The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-02-12
ON THE ROAD
TO MANDALAY
A Tribune Representative Visits
Southern Part of the County.
MILES OF PINEAPPLfS
The Beautiful Homes on River Bank Mid
Tropical Scenery Need Only Good
Roads to Make Earthly Paradise.

A trip through the southern portion
of st. Lucie county and the northern
portion of Dade. which adjoins, is in
deed revelation to person who visits
it for the first time. A TRIBUNE rep
resentative had that pleasure recently,
making the trip from Ankona cemetery
to Sewals Point. -
Despite the drawback of roads deep
with sand there are few drives which
surpass it in natural beauty. A road
lined with palm trees-On one side the
beautiful Indian river and on the other,
everywhere, fields of pineappes, and
at intervals. orange groves with the
luscious golden fruit hanging on the
trees. Pineapples, pines, pines! One
wonders where are the people to con-
sumo the amount of fruit one sees.
The formation of the country is Pc
culiar. Starting north of Fort Pierce
mound or ridge extends along the Indian
river for nearly thirty miles, ending at
matchless Sewalls Point, which is sur
rounded by the waters of the Indian
and st. Lucie rivers. As one stands
upon the beautiful lawn surrounding
the home of Commodore H. E. Sewell,
and looks before him, it is hard to real
ize more picturesque, spot. The calm
waters of the Indian river on your left,
the deep swift running st. Lucie on
the right and in the distance the mighty
Atlantic with her breakers on the shall
low bar striving to enter the inland
waters, make a lovely picture. In the
near future this spot will be teeming
with boats, for it is probable that next
year the government will begin the
work of dredging the inlet, affording a
safe refuge in case of storms, with an
excellent anchorage in the 20 feet of
water which abounds hereabouts, as
we'll as opening this section to ocean
commerce. Capt. Sewall has built his
home in an ideal place and the view
from his spacious veranda in all direc-
tons is charming.
Calling on Lieut.. Hugh L. Willough-
by, the TRIBUNE representative found
that gentleman busily engaged in put
ting the finishing touches to his racing
motor boat "Possum" which is entered
in the Palm Beach races. He is also
overhauling his 60-foot ocean going
yacht "Sea Otter" which is the small
est vessel in the world equipped with
wireless telegraphy. In the trip from
Newport the Sea Otter was always in
communication with the shore. Above
The boat house flies the flag of the New
York Yacht club, of which Lieut.. Will
Oughby is an enthusiastic member. In
'act, it was through that organization
hat he came to Florida arst. to'find
southern rendezvous for their fleet. He
became so charmed with the country
hat he bought property on the point Z
md erected the beautiful East Indian
bungalow, which he has appropriately
FAMED "Mandalay."
Lieut.. Willoughby is a; great believer
n the future of this portion of Florida,
rom a commercial point as we'll as
pleasure and health resort.
The new residence of James Viles, of
chicago, will be completed in another
month, adding one more to the many
pacious mansions in that section. The
did-Rivers Country club house, which
s being erected by Contractor S. A.
Matthew's, is nearing completion, and
will add much to the charm and beauty
# the Sewall Point neighborhood.
In that immediate section one sees
ONE Of the finest pineapple plantations
n this great pineapple center. The
idge is covered with fine healthy fields
nd the homes Of the owners every
where gives evidence of thrift and in
diligence.
The town of Jensen is slowly recov-
ring from the recent fire, and the con-
rete buildings which are being erected
how that the residents are taking i'd
'antage, of the old adage, "a burnt
hid breads the fire." and the town
will be more substantial than ever.
AS the road winds close to the river
rom Sewalls Point to Walton it is al
Ways lined on one side with pineapples,
,ut they do not grow wearisome to the
raveler for the beautiful residences
llong the route vary the monotony.
People living along this highway
which follows the bank of the Indian
River from Fort Pierce to Sewa|ls
Point, dotted as it is by charming man.
'ions have all the advantages of civili-
zatiOn-railOad, telegraph, telephone,
but as one drives along the beautiful
road, all this is forgotten as one views
The landscape, and Lieut.. Wiloughby
mas indeed chosen wisely when he
named his place "Mandalay," for as
the darkness approaches it seems like
. scene from other worlds and it is not
far fetched to compare it with the far
famed road in India and to imagine
yourself
ION the road to Mandalay
Where the flying fishes play
And the dawn comes up like thunder