Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1910-05-04
LAND OF FLOWERS
], Continued from page i

Is a grape 1ru1I secGou, u WIS
here thatthey show them in clusters
of 3 to s., measuring Z and 10 in
ches in diameter.
St. Petersburg is at the lower
point of this peninsular, which is
quite a little city, and viewing it
from the boat it would seem like
coming into Charleston harbor.
From St. Petersburg we take pas
sage on the "Manatee' steamer for
Tampa. The whole lower deck of
this steamer was filled with crates
ofrelery, all grown by one farm
on the Manatee river.
Tampa is the largest city in this
part of Florida, and is noted for its
beautiful tourist hotels, the Tampa
Bay hotel being the finest in the
country. From Tampa I go east to
Bertow, which is also a fine place,
and has the finest stores of any
town of its size in the state. There
are 1000 South Carolina families
at Borrow, and it was my pleasure
to meet a fine family there, Mrs.
Gary, formerly of Johnston. Her
daughter teaches music at the col
lege, and one son is a banker and
the other has a drug store.
From Borrow l went south and
passed the chain Of historic old
fort, Eft. Meade, Fl. Ogden and Ft.
Myers. These forts were garrisoned
way back during the Seminole wars,
and served to keep the Indians from
invading the interior of the state.
Fit. Myers is quite a good town fish
ing and orange growing being the
principal industries. From Fl. Ny
ers you can go by boat ZIP the river
to the Everglades, or by gulf to any
foreign port.
While down in South Florida, l
visited Punta Gorda which is one
of the largest fishing markets in the
country, and when here l did wish
Ed Minis, Col. Bailey and Mr.. John
Hill had been here, for they
could have gotten all the fishing
they wanted. One firm told me that
!, they shipped them in a lots to
], Charleston, Columbia and other
points north.
When / get to Fl. Myers ] am at
the end of the railroad and there is
TO way to go further south unless |
go by boat or wagon, SO I turn my
face northward again. The next
point I touch is Winter Haven. Here
| met Lewis and Wade Entzminger.
Lewis is Sunday school state secre-
tary, and / had the pleasure of hear
ing him twice at the Baptist church
at Winter Haven. Wade is travel
ing,for the Lyceum company of At
lanta. This Winter Haven, AVIAN
dial and Kissimmee section is to
Florida what our Ridge Spring Sec
ton is to South Carolina, and the
lands are more valuable, being the
highest points in the state and
healthy. At Winter Haven the lar
gest orange and grape fruit nurser-
!, les are located. One nursery compa7
ny has shipped to Cuba DIE quarter
million trees in one season. Winter
Haven is also noted for its beauti-
full lakes, there being IS or 80 of
these lovely lakes in the county, and
hundreds of wealthy people from
all over the United States and some
foreign countries are buying these
lake. front lots and erecting lovely
winter homes on them, having their
own launches for pleasure and fishing
purposes. From the Kissimmee | go
east to New Smyrna, and on my way
to New Smyrna I stopped at Lake
Helen, and took a wagon drive to
Indian Springs, where there is a
turpentine plant. While at Indian
springs / met an old man who lived
down near the Everglades, and he
said he was nearly 100 years old
and was a veteran of the Seminole
war. He stated that he was with the
soldiers when they captured Oceola,
the Indian chief.
New Smyrna is the first point on
the east coast that / next touched.
There is only one railroad on this
side, which is owned by Flagler, the
famous hotel man. This road is
about 600 miles long and is n of
the best equipped roads in the
south.
To any one who has never seen a
tropical country this is a grand
sight, and think is the most beau
tiful scenery in Florida. We go
right dow n the Indian river for 100
miles, and the tropical scenery. is
picturesque. You see hundreds of
pineapples, and millions of beauti-
full tall cabbage palms, and quite a
few cocoanut palms, date palms,
banana plants, and camphor trees.
1t was my pleasure yesterday to
get some genuine Indian river or
anges, which is a late variety and
are s~uperior TO all others at this