The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-03-16

improvised accommodations that have
been hustled together to take care of
the newcomers Is enough to convince
any one that this occasion Is no school
boys holiday. Yet the crowd Is won
derfulIy, good humored. considering
that the most of them have Travelled
many hundreds OF miles to be here, ar
irving on late and uncomfortable trains
and are lodged as chance served them.
But this is the pioneer spirit manifest
in it's primary stages; it is the spirit
that makes the best Of the situation
the determination to win over all OBJ
stacles. With all that may be saii,
however. the situation Is not 80 bad as
the casual reader might gather from
these FIRST lines. Il must be under
stood that FIT Lauderdale is a new
town with hotel accommodations far
more ample than many towns mucn
larger can boast. The Bryan Hotel ~
large and well conducted structure
with usual accommodations for some
nifty guests. It has been full to over
flowing for two days past and It's orSzi-
nary capacity has been exceeded by
many hearty guests. The Osceola Inn
Is new hotel with forty-sfx bed
rooms. Every room Is full and the
halls are lined with cots. The homes
have been opened 20 the crowds and
tents have been pitched hero and at
Progresso, the town site 60 be opened
by the land company, and camp lie is
being enjoyed by many more thzn
have been able to find shelter beneath
the regulation roofs.
Hot lunch stands CT the shake down
type have been erected and are work
ing overtime to supply the prospectors
with those inner comforts which we
learned as children to say grace over.
That formality, however, is not In
Obliged in here. The vsitcrs are
thankful enough TO get It, and this they
demonstrate without any ceremony
whateve=. Ham sandwiches and "hot
dogs" are the main articles on the
menu, but there is plenty of It and
quite sufficient and satisfying TO the
western demand Il one may Judge from
the complacent air Immediately fol-
lowing setto with the lunch pur-
veyor.
Ex-Governor Jennings Spoke.
Last night a meeting OF contract
holders was held at the big tent" ct
Progresso town site-about half a mile
north OF town. The principal speaker
was former Gov. W. 8. Jennings, who
sssayed TO answer the Questions put to
hs.n by the purchasers IN addition to
giving n review of the work leading
up to the actual work of draining the
Everglades.
The first speaker was ]. l. Billings
ley, vice-president Of the Florida Fruit
Lands Co. and also attorney for the
company. Mr.. Billingsley told of the
preparations made by the state for
draining the 'gIades and referred "a
the personnel of the company by way
of establishing their trustworthiness in
the minds of the audience. There
were some five hundred men present
and q few women, who were close
listeners to all that was said and were
not backward In asking questions al
points that were not clear to them
Biilingsley laid emphasis upon the
statement that there had been no mis-
representation of anything by the
company and that he would be willing
to face any man after the opening anj
tell him the truth as he had previous
to the opening. He was applauded
frequently. and at the conclusion of his
talk he introduced Ex-Governor Jen-
nings.
Jennings PIeases the Crowd.
The former governor began his re-
marks by facetieus references to his
former private secretary, Mr.. Billings
ley. He said he had never heard BIZ
Kingsley make a speech before. al
though Billingsley had written some
of his best speeches for him while he
was in the office Of governor. In re-
viewing the work these humorous ref
erences to the work that BillingsIey
had made him do were kept UT
throughout the former governors talk
BrowarPs Name Not Mentioned.
It was a noteworthy fact and one re-
marked upon by some Of those present
that the name Of the late former Gov
! n. B. Broward was not mentioned dug