The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1907-03-22
"A TRIP DOWN THE EAST COAST
ing City-The Dade County Fair.
Flagler and His Magic Wand.

: We have just returned from trip
TO Miami where we went Ostensibly
TO visit the Dade county fair but in
reality 10 enjoy few days outing and
( TO note the progress of that wonder
ful and peculiarly favored section.
/ Everything is so beautiful, so sweet.
so pure, so beatific. so like the Garden
of Eden planted by the Creator HIM
self, that it resembles more dream
than an actual, living reality.
Spr months and months past
! from some cause or another.
we have revelled in the most
delightful dreams: We have
heard the most melodious and heaven
! ~ music-sOunds that lull one into
sweet delusions; We beheld the most
beatific scenes: there was constant
lily presented TO our vision a land that
lresembled a moving panorama of Sc
Iraphic loneliness; We saw, one after
another. most magnificent landscapes:
smoothly flowing rivers: blue lakes
and grottos. prism-like springs, cas-
icades and waterfalls: trees Of weird
and shapely forms: tempting fruits
of huge size and delicate sweetness:
ielfs, sirens, fairies and singing birds
lof gorgeous plumage; women. richly
dressed and angel-like in manner,
form and feature: men in uniform.
Sword and buckles; castles, wizards.
Imagiis and magicians with wand and
lscepter: paths Of emerald, rOadbeds
of sapphire, and streets Of amethyst:
scenes of dazzling transition and fan
(tastic shapes and beauty. and as we
were whirled along this section
in parlor cars and reclining
ch&ire We had to pinch our
selves continually TO realize that we
were not still in dreamland.
How well do we remembe" when
pade county was represented at every
democratic convention for many Years
hv a lone delegate, who was deri@ively
,hreVeted the Duke OF DaGe, and
vino il vas stated constituted one
third Of The entire population. and Il
general impression prevailed that he
lived where only aligators. crocodiles
b and Seminole Indians could survive
the nestilential atmosphere: how OK
Governor Gleason was Wdiculed and
Iupbraided for establishing the AEri-
cultural college at Eau Gallie. and
what mighty and indignant protest
went up to Washington to have il re-
: moved into a section inhabited and
,inhabitable for human beings. and
how this demand. made SO strenuOusly
and in earnest. was needed: how poor
Gleason was derided as crank OF the
first magnitude for predicting that the
least coast would some day be more
/ than 2 waste and wilderness; how
/ United States Senator Thomas w.
! Osborne. who first seriously proposed
D the building of railroad from the
D mainland TO Key West. was pelted
with sarcasm and ridicuie. and whose
life. like poor Gleason's. was made a
} burden greater than he could bear;
! how. finally. both left the state in dis
r gust and despair, unlOved and unla-
+ mented.
l.. Truly. the stone which the builders
+ rejected. the same is become the head
D of the corner.
+ The east coast today is beyond all
4 iodds the most favored section OF
Florida: the poor, sandy lands are Gov
cred over with pineries so thick as
almost 10 be likened TO the sands OF
: the seashore. and yield TO their for
G tunate owners thousands and thous
ands of dollars annually: while the
+ muck. swamp and hammock lands are
, planted 10 potatoes, tomatoes. lettuce
celery, etc. and every acre is equive
n lent to a gold mine in richest Alas
+ ka.
!. These are no eXaggeratiOns. We
O were given the names of the individ
= Iuals who reaped these rich rewards
r. for their faith and industry; We were
: shown the lands. and, like a doubt
ing Thomas. were made to toucf
with our own hands the products ant
behold the same with our own eyes
f. and. if the proof of the pudding /:
V in chewing the strings" We were made
: complete conveYt, because ''pud
n ding" was the least Of the good thing:
e we were fed on.
Residents OF that section feast OF
= so many dainties and Injuries tina
milk and honey are regarded as ev
ierydav dishes.
The rair was N full progress wheI
: we arrived and we do not fear be
ling called down for the statemen
n when we say that in no other count,
IS in any other state in the Unite
81 States. unless il is some other couH
IS ~ in our own state. can such dis
,e play be made. This is q big but
K. true statement.
he The exhibits OF fruits and veet
II tables that we saw are beyond exas
n geration. To believe them posSihl
is 1.-THE man from this section must So
,e them with his own eyes and handl
them as we did with their own hand
and even then we fear some would il
sist that there was some fake some
where and that these beautiful spec
Il mems of the farm and garden mus
ol- from (Nnha c