The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-03-03
SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 1906,
LETTER FROM FLORIDA.
Mr.. Yeiser Writes of the Land OF
Fruits and Flowers Magnificent
Hotels, Etc.


Correspondence OF the Democratic AuNo'-''e-'
JAcKsoNvILLE, FLORIDA, Feb. %, 1906.
MEssRs EDITORS key West, fiouaa.
the first place our party visited after leaving
Cuba, is south of the mainland, on SEVERN l
islands. The city has a population of 10000,
and never had a FROST and, therefore, Is lrop-
zeal. Though somewhat behind other Florida
cities, the streets are clean. the people seem
PROSPEROUS the stores are up-io date ana me
hotel accommodations are first class.
From here we sailed to Miami. the most
sontbern CITY in Florida that can be reached
by rail, distance of $50 miles
By travelling from Miami to hey West,
across the Florida Keys, you would travel -
miles on land and 40 miles on water. over
this route the Florida East Coast K, H. 70 Is
now building a line to connect the two oiueS-
II is said this is a great undertaking, and when
completed will be the greatest achievement IN
railroad enterprise. Key West VIII 'heh ee-
come a great commercial city.
Miami, the place We are now stopping, -
a beautiful winter resort. Ten years ago 1;
had a population OF %, today Il has . o00.
The streets are wide and beautiful; the boule-
wards, made of shells, extend for miles. Per
hans 8. 900 tourists are here now. The Royal
Palm Hotel is the leading one, though there
are many others.
That Miami WILL in the near future, be the
leading winter resort Of Florida, OF ot Amegl-
ca, there seems to be no doubt. Que oi me
chief amusemenis here Is fishing. The BIS
cayne bay Is full of fish. BY taking boat
and going out into the channel the hook seldom
reaches the bottom before there Is a bite and
6 fish to pull out.
The am usement of the sportsneu, however,
is king aud shark fishing. They ehar;eS a
boat that is fitted for the sport al a cost OF
from SO 10 $50 per day. The king tlsu IS Of
the mackerel variety, and measures from z 10
4 feet. The shark weigh from 200 10 4UO
pounds. These boats seldom return with less
than from so 10 100 king fish, and frequently
two to three sharks that weigh up 10 400
pounds each
From Miami the writer went out into the
country about Z miles Here are the h"est
grape fruit groves IN the state. Inc trees are
loaded with the beautiful yellow fruit, which
they are now picking and shipping
Our party next visited the alligator and
crocodile farm -Four thousand 81 the reptiles
are here from inches 10 10 feet long.
The Miami River rises In the Everglades
and is navigable for small boats from Miami
for 10 miles. On this river We sailed 20 The
Everglades Everybody has read about he
Everglades, but few eau form an l1es Shai
they are. The growth is SO dense, usually
from 10 to Is feet high, that you can hardly
see distance OF two yards from you here
the Seminole Indian lives and has hrs hunting
ground. and ii is not very likely that the pale
face will soon drive hiIa out Of this hagf {.
Returning from the Everglades We stopped
Mt a model fruit farm on the banks ol lbe
river. The farm contains $50 acres. The
avenue from the river o the residence 3 wide.
On each side hundreds OF eocoauaj palms are
planted. After arriving at the residence 'he
orchard spreads out before you. You nfe moi y
in the midst of hundreds of orange. lemon,
grape fruit and eitron trees. al covered WIN
the golden fruit ana fragrant blossoms There
is not day in the year you cannot mud orange
on the trees here
A variety of sweet scented hoSeFd gro"
everywhere. The birds hop from twlg 20 twig
as they sing their sweet songs. Here we are
told to pull down our own oranges and grape
fruit, pull all you want and taka the best
Is little Paradise on earth.
We now leave Miami and our next stop ].
at Palm Beach. This is also resort iol
winter tourists. Tie Hotel Royal Poiccians
has accommodations for 1900 guests and !.
the priucipal hotel. Around this hotel ar'
large marks, with wide bouleyarus made "a
asphalt, Along tha roads hundreds q roya
and cocoanGt palms, and many other troPica
plants are growing, To try 10 descsibe thl'
property would not interest the reader. IL 2
sufficient to say that It Is said TO be mot OF
the finest hotel property IN America, but %
the world
Al Palm Beach our party chartered a smal
boat and sailed up Palm Beach Bay about Il
miles 10 Muuyen Island. The medicine
MUNYON'S winter home This island is atoa
one mile long and about 100 yards wide. To-
entire island is a profusion Of beautiful fra
grant flowers, orange, graps fruit, lemon aht
other tropical fruits. Tourists are pertnNieS
to land on this islaud, and they are also lakei
through the beautiful residence, and free lunei
is served. but you are warned, uhcer peHalt
of the law, not TO touch any fruit or flowers
The entire island is the property of DR.. Nun
yon.
Our next stop on this trip was The Gardel
of Eden. This is not IS large as Auayoi
Island, but, if possible, is kent ueaier. Ever
inch Of perhaps 20 acres is under the care o
expert gardeners; flowing fountaiHs. tEcPica
fruit wherever you look; flowers everywaere
If the Garden OF Eden was as beautiful. an
the fruit looked as tempting as IL does here
no wonder Eve gave her husban.! the slip an
pulled down the forbidden fruit
From Palm Beach 10 81. Augustine, wher
our party next stopped IS 263 miles. In golni
we passed through the Pine Apple bet. 70
% miles you see only pine apple larms- ATE
passing ont of the pineapple belt you get int
the Rockledge and Indian river orange groves
For about 10 miles you see nothing but orang
groves and the golden fruit wherever you look
The boys all along came out 81 me grove
and sold the fresh fruit through the TRAIN
Now ST. Augustine-this is an interesting OLE
city. but space will not permit me TO descrlb'
it. The old Spanish Fort Marion. with II
dungeons and secret traps; the old slave mar
kethouse, where slaves were sold to the high
est bidder; the old house. perhaps the odes
in the United States; the Narrow street, Zee
wide; the old city gate; the sea wall along ih'
ocean; the old church, the oldest place o
worship in the United States, ETC., are amOni
the places of interest.
And now Jacksonville--thi is d great com
mercial city aud modern throughout. Fron
here our party started for q sail oi' tae beaulI
full st. Johns river. 1t was a grea, Pftviieg
10 have the pleasure to photogra,,h on IN
banks of this river, about 10 miles from Jack
sonville, the very spot where Harriet Beeche
Stowe wrote "Uncle Toms Cabin. Tn
house in which the story was written stoo
antil few years ago. Tn. property now be
longs to New YORK capitalist
From here we sailed 10 miles farther mp tn
river 10 Orange Grove wharf, There we wer
nermitted to 90 through an american Mission
arv Society school for colored children. b
object of the school is to promote christianlI
among the colored people and teach them
become intelligent and useful citizens. ID
school is in care of five SIX female teachers
That they are all able and efficient teacher
can be seen by the fruit of their labors. Mr
J, Hitchcock is the principal
| tried to be truthful in writing and givin
the bright side of Cuba and Florida. If va
want TO know the dark side, visit the countue
and You will no doubt fnd that there are t"
ways to see country.
Very truly. G. W. YEIsER.