Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-02-26
LETTER FROM THE SOUTH.
MIAMI, BIscAYNE BAY, FLA,
Feb. IS, 1907.

Feb. IS, 1907.
My DEAR GENE:
We landed in Jacksonville last Friday
morning and after breakfast, at the
Windsor, rode around town until noon
The population is little over $4,000
The city is growing rapidly. 1t has
seven lines of railway and a number of
steamer lines In addition are many
boats carrying fruit, vegetables and
lumber to the north. 1t has fine
water supply from artesian wells which
! flow million gallons in "A hours and
rise about 20 feet above the ocean. The
engineer at the municipal plant said
that their daily average consumption
was 3,500,000 The water is strongly
impregnated with sulphur which dis
appears by letting the water flow into
reservoirs before being pumped into the
mains.
After lunch we visited the ostrich
farm. We saw "Black Bob" go against
! time. Bob holds the worlds record for
ostriches, to-wt One half mile in (1:12)
one minute and twelve seconds. While
there we saw him hitched to a four
wheeled racing wagon and he certainly
could go. The colored boy caught him
in the lot after some lively dodging.
When caught, they put stocking over
his head and he was docile as kitten.
After the rider is in his seat, the hood
is pulled from his head and the Mr..
| Ostrich starts. You would think he was
going to New York After that was a
birds ridden by two colored boys. If
Louis Wright could bring this outfit to
the county fair next fall, he would need
to build an addition to his grand stand
east to the main building.
| We arrived here Saturday morning
and found the flowers in bloom and the
| city filled with strangers. The soil
here is a very light sand just covering g
the coral rock. This rock is said to be
80 per cent. lime and very hard on
shoes and clothing. In fact the rocks
are so sharp and the lime so penetrat-
ing, that hunting dogs can only work
one day in week If a farmer wants
! a COW to pick mp its own living out on
the commons, he must put shoes on her
so she can afford to come home 70 be
MIXED. The weather averages 20 de-
grees night and day and the natives are
talking of their cold winter weather.
Roses are in bloom and many of the
tropical lowers are out in all their
glory of color.
We expect to leave tomorrow for
Nassau, on the Bahama Islands, and cele-
brate Washington's birthday under the
British flag This is one of the special
fete days there and l suppose every
stateroom will be filled by tourists
going over. This hotel is filled with
guests. 1t is said there are over 600
guests. / will try to inclose bill of
fare so you can see what we have to
choose from.
The hotel grounds are filled with all
sorts of trees and shrubbery. The most
prominent tree is the cocoanut palm,
loaded with nuts. A curious tree is one
called the Australian pine. 1t looks
very much like our white pine. The
needles are the same length as those of
the white pine but jointed. Its main
characteristic is that it has no pitch
about it. The grounds of the hotel are
marked with oleander hedges, 10 to 20
feet high and in many places covered
with flowers. The foliage plants we
cherish and with US grow inches, here
grow feet in height.
The fishing here is fine. One of the
events of the day is a visit to the hotel
dock at sunset to meet the fishermen
returning from the days sport. Last
evening one gentleman brought home
monster, weighing 430 lbs He was
caught with trolling hook and line.
Yours truly,
W. H. MYLREA.