Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-03-08
A Willnarites impression
Of the Sunny Southland.

filled with granting alligators and
poisonous snakes. Some of the
passengers shot at the gators
getting little result other than
an impudent wink from the big
Lizards. They are not timid.
We went out to sea about ten
miles passing an island of about
100 acres. of which the govern
ment seems not aware as it is on
no map or chart. The weather was
like July and sitting out on deck
all day we were burnt to a
cinder. Even my hands were
blistered. 1.-The surprise which
took US on the trip is a two masted
sea going yacht of 10 tons burden
fitted out with a gasoline
engine. and belongs in Detroit.
Mich. Her captain and owner goes
down each fall to spend the winter.
returning home in the spring via;
the Great Lakes. Chicago Canal.
and the Illinois and Mississippi
rivers to the Gulf. Her captain
was a jolly good fellow. and we.
went all the way back to Fl. Meyer
with him. Coming down we met
the freight boats laden with
groceries and supplies for the set
tiers. and for the dredgers across
the big lake digging their way
through the Everglades to the
ocean. We also saw a beautiful
yacht which was long way from
home, "The Aroostook" of Boston.
Wizard" Edison has a fine place
at Fl. Meyers which l started out
to find, but night falls so suddenly
there that | gave up the search and
got back to the hotel to dine on
fried mullet-a new dish to me.
lhe salt water fish are line down
there and the oysters simply out Of
sight. Next morning l began my
home trip. via Tampa. the finest
town | saw in the state. The smeil
jof the salt Water drew me to the
docks-the harbor is one Of the
best in the South. Had the good
luck to find three torpedo boat
destroyers tied uD at the dock. and
visitors were admitted. The three
were precisely alike-275 feet long
and % feet wide, with a speed of
40 miles an hour. There are five
engines working all the time, and
running five crews. two in front
and three in the rear. The engineer
down in the bottom of the ship has
to work to keep things going. Twas
shown how a man in a cast-iron
seat. like that of a sulky plow,
shoots a torpedo at another ship
ten miles distant, the torpedo 60
ing under water with its own screw
propeller. and blows no the ship be-
fore they know what has happened
| explored around Tampa some.
The soil is rather better than any
other l have seen in the state; but
even here all depends on the use Of
the fertilizer. Market gardening is
carried on quite largely here where
the nearness of streams and lakes
supply moisture for the dry season.
The lack of winter raiRs is the
drawback in raising out Of season
vegetables and fruits. There is
almost no rainfall from early in
December to March /, while during
the intense heat of summer the
rains are very frequent. and the
fruits are 'scalded,' Every
country seems to have some draw
back. Even the rich soil Of the
Everglades, if the drainage prove a
success, cannot be cultivated until
about tons of lime per acre has
been worked into it. as it is 'sour''
from long centuries of lying under
water.
OF course, my return tri p was on
the same route as that followed
going south. and we saw the same
little steer ''hooked up to the
same little two wheeled cart, and
driven with a shuttle bit and a
clothes line. Standing before each
country store were four or six OK
teams with loads of lumber. and
everywhere pines. pickininnies and
razor back hogs! All through the
south are used the Jim Crow
cars. and all the colored people are
obliged to ride in them. but it was
amusing to note how quickly the
colored brother came into the first
class coach as soon as the Ohio river
was crossed.
Thursday morning, Feb. 10th,
we awoke at Champaign. ILL.,. but
don't think it was extra" dry.
as it had been raining and every.
thing was drenched. But felt as
tho | had gotten back to land
anyway, for where we had been il
was mostly beach sand. white and
blowing.
At last we reached Chicago and
my southern trip was over, but
will long be remembered as one oil
profit and pleasure.
Geo. E. Thomas.
Twenty per cent discount or
Tadios' Hand Raos for tho novt q