The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1910-06-24
THE MID-R|VER
COUNTRY CLUB
Delightful Social Organization
Near Sewalls Point
LAWN TENNIS COURTS
Description of Holdings and Purposes of
the Club Record Of Exciting Tennis
Tournament Among Members

The Mid Rivers Country Club is stu
ated between Jensen and Sewalls Point
on the peninsular at Waveland between
the famous Indian and Santa Lucia
rivers, 45 miles north of Palm Beach.
This club perfected its organization
after getting charter from the State.
and opened its doors on April 18th, 1909;
its object being to promote social inter-
course and outdoors sports, as we'll as
billiards, pool and bowling, and is man
aged by the following officers: F. w.
Willes, president; Robert Thompson
Garrison, vice president; c. G. Garrison
secretary-treasure and a board of gov.
errors consisting of Commodore H. E.
Sewall H. w. Bessey. C. H. Racey
and the above named officers. 1t has
charter membership of forty, all more
or less active and interested in its well
fare. 1t has expended some $1,000 in
building club house, cement tennis
court, wharfs on both rivers, pool
table. billiard table, bowling alley piano,
and expect to have in the near future,
golf links, more tennis courts, base ball
field, skating rink, trap shooting, and
bath houses on the Santa Lucia river
where the beach is unusually fine and
good salt water bathing can be INDUCED
in all the year round.
The club owns 20 acres of land, of
which 10 acres are divided into building
lots for sale under certain restrictions,
an ideal home may be had picturesquely
and CONVENIENTLY located. being three
miles from the Gilberts Bar Yacht Club
and a miles from the Santa Lucia Inlet,
which the U S. Government engineers
have recommended an appropriation of
81, 24O, OO0 O0:where the finest fishing in
all Florida is to be had and which was
made famous by the late ex-President
Cleveland and Joseph Jefferson.
Through the efforts of the managers,
the club has given much pleasure in
various ways to its members and many
Northern visitors who have been spend
ing the winter months in the vicinity,
not the least of these being the excellent
suppers served every week, and the
many brilliant dances given;muc credit
being due to the untiring efforts of our
genial and painstaking official, Mr.. r.
T. Garrison. There is no more pictures
que location in the state than this beauti-
full pennsular and many handsome
homes have been erected within the
last three years by people of wealth
and refinement, some of these being
Lieut.. Hugh L. Willoughby, of Newport
R. l., James Vles. of Chicago, ILL.,. A.
l.. Andrews, of Cincinnati and Newport,
KY, Jerome Twichell, of Kansas City,
Mo-, and w. A. Warnock, of Jamaica,
Long Island, New York.
The Florida station of the New York
Yacht Club at Lieut.. Willoughby's place
which has the advantage of being near
the Inlet, Indian River, Manatee pocket
and creek and the Santa Lucia River,
which is divided into two forks, - the
North and South Fork. both of which
are narrow, deep and winding and ex-
ceedingly beautiful with moderately
high banks, covered with palmetto, live
oaks, festooned with Spanish moss, and
an occasional willow. which bend in
graceful curves over the placid waters
beneath. 1t is an ideal and charming bit
of scenery, from its source to its mouth
and reminds one of the Ocklawaha at
Silver Springs, only has the advantage
of its depth, where deep draught yachts
can sal for some 20 miles. All about
is not only the anglers paradise but
the sportsman as well, with plenty of
quail, wild turkey, deer, bear, wildcat
coon, opossums and an occasional pam
Their. People who have spent years in
California and other semi-tropical eli
mates all agree that the climate in this
section cannot be equalled in the winter
it is Paradise regained.
There are many fine pineapple planta-
tons and orange groves near the club
house and the tourist who speeds by TO
Palm Beach and Miami little suspects
he is passing one of the garden spots Of
the world.
At its inception the club had many
enthusiastic tennis players who were
ambitions to hold tournaments. The
first being held in April 1910. The first
match was played on the afternoon of
Tuesday, April 9Th, with bright sun
shedding its rays on the cement court
and strong southeast wind blowing.
If ball was lobbed, it was sure to
be taken out of bounds, it was either
slow conservative playing or else smash
ing low This the first match in ladies
singles was between Mrs. Edith Racey
Schuyler and Mrs. Mary Garrison, Mrs.
Schuyler defeating Mrs. Garrison 6-S,
6-l. This match was very interesting,
Mrs. Garrison being brilliant at times
and hopeful, but she could do nothing
with Mrs. Schuyler's steady playing and
smashes on the side lines. The game
held the undivided attention Of all pres
ent; this defeat retired Mrs. Garrison.
The second match in ladies' singles
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