The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-07-07
A WONDER Of THE World
Graphic and Poetic Description by a
German Lady of Silver Springs, the
Run and the OkIawaha River


| blatt Of March 2s. 1911, in which Her
mione Won Preuschen. one of the lead
| ing artists Of the day, writes an en-
| thusiastic account Of her Oklawaha
river trip. The translated account is
! as follows:
The wonder of Florida: yes, the
wonder of the whole world. One glides
| for a hundred miles on a river SO mar
| row that the trees and flowers of both
| shores touch the high, narrow steam
| boat Hiawatha. One gazes upon a daz-
zling tropical vegetation with an al
| ligator now and then, sliding from his
| log and hastily retiring to the back
ground when frightened by the noise.
America is truly country OF surprises,
might have suspected such scenery
| in Siam or Java, but never in Florida.
Indeed the Hart Line we'll repays one
for the expense the trip may entail,
for is not the tourist greeted with the
most fascinating, fairylike scenery of
the world!
Here along the Oklawaha was the
| last battle-ground Of the brave Osceola,
| the last of the Seminole chiefs. With
] the exception of three or four orange
groves there is scarcely any civiliza-
| tion along the banks of the river. In
fact it might almost merit the name of
| a genuine forest primevaL Strange,
picturesque birds of beautiful pluma ge,
arise from the branches of the trees as
the boat goes by, lending enchantment
to the scene.
| Silver Springs, however, is the great
lest wonder of ALL 1t is a large basin
| of cold springs which feed the Okla
waha and it's water is SO clear and
transparent that in a depth of S5 feet,
one can distinguish the smallest OBJ
tject at the bottom. The basin is real
Ily huge crevice. originated. it is said.
las result of the Charleston earth
iquake. Turtles and fish move about
/ in the crystal waters and from small
glass-bottomed boats one can see the
life beneath, exquisite in ITS varied
hues and tints Everything shimmers
in an opal light, and one is prone to
believe that this is the famous foun-
tain of youth for which Ponce de Leon
lsearched. He must have discovered it
at this place of wonder.
We note the beautiful transparency
of the water as we glide along the
shores for distance of nine miles
from the springs Then all of a sud
iden the black waters of the Oklawaha
place of these two waters forming a
we'll defined line. The name Oklawaha
lsigniies to the Indian dark and wind
ling water" The river winds it's way
like a snake through the fantastic
world. How beautiful the gigantic cy-
tpress trees appear, covered with Span
ish moss, which lends then a silvery
Isheen in the glow of the late after
moon sun. Below grow rhododendron
and laurel in all their beauty, together
with the holly. The naples are clad in
the first fiery red leaves of spring.
Both shores look like one shining mass
of lotus and water plants, with white
lilly blossoms in between. We count
1.-The alligators and altogether see more
} than a dozen. In former years there
were many more along these banks.
| The famous "cypress gate" consist
ing of one tree on each bank with
stems joining above, is also a thing
of the past. The largest of these trees
have already been feiled. but neverthe-
LESS, it still looks wonderful, that
one fears things can not remain long
in this undistufbed beauty. No doubt
within decade, quarters to accom-
modate tourists from all over the
world will be found necessary. The
acme of F1orida's beauty and her soul
, is the Oklawaha.
AS the sun sinks lower, we note en-
, chanting exquisite effects. Behind the
trees. gar1anded with moss, the red
sky may be seen. Presently the tints
fade away, the stars appear, becem-
ing brighter every moment, and my
riads of fire flies tighten up the scene
; Suddenly the whole shere is agioW
with a ruddy light. Above on the boat
= torches are burning to guide the shir
in the dark as it glides from one shore
! Ito the other. brushing against trees
and bushes. One could easily break
off the branches were it not necessary
3,to shield the eyes from danger. Ws
3 hear a signal as freight boat. higf
= land narrow like the Hiawatha, ap.
! | proa ches and by the light of a larg.
4 torch. the two steamers are enabled Il
4 lpass one another safely. And still tht
= charm is unchanged. Tall palmetto:
8iwith gigantic leaves are reflected from
4 the dark. The faint scent of orang,
3 blossoms, the odor of the swamps. tn,
: lshrill call of the pirds-a fawn look:
: tshyly from the dark. All the passeng
i Iers are asleep now, but 1 cannot breal
3 away away from this fairy scenery
! Finally, however, l have to follow
\ them. 1t grows very chilly and I drea,
= the fever, for the malaria is prevalen
in these districts. But even in m.
ldreams 1 hear the call of the birds. an.
the trees brush against my cabin win
fdoW with a mysterious rustic I nev
Ter remember of having slept NOR
!soundly than during the course of thi
might. rocked to sleep as it were b,
d the wonders.
At dawn the following morning w
We're in the St. Johns river and tn
mysteries of the dark winding wa
tsrs" have disappeared from view bu
not from my memory. Surely the Ok
lawaha alone is worth trip to Flo
-t ida. 1t is one of the enchanting won
lderS of our earth