The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1910-03-01
Enjoying Summer In Winter Time


ITO the Editor of the Interior Journal.)
CLEARWATER, FLA, Feb. 26.-As has
been remarked on many occasions, this
is a great country. 1t is also country
of varied climates. While you are shiv-
erinp from boreal blasts, we are bask-
ing in the sunshine. The air is laden
with the perfume of flowers and reso-
nant with the songs of birds. The mer-
curry went to SIS yesterday, but it was
not oppressive and the nights are glo-
rious with their breezes from the gulf,
making sleep delightful and refreshing.
Clearwater is Immediately on the
Gulf of Mexico and about 300 miles
South of jacksonville. OF the many
charming spots that we have visited in
the Land Of Flowers, this is the most
beautiful. with its orange groves, palms
and other rich foliage, so strange to
me to see in the dead of winter. Ii is
lust like June in Kentucky. though the
warmth is not near so facilitating. The
unusually disagreeable winter has filed
Florida full of Northern people. while
Kentucky also furnishes liberal share.
There are scores Of them here, includ-
ing John E. Stormes and wife, of your
ne,phboring town Of Lancaster. and
others of Garrard. The largest hotel
here. the Verona, is kept by Harrods-
burg boy, a son of ex-Jailer Chatham,
and there most of the Kentuckians are
gathered.
This is indeed the fshermen's para
disc and the strings the lovers Of the
sport bring in would make the STAN
. ford Isaac Waltons stretch their optics.
saw a man pulling up from the pier
Yesterday with a 20-pound sea bass.
which was as pretty fish as | ever
, saw. What vexes me is that when fish
! is SO plentiful and oranges can be had
for the pulling, that the. hotels fire.
quently do not serve either for break
t fast, and often not fish for any meal,
) while oysters are at many Of the hos
, telries as scarce as in those thousands
, of miles from where they grow. 1t
seems to be the rule that those things
, are least,appreciated that are the most
: plentiful.
+ We, and when use the plural pronoun
| mean. Mrs. Walton. Mary and myself,
spent a week at Winter Park, another
! Garden of Eden. before going to
! Tampa, where your brother and mine.
, T. r. Walton, andiwife, are spending
the winter, and enjoyed every moment
of it. The celebration in honor Of the
Panama Canal was on at Tampa and the
beautiful city was too crowded for com.
! fort. so we came over here. The Tam
pa Bay Hotel, on which the great Plant
system spent threesmilion dollars. and
which is the finestan all these parts.
with grounds.as beautiful as the build
ing. was filled to -tte doors, although
the rate was $40 a day and up. The no.
tells advertise the minimum price, add
ing the monosylables land up" and it
is always ''up" when you apply, and
very much so.
While there areihundreds of garden
spots in Florida, they are the exception.
not the rule, fort the greater part OF
the State is the most God-forsaken,
desolate country the crow ever flew
over and took his rations with him to
avoid starvation. The people are as a
general thing shiftless and indolent and
do not live upl to the few privileges
they have. IL is.entirely Northern men
: and Northern. that have made
Florida worth coming to. Plant and
Flagler almost made Florida, the for
mer in his lifetime. doing for the west
{ coast what the latter is now doing for
e the east. Flagler is now building a
! railroad to Key West. absolutely bridg-
e ing a portion of the ocean in doing
s so. His chain Of hotels are all large
and magnificent. The Poinceana at
J. Palm Beach, being the largest in the
s world, ITS spacious dining-room seating
o 2, 900 persons. The rates are almost
!, prohibitive forsother than millionaires,
e so we tarried,just long enough to see il
s all. 1t is on thesAtlantic and bathing
J. is always a.,delightful feature, in old
ocean, there. as it can be enjoyed all
g the year. round.
e Seeing Stanford on our trunk, the de-
e pot agent at..Winter Park asked ii
!. was fromithere, remarking that he was
:. from Crab Orchard. 81 am a nephew
/. of Fontaine:Fox Bobbitt," he said with
Il evident pride. land my name is Sig
ler.'' SO il will be seen that some Of
your citizens. at least, have wandered
2 far from home. With what he said he
g kept posted.by .reading the INTERIOR
y JoUfsAL twice a week. Those who
!. hava never visited Florida in winter