The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-01-19
UNDER SOUTHERN SKIES.

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, January 5,
1905. My third letter will deal to some
extent with Palm Beach, for it is time
| told my readers something of the
place in which l am spending the win
ter and where other Belfasters have
chosen to make their home. Let me
say, first, that it is indeed land OF
sunshine, and while am most loyal to
the north and love Maine as much as
any one, the southern skies have no
equal The sunsets are the prettiest L
have ever seen. Some weeks ago we
discarded winter clothing and with
summer wear are enjoying the pleasant
weather. 1t hardly seems possible that
the north is frozen and cold. Never
have seen such beautiful foliage and
flowers as those in the grounds OF the
hotel Royal Poinciana, which is the
largest hotel in the world aid has some
1900 rooms. The proprietor, MI Fred
Sperry, who manages this house and
another large hotel near at hand, The
Breakers. looks well to the comfort of
his many guests.
Sunday in the little steamer Palm
Beach visited Munyon's Island, which
is owned by DR.. J. M. Munyon of Phifa-
delphia, well known advertiser. 1t is
open to the public and it's hospitable
owner is ever ready to entertain visit
ors. Here we walked through large
groves of oranges, lemons, grape fruit,
alligator pears, tangerines, bananas, CO.
coanut trees, and other fruits. All the
trees were hanging full of fruit. Among
the fruits which attracted our attention
was the dainty little kumquat orange,
the massive pomelo and the Munyon
lemon, which is cross between the
lemon and shaddock, as large as the
grape fruit but retaining the charac-
teristic lemon shape and flavor. The
islands here are all fringed with the
tall cocoanut palms which stand like
sentinels at the waters edge and are
now full of growing cocoanuts. These
fall into the water and 60 drifting
about.
The story told of the originating of
the cocoanut palm on the shore OF
Palm Beach is that years ago the Span
ish brig Providencia, cocoanut laden,
was cast away off this coast, and the CO.
coanuts were washed ashore to find
growth in the congenial soil. There was
quite as much romance and similar
story as to the coming of the date palm
to this coast, where it is quite abundant
in some places. The conquering Moors,
it is claimed, carried it from Syria to
Spain, and the Spaniards are given the
credit of bringing it here from Spain,
where it has found soil ia vorable to its
growth. Other palms introduced have
included the sage, fan, royal and others,
including the screw, which in its growth
twists around like screw. The palms
native to Florida are the low saw or
scrub palmetto, which cover vast areas
VI UIl6 SCdIe, dllIl GliclC 10 dloU tlO CdD-
bage palmetto, so called from its cab
bage like growth, and which is edible.
Palm Beach is situated on an island
which is connected with the main land
by sand bar, and the beautiful Lake
Worth which lies between it and the
main land is some fourteen miles in
length. The lake is not more than a
mile in width at the widest and is very
beautiful. The lake is really a lagoon
and the city Of West Palm Beach lies
on the shore of the lake on the main
land. Palm Beach and the city are
connected by long bridge owned by
the East Coast railway and there is a
nickel toll for all who cross.
Fresh green cucumbers and radishes
are plentiful in the market here and
farther south the harvesting of the
tomato has begun. Pineapples and
oranges are quite plentiful now and the
shipments north have already COM
menced. The season is advancing;
travel has been large, and the hotels
and boarding houses are fast filling up.
ORRIN j. DICKEY.