The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-04-06
CLOSE OF THE FLORIDA SEASON.
Notes on Palm Beach, Miami and Other
Resorts.

OGn6r
Resorts.
Correspondence of The Journal
PALM BEACH, FLA, March 26, 1905. My
last letter from Palm Beach for this season
will include notes on points visited farther
up the coast. The Palm Beach season will
have closed before this letter is read The
Royal Poinciana closed Monday and the
other hotels, with the exception of The
Breakers. which will be open for some days
longer, had closed previously. The season
that the Royal Poinciana alone cleared
100000.
Here is little bit of rhyme which struck
me as rather applicable to this section, for
it is claimed by the white people that dur
ing the winter season the negroes are cod
died and petted so much that they will not
do any work until they have spent the
greater part of the money they earned dur
ing the busy season when the northerner is
here with his ''hand of tips" 1t goes:
De white man allus greivin',
Twel worry turn his head;
En- dar's de niggar dancin'
On deS crust Of bread.
De white man 'fraid his money.
Gwine lief him on de run;
De niger sleeps 'twel mOrnin'
Bekaze he amt got none.
l visited Miami last week and was pleas
antly entertained by friends there 1t is
called the Mushroom City" because Of its
rapid growth, but has been given such a
good write-up in The journal by Mr.
Charles w. Frederick that l will not enter
into details.
The project of deepening and extending
the links of waterways the entire distance
from Miami to Jacksonville, which was
talked of several years ago, is again re-
of means, and bona fide propositions with
That end in view have been made.
The opening up of canals and deepen
ing existing channels from Jacksonville to
Miami would of necessity cost a large sum
of money, but it would be repaid the citi-
zens many times over in the resultant re-
duced freight rates and by the increased
number of people who would be attracted
there on account of being able to utilize
pleasure crafts of larger dimensions.
visited the Miami of the Peninsular &
Occidental Steamship Line of which Capt.
"Rob" White of Belfast is the able COM
mander, and enjoyed a ride about the beau
tiful streets of Miami. What a few years
ago was but barren waste is now most
attractive place, somewhat resembling Bar
Harbor. The surrounding country is de-
voted to truck farming, and large quantities
of garden truck are raised. At Boynton !
saw a field of tomato plants, all green and
bearing fruit, two miles in length bya quar-
ter of a mile in width.
The opening of the canal across the PENN
sular at Miami marks an important step in
the projected improvements to the inland
waterways of Florida. With the use of the
new canals now building and those to be
built, it is only a matter of few years when
one may make a trip from Jacksonville to
Miami inside the keys.
My proposed trip to Key West was neces-
sarly given up by reason of sickness and
the heat coming on so fast, and so shall
have missed the "sponge fisheries" one of
the most interesting sights of southern
trip.
Land values on the east coast are rapidly
approaching in value. The papers of few
days ago chronicle the sale of tract at
Hastings which had increased in value $50
per cent within four years. In the same
space of time many pieces of property in
this city have increased fully as much, and
tie same condition prevails in many Sec
tions of the State.
Florida has glorious climate and here
nature has scattered her blessings with a
! bOuntful hand If the editors and the peo-
pie will only get together and pull together
with that same old steady, strong pull, not
for one locality but for all, the result would
| be for the betterment of all.
am to visit in Daytona on Wednesday
and Thursday, and expect to see st. Angus
tine the last of the week My plans now
embrace a trip up the coast of Florida on
the rail lines and on to Virginia, but the
conditions of the weather will regulate that.
The winter in Palm Beach has been a
pleasant one. l shall leave many friends
and acquaintances and best of all stand
ing offer to return to the south to engage in
newspaper work at any time desire; but
the charms of dear old Maine, call me home
ward for the summer at least.
ORRIN j. DICKEY.