Panama City pilot., 1908-08-13
A CITY IN EMBRYO.
PANAMA CITY As IT WAS, IS AND WILL
BE. NOT WRITTEN TO BOOST OR
ROAST But TO TELL OF THINGS
As THEY ARE.
Some Incidents Pleasant and Otherwise in
Week Spent There.

Oue OF the pledSdnleSI WEEKS we
have ever spent, so far as it was pos
sible for our host and hostess to
make things pleasant, was the time
we put in last week at Panama City
as the guest of Mr. and Mrs w. l..
Cawthon.
In company with Mr. CawthOn and
f. r. Sprague we left here Monday a
week ago for Panama, going by way
of COttOndale and the new railroad,
and we arrived about an hour late on
a schedule Of three hours for fifty
miles run, the loss Of time being due
incidentally to the engine leaving the
track and the fact that the heavy
rains had made the new track almost
impossible in safety.
Our first experience was to find ont
that all reports as to the schedule
expected to make close connection at
COttOndale. There we were informed
that the regular passenger went down
at 1920 and tn 1T we had missed it,
but could catch the accommodation
which runs on alternate days and
which would leave at 40. At ITO
the accommodated came and told us
we might go on it, but that the mail
which we presumed had gone nearly
three hours before, would pass it
there, SO we waited. If you want to
go don't depend upon any Information
about trains from any one except an
agent of the 4. & St. A. b. railroad
If you do you will wish you hadn't
The getting off the track was merely
an INCIDENT and only delayed US an
hour or so.
The present depot at Panama IS
about half mile from the town, and
there are no cement walks between
the two, either, but the survey has
been made for the track and the site
selected for the new depot which will
be right in town.
The delicious supper which we
found awaiting us made us forget
everything unpleasant about the trip,
and the delightful hospitality of Mr.
and Mrs CawthOn from then on until
leaving time on Saturday, was such
as is seldom experienced and never
forgotten.
Tuesday morning the fishermen of
the crowd went across the bay to
some fresh water lakes where it was
reported that trout and Dream were
just anxious to be caught. Those who
were expecting to fish for Dream,
which required a boat in the lake,
failed to connect, some one else being
ahead of them in getting the boat, and
they went back to the bay and caught
a fine string of saltwater trout. Mr.
CawthOn succeeded in catching a fine
fresh water trout and the most beau
tiful collar of sunburn you ever saw.
Tuesday afternoon the entire party
took a launch trip to the bay as far
as Pitlsburg, stopping however only
at Melville, where we saw a number
of Walton county people, including
Johnnie Williams who is employed in
the commissary department. 1t takes
a trip like this to give one an idea of
the real beauty of St Andrews bay;
YOU cannot get it from the bank.
Scattered everywhere along the
shores are the cottages and homes of
visitors and citizens, many of them
handsome buildings and surrounded
by beautiful grounds.
Wednesday and Thursday mornings
found the fishing contingent at ii good
and early and by eight o'clock back
with good strings of trout and appe-
tites to match. Friday morning we
went after red fish, but got them not.
Two afternoons were spent on the
gulf beach, and this with the fishing
and the quieter enjoyment of the
meanwhiles made the time short in
deed, and from this it may be seen
that for those on pleasure bent there
are few if any places where so much
can be gotten out ofIife as at Panama
City, provided you have a pleasant
place to stay and enjoy the sports and
pleasures mentioned above.
But in this commercial age not
nearly so many will be as much in
terested in this part of the story as