Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-11-02
FLORIDA
The Winter MeccaEIof Northern
Invaiids and Pleasure
Seekers.

To New Highlander fresh from his
hills mountains lakes. and rivers,
Florida is "a land Of surprises In it's
lakes, rivers, climate, and face of the
country, it is new world to them. One
can leave New York in driving snow
storm. and in thirty-six hours be among
the oranges, flowers, birds and aligaturs
of Florida.
After the many hours railroad ride
through the interminable and monotonous
swamps, negro cabins-many without
windows-and forests of North Carolina,
South Carolina and Georgia, it is a sur
prise to find III jacksonville a thriving
handsome city, in most respects, except
the mild climate. like our prettiest
northern cities. Here one may visit the
Ostrich Farm where men ride these
great birds bare back and drive them at
very rapid gate. harnessed to light car
riages
The ride to st Augustine the second
most interesting city in this country, is
short, and there you find the old and the
new. side by side, in striking contrast.
It, principal business street, st. George
is only seventeen feet wide, with pave
ments extending to the housed walls on
both sides. Treasury street is so narrow
that stretching my arms from side to
side | touched both sides
In tins Plaza, boys and girls have
great fun in riding the sober and slowly
walking donkeys round and round the
old slave market, a thoroughly Spanish
scene.
The old gatewavs in the city wall, and
the old fort are unique and interesting.
The new hotels are wonderfully beauti-
full and with their music and social life,
most attractive.
But the greatest Florida experience is
the famous Ocklawaha river trip, by
fright boat the wv. S. Howard" Palat-
ka, on the st. Johns river about thirty
i've miles from st. Augustine. is the
starting point. and every Thursday
morning the starting time. The boat
with comfortable state rooms, generous
and excellent meals, and pleasant COM
pany steams slowly up the st. Johns to
Nelska, a lovely little nook, on the east
side Of the river. Here we find some
pleasant people from the North an arte-
sian well, ice factory, postoffice, two or
three stores, and live alligator some -
feet long tied with ropes to the little
dock. Thrusting his nose forcibly against
the loose planks makes one jump and re-
treat to safe distance.
Leaving the dock, steaming about one
mile up the St. Johns, we come to an
opening about fifty feet wide, bounded
on both sides by Expresses rs to 100 feet
high, with festoons fof Spanish moss
hanging from their branches, and here
begins tour of nearly two, days follow
ing the 1,500lbends of the wierd Ockla-
waha river between its mouth and Silver
Spring, the Fountain of Perpetual
Youth" of Ponce de Leon. These two
days of following the bends of the river
for 80 miles to make the 6S in a straight
line, are days of pure delight. The tall
Expresses with underground so dense
that there is no passage through it into
the forests on each side of the river.
line it, on both sides, almost continuous
ly through its entire length.
The boat frequently runs against the
banks, the turns are so short and must
he pushed off with the aid of long pole
provided for the purpose
The frequent stops for loading rosin.
tar, etc give variety t. the trip and an
opportunity to talk with the nativas win,
do not care for fine clothes and when
hungry, drop a line into the river for
the fish that are always there. There is
always plenty of fuel lying about loose,
Tor cooking the fish when caught
AT night torches of pitch pine are
placed on the top of the pilot house,
which light up the tall Expresses, and
they thus look like giant sheeted spec
ters, so weird and unreal that as | write,
IL seems like dream, instead of "A most
fascinating reality of only few short
weeks ago.
Of Silver Springs river with its streaks
OF pale green water through which can
be seen turtles, alligators, fish and their
shadows on the sand beneath. and of
Silver Spring, itself, through whose
depths of 90 feet can be seen pennies.
small pieces o. tin, and other small OBJ
jects, have not time nor space to
speak.
will end with this suggestion to the
readers of the Register In winter time
when the sleet, snow and cold become
disagreeable, drop down to Florida for IA
new world, and most charming exper-
fence.
JOSEPH DANA BARLEY,
October 90 1905