The Newtown bee., 1909-03-26
The 'NcwtoWn Bee
 Newtown, Friday, March 26, 1909 MaEaGa
\ ATTRACTIONS OF FLORIDA, W. H. Percy Writes Concerning This
 State,

flowers and ailigators which bask in the sunshine along the bank of the St Johns river with, a freedom and knowing look, which says: "the law
 protects me.r' So many friends have asked me to tell them of our Florida days, T will outline ia few factsi Leaving New York February IT, we arrived at St, Augustine at 4i2O p. m., the next day.. On the train I met a southern gentleman from. Georgia
 who was reproductions, telling us about the, war, the negroes and raising tobacco in. southern Georgia lie spoke of one very large grower
 near Ihis home, Baihbridge, that raises wrapper and gets iatbig price foruit, Spending one day at st Augustine, the 'narrow straits, the old buildings and Fort Marion are very interesting..-..The. beautiful -ho1 tels, Ponce de Leon and Alcazar, with the fine laid-oqty grounds and parks of tropical plants are very; pleasing to the eye. The rich and beautiful rooms and halls are ill keeping with, the exterior. Connected with the hotels, are fine, enclosed swimming. pools. Che needs days to see all the beauties of St Augustine. At Day
 tona, for one week, one days outing a ride on the auto bus down to St Smyrna, 13 miles below Daytona. A fine shell road passes for miles through overhanging oaks covered
 with Spanish moss, which forms an archway, some trees with bright red fungus growth which are called the painted trees, Near New Smyrna
 the road is built through a bank of oyster shells from two feet to 30 feet
 high and about half mile ir length
 This great quantity of, shells a mystery as to, howatheys came there.
 Many willetell you that ages aga the Indians gathered here and feasted on oysters. 5 Others doubt thia and in one place l was told. that in drilling for a. we'll they found a bed eAtendl ing over f50 feet under ground. Now the Indians did not go to the trouble to. dispose of uthemvin this way, hen, e it must be some freak of nature in lthei way of "a tidal wave. How yel Ithe shells are there in great Quan'i-
 ties and the present generation is making gool use Of them in building, gUod Foads.n The East Joast railread mas a, switch put in toithe beds and takes them by the carload to St Augustine andqother places. Return
 ing from New Smyrna we stop at our
 first large orange grove The party are, all invited to visit the grove and sample the fruit, which we did to the tfu11TIaH fu1I WIth the sun shining on nathe yellow and dark green it is beauti full sight for the aarst time, looking down the even rows. This s7).e numbered 2000 trees. lOne lady''re-
 turning from tre gr we carried a
 branch not more than 15-inches long,
 The fruit clustered on it weighed 15 pounds. The, grape fruit zs also
 grows in clusters. Our next pleasant
 trip which everybody takes was the
 boat ride up the Tomoka river, about six hours ride. When the boat en-
 terss the Tomoka from the Halifax
 we are all on the lookout for an alli.
 gator. AS the day was warm they
 were on the banks stunning. We saw
 twenty. Some take to the water, others stay on the esbanksas they have
 become. accustomed to < the 6boats, Passing -5n to Orange City we met our New Milford friends. We called on MT and Mrs Brepna of Kent, who
 have a winter home here. Orange
 City is noted for it's mineral water
 anG dry atmosphere! At Tampa we dined with BMr and Mrs Robinson.
 MT Robinson was, formerly principal
 of the New Milford school, and visit
 ed all Epoints of2interest with us.
 Tampa Bayghotelg is Of ,Moorish de-
 sign, costing sS,,OO0 o0Og very large
 and beautiful, with a park contain
 ing manyTItropieal plants tandl now
 used as a city park. A trip to Ytor
 City,,a suburb of Tampa, this a for Ieign citv in our collntrys the speech, manners, huillings are truly Span ish. Here are located the large cigar
 factories. Sulphur Springs is an
 other Iattraction, many gallons1 iot
 water bubbling up from the, ground
 forming good sized river. Crossing
 Tampa, bay to St Petersburg, a tYc hours saills ss find a popular West
 Coast town of about 5000 with an
 addition of from 5000 to 5000 tour. lists dufing. the winter. z 9They1 Esay
 they live. on atrqinRthe9summer and