The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-04-15
THE DREAMLAND OF FLORIDA
The Mystic and Marvellous Beauty of
the Oklawaha River

That the time will come when a |
visit to the Oklawaha river, either on
entering or leaving the state, will be |
considered by tourists as a necessary
part of their itinerary, can hardly be |
questioned. The marvellous beauty of
the scenery as the steamer winds its
tortuous journey of one hundred miles, !
and more, through the jungles and
great swamps, with its ever-varying
glimpses Of bird, animal and aquatic
life, from picture Of enhancing in
terest and loneliness. Beginning with
sail over the clear waters Of the
Silver Springs, using a glass bot Omed
boat. then on the steamer down the
river. ones mind and eyes are con-
stantly occupied viewing and marvel
ing at the strange, often gorgeous
spectacles presented in apid success
sion hour after hour for the greater
part of two days. To see all that is TO
be seen a steamer should be taken
that travels only in the daytime, 9TH
erwise many Of the most interesting
spots will be passed during the night. !
Nearly all who take this trip write
back 70 their friends in most enthus-
iastic terms. Among the latest is
Banker Seeby, of Kewanee, Ill. who
says: The Oklawaha trip is simply
great. We all agree that we would
give up all our other experiences in
Florida rather than the trip to Silver
Springs and down the river
Mrs. Minnie T. Miller, of Haverhin
Mass, writes as follows: We reached
Ocala about 1890, and after Inner
drove about the town. which i espe-
cially pretty, with number of we'll
kept lawns, supplying the green which
we Northerners miss as a fore round
to the Florida homes. Then the same
team took us out to Silver Springs, a
delightful drive of six miles, which
was altogether too short Just as we
reached the wharf our steamer came
around the bend only few rods away,
and I could not help singing, THE
Steamers Coming Around the Bend"
II was the first boat Of the kind I had
ever seen and was like the pictures of
boats during wartime. We procured
supper and breakfast at a hotel, but
slept aboard the boat.
Having just time enough before
the sun set to go over the different
caverns, parlors, ladders and lovers
leaps. as the different springs are
named. we started across with our
dusky boatman. Gorgeous. Mr.. Chap
man, does not express it. l do not be
lieve that there is another place in the
world just like it. These different
springs are bubbling up, bringing with
them tiny particles of lime which
glistens in the sunlight. and al this
over a gray, or vivid blue. like the
bluest clouds on perfect summers
day, with the water so clear 20 the
depth of eighty-five feet that the fish
look as though suspended halfway
down, and all around green trees. Its
nine miles down the stream that it
formed by the basin OF springs to the
point where the OklaWaha river joins
it, and these clear waters and color
ingS, with the trees brushing over the
boat where it was narrowed so that
| you could break off the sweet myrtle,
| was entirely new to me and fully ap-
preciated.
we looked and gaZed all day-nO
| time for anything else and conse-
| quently was tired at night. You proba-
! bly, have seen those islands CT hya-
| cinths. l never did before. all along the
shore, and the little ones that would
| break off and go floating down stream
| before the boat and attach themselves
| to other colonies, was always a pretty.
| graceful sight. We saw many allga-
| tors and a few moccasin snakes, and
| many, many things new to me. l cant
| tell you all about it II l tried.'-W. S.
| Chapman, in the st. Petersburg indie
| pendent.