The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-03-10
o. e. FuIghum Writes from
Melbourne, Florida Tell
ing of the Delightful
Climate and Surround
ings.

! -. Il. fulsnum, untll recently pTeSl-
dent of the Richmond Business college
| is now at Melbourne, Florida, and yes
terday the Palladium was in receipt
of the following letter from him, Tell
| ing of the beauty of the place and de-
/ lightfulness of the climate. The let
ter follows:
| (The winter home of the Chautauqua
of the tropics)
Kissed by Sunshine, Iulled by breezes
Melbourne was named after delight
full Melbourne, the capital of the Brit
ish colony of Victoria in southeastern
Australia, on the Yarra Yarra, and is
situated on the west bank of the fam
Gus Indian river about 200 miles south
of Jacksonville. 1t has about 400
resident inhabitants and from 400 to
500 winter tourists, three good hotels,
newspaper, three general stores,
drug store, bazaar, fish house, where
hundreds of barrels of fish are ship
ped north, three churches, boat shops,
band, turpentine still and an auditori-
um for the chautauqua. poor little
Richmond can not afford one.)
The chautauqua is now in session,
March 4-16) and is presenting very
good program.
The turpentine camp, owned by T.
J. Shane and company. comprises
about $1,000 acres, with $4,000 bores,
last year increased to $4,000, this
year so men, a commissary and 80
houses for the workmen. 1t is very
interesting to see the process of uak-
ing the turpentine and resin AL
oil
scented among the tourists, but there
are more from Indiana than any other
state, Indianapolis, Greencastle, Sum-
mitsville, Paramount, Union City.
Cambridge City, Richmond and other
places being well represented.
The climate is ideal, not hot, but
pleasant and healthful. This situa-
ton is considered the most healthful
in the south, being high and dry.
The Indian river is only a river in
name, being a sound of salt water, ex-
tending almost north and south along
40 miles of the eastern side of Flor
ida. The northern end is some
miles north of Titusville, and has a
width of five miles. About two
miles at this place.
1t is separated from the ocean by a |
strip of land varying in width from a
couple hundred yards to several miles.
The orange groves begin near Titus |
vile and extend southwark. Every
body has heard of the famous Indian |
river oranges. l have had the pleas |
llre of visiting some of these groves /
and sampling them. They taste quite |
different from the most of the fruit in |
the north. The most of the oranges
shipped north are picked green and
are not as rich as those ripening on
the trees. Among the fruits found |
here are oranges, bananas, grape
fruit, lemons, tanguerine, peaches,
dates, pineapples, etc. All kinds of
are grown here. We /
made our garden the first of January.
It is great sport to go fishing and
hunting, and most of the tourists
spend their time on the river and
creeks. The river is literally covered
with ducks. AS one gentleman said:
The Northern people would consider
him wild if he should tell them that
he has seen million at one sight,
out it is not uncommon to see the
river black with them. We find
.rout, mullet, sheephead, bass, whiting
oysters, etc, in abundance. Also al
gators, deer, rattlesnakes, wild cats,
and some bear. A few f1eas, but not
many mosquitoes in Melbourne. In
his section we find a very few cattle,
1 few dried beef on foot and razor
pack hogs The tourists spend
time on the ocean beach
fishing, and hunting shells.
While it is very pleasant to live in the
Sunny South there is no place like
home and as the northern springtime
S approaching, we are beginning to
count the days when we shall pack our ,
runks for old Richmond
o. E. FULGHUM.