The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-08-28
LAND or FLOWERS
Down on the ST. Johns
To the Ocala Banner:

On the Hudson, up in York state
the scenery is the prettiest in our
big domain, it is said. Away out west
across the Rockies, and Denver. nm IN
Canada and Idaho, Washington and
Oregon rolls the old Indian Oregon
Columbia river. Deep down in the
mighty mountains in its cool retreat
or gorge, the river rolls on. In places
it is a mile wide, and in other Dlaces
it literally turns on edge in going
through a narrow pass. Eternal snow
clad mountains, here and there in the
Cascades, and Blue Ridge and Coast
range, are grand mysteries in their
nature Grandeur is in the great tall
waterfalls and mountains and ever
green rocks. A trip down this river
from the Dallas and Hood rivers and
Cascade locks TO Portland. is We be-
Heve, the grandest river trim in the
western hemisphere. north.
Recently We went on hoard the
CITY Of Jacksonville" at Sanford. and
our ticket read "To Jacksonville"-
the metropolis, on the S.. Johns. Our
good ship was out twenty hours ere
the tall spires Of that splendid city
appeared through the early morning
mist from its setting on the river I'D
in the northeastern territory. There
was quite a list of passengers. and
We all, as one big family, enjoyed the
sight seeing in the tropics, and the
ride, or voyage, was enjoyed immense
", and We will tell it out.
Sanford is an enterprising little city
at the head Of the navigable waters
Of the ST. Johns river. There the riv-
er widens out and makes a lake
MOnrOe-which gives to the city the
appearance Of a land-lOcked port, and
which il really is. Opportunity has
been coming into Sanford via the st.
Johns for several years past, and it
has stayed over night and then
some, too. In this year Of time San
fOrd's ideas are wide awake on the
strengthening of the chains and ropes
that hold opportunity" in that city.
and the lengthening of the tether TO
pull more opportunities into the lovely
Celery City. You may pick up at any
hotel in our land little booklets of
Sanford.
Across the lake from Sanford is En-
terprse. a well known health. resort
in VOlusia. Sloping gently upward,
with an incline about that of our court
house yard. a PRETTY grass lawn is
the front yard up into land several
hundred feet, and facing K. and, of
course, the lake, is quite a commodi-
Gus hosiery. We could not see much
of the back country at that point. but
We know that back there are cattle,
for the COW is everywhere in Florida;
and we know also that the country is
well dotted with farms and well-to-do
people.
Further over in Volusia, to the
north from Enterprise. is the county
seat Of DeLand, and about twenty-five
miles due east Of DeLand is New
Smyrna, which has as close neighbors
on the north Daytona and Seabreeze
At their feet Iaves the troubled Allan
tic.
Rounding a few curves down the
St Johns from Sanford We pass out
of Orange county and enter Lake
county. or between Lake and Volu
sia. Out into the Lake county cOun
try twenty miles away TO the west
ward from where the river winds out
of Orange county is Tavares, the
county seat. The big Times-Union
gives us some spendid news from that
point. also from Lady Lake, Eustis
and Leesburg.
Just below Astor we entered Lake
George. 1t is a regular sea, and the
waves sometimes run mOuntain-high
This lake touches Marion county or
the east and caresses NOlusia's west
en cheek. II was fine from the time
when the City of Jacksonville swung
around the last bend on the south Of
the lake and entered open water The
waves came up TO meet US, as il look
ed from the hurricane deck; cooling
breezes blew down upon US hard from
the north: a fisherman N a canoe
passed down between our ship and
the lighthouse on the west. On tbs
east. and also on the west, the rampar
of trees got lower and lower as the
lake widened. and 10 the north the
sky touched the water, and over OF
the northwest. close 10 MariOn's main
Drayton Island took form.
Dinner was announced while w