told and gazed at an
immense school of Jack fish pursuing a
school of Sardines. In their terror the
sardines would rush for the beach and
hundreds of them were left to die on
the burning sands, with each receding
wave The big Jack fish would follow
them until the waves broke on the
strand, and then dart into the very top
of an oncoming bill wv. Now and then
so many of them would crowd together
hat a few would roll out on the sand
but almost instantly jump back into
the water. l presume there were tens
Of thousands, perhaps millions of these
fish, and when it is known that the
Jack fish weigh one to three pounds
each, something of the sight may be
comprehended.
Sarasota is the terminus of the Flori-
da West Coast r. r., owned by the
Sea Board Air Line. To go farther
south on the west coast, n must drive
or go by boat. Flat boats with stern
paddle wheels, propelled by gasoline
engines, carry freight to the settlers far
ther down.
Near the Everglades are the Seminole
Indians, the only tribe left in Florida.
There are almost 500 of them and
they adhere to their wild life, having
little to do with the, to them, suspicious
white nan or detested negro, except to
trade such as they have to sell for the
luxuries the whites have to barter.
One lady living near here tells tales
of the days when the Seminoles were
ON the war path and she and her chill
dren with the few settlers then in the
Manatee country, went to Braiden
Castle (near B~raidentown) where they
successfully resisted the attack of the
red skins.
Nineteen years ago a band of Scotch
people came to Sarasota to establish a
town. Lured by visions of the paradise
painted by heartless land spectators,
whole families used almost their last
dollar to reach the sunny cline and the
result of their undertaking was sad.
Mostly mechanics who knew nothing
about preparing virgin land and tilling
the soil they were almost as helpless as
tho they had been dropped into the
heart of Africa. Most of them finally
got back to Scotland wiser than when
they started. Two years ago the rail
road reached here and land along the
beach is now selling from 500 to $25 a
foot front. Two big hotels and a num-
Der of boarding houses have been filled
by visitors from the north and west the
past winter. The breezes from the bay
and gulf make the climate delightful,
the finest | have found in Florida. l