The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-01-20
FLORIDA
And The Sunny South DeSCrib-
ed By Joseph J. Hall
A MI. Vernon Boy Who Is
Spending Winter There
Meets A Large Number OF
Former Knox Co. People
HllU AIG LnIUylhy illc LdllO
Of Perpetual Summer
Tells OF The Climate, The
Crops And The Fruits
Kissimmee. Fla. Jan. IA

h1SSlmmee, fla., Jan. IA.
Editor of Mt. Vernon Banner
Thinking our friends In Mt. Vernon
might be interested in our recent trip
and tour of Florida, begin by stating
our party was composed of 43 people,
made up between Pittsburg, Pa, and
Columbus, o. Some were business
men, others professional and some
were farmers, few being accompan-
led by their wives, all were seeking
homes in the Southland, where the
skies seem bluer,. the vegetation more
beautiful and the breezes more gent
le than in Ohio, where one can enjoy
the winter through In a climate just
like June in the Buckeye State. Leav-
ing Cincinnati Tuesday evening at
8:15 p. m. on the magnificent train,
The South Atlantic Limited, over the
l.. & N. r. r., and after good nights
sleep in the tourist car we woke up
to see the large and progressive city
OF Atlanta, the gateway to the South.
Not the city which was burned by
Gen. Sherman on his famous march to
the sea, but the new city which has
been built where the old Atlanta used
to be. 1t puts one in mind of Pitts
burg, but without the smoke of the
smoky city and the cleanest streets
ever saw. Everything, all business
Is moving rapidly and even Chicago
man would have to hustle to avoid be-
Ing run over at the viaduct on Peach
tree street.
After, a day spent In Atlanta, seeing
the sights of the city, visiting the Fed
eral prison, where the United States
prisoners are confined, which Is a
large, new institution Just in process
Of construction. Then to Ft. McPher-
son where the U. s. troops are quar-
tered and which is the second larg-
est army post in the United States.
While on the way to visit these places
of interest we saw several gangs of
colored convicts in their striped suits
at work on the roads under guards
armed with Winchester rifles. In
Georgia they employ their criminals
In the open air, at healthy work, MAX
Ing good roads for the people, which Is
better, / think, than housing them in
unhealthy buildings, in idleness or
selling their labor, at very low wages,
to contractors, who manufacture goods
and sell them at lower prices than
they can be manufactured for outside
the prison with free mems labor. Late
in the afternoon we visited the Capt.
t0l building where they have on dis
play at all times complete collec-
tion of the products of mines, forests,
farms, also manufactured articles of
the state. Just like an exposition and
1t seems to me to be one of the best
plans to show strangers the resource
es, what has been accomplished, and
the future opportunities to contem-
plating settlers within its borders.
Leaving Atlanta in the evening we
awake the next morning in Jackson
vile where we see the first glimpse
of the sun rising through the palms
and where the air is balmy and all
nature seems like spring. Here we
visited the ostrich farm and saw the
daily exhibition and races with these
huge birds. No one should visit Jack
s0nville and fail to see these large
birds hitched and driven also ridden
by men at greater speed than horse
can travel. Next we visited the alli-
gator farm where you can see alliga.
tors In all stages Of growth, from A
inches in length to IA feet. Here you
can buy them in any size to send to
your friends in the North. Then we
went to the docks where the great car.
goes of oranges and other fruits are
being handled for shipment to the
north. This city is located ON the
beautiful st. Johns River, one of the
few rivers of the world that flows tc
the north
We leave this rapidly growing city
in the evening for Kissimmee, Flori
da, located 1855 miles south where we
arrived the next morning. 1t is o
wonderful little city and at the rate II
1t Is now growing every one believes
It will be the largest inland town IN
Florida in two years time. 1t is 10
Gated on Lake Tohopekaliga, q bean