The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-03-15
LIFE IN FLORIDA
Mrs. G. c. Abraham On
Life in Orange City.
INTERESTING FACTS AND FIG
URES-REAL ESTATE-VEGE-
TABLES-ROADS- - SUNRISE
BIRDS, BEASTS AND FLOWERS.

BIRDS, BEASTS AND FLOWERS.
l had planned to write this time
about Florida as 1.-The land of flowers,
but you know the MAXIM
THE best laid plans O. mice and
men," etc.
The orange trees were in full
bloom, filling the air with their fra
grances, the roses were trying to out
rival each other in beauty, none of
which is more lovely than the wild
Cherokee rose with it's dark green
waxy leaves, trailing branches and
pure white blossoms. The lantana,
phloX, oleander, cactus all grow wild
here, and were just beginning to give
color to the landscape, when Jack
Frost came blighting all our budding
aspirations. This was Florida's S part
of the blizzard which you people ex-
perienced about the twentieth of
February. The orange groves had
to be fired and even then the young
growth was badly frosted, damaging
next years crop considerably.
The Spanish Bayonet.
l would like to tell you of one
plant because of it's name. 1t is the
Spanish Bayonet, so called because
of it's leaves which resemble bayo-
net. They are about two feet long,
stiff, with points as sharp as a
needle. 1t is said that the Spaniards
used to dip these points in poison
and use them as weapons of war
fare. This has a stalk of waxy
white blossoms the seed pods of
which resemble a stem of tananas
except that they are smaller and the
pods are dark. These pods are filled
with a jelly-like substance which
contains great number of fiat,
| black seeds which are used for max
| ing chains. These chains are very
popular for Florida souvenirs.
While we are somewhat disap-
! pointed about seeing Florida in her
summer dress still there are so many
things of interest we have no time
for regret.
| Roads Good and Bad.
Our visit to Blue Spring l think
will be of interest to you. This was
about a three-mile walk out from
our town. l have told you of the
! hard surfaced shell roads. The main
thoroughfares are mostly of this sort,
still there are many sand roads which
are very hard to travel. In order to
overcome this many of the drives
are thickly Strewn with needles from
! the long-leaf pine which make a
firm road that is good even for auto
ing. We had a mile of pine needles
at the beginning of our walk then we
came to the road which stretched
away as far as we could see, wide
white strip of sand overarched with
sreen which seemed to meet at the
end. 1t was a pretty sight and made
Us wish for our comeras. This we
followed until we came to the jungle
trial which soon led us to where the
smell of sulphur greeted our nos
trils and the beautiful Blue Spring
our vision. (I will not tell you OF
the fiat headed adder we killed on
our way for fear of marring the
beauty of the picture). This great
spring boils right up out of the
ground in such quantity that il
forms a river which flows away to
the st. Johns. The water is blue
and clear, tastes of sulphur and is q
little salty.
We remained here for some time
watching the water boil up with such
force as to raise it quite bit above
the level. 1t seemed marvellous
Then we discovered OF of chamele'
Gus on it's banks and after watching
them dart about for time we again
struck the jungle trail, following
the stream to where it empties n the
st. John River. Standing on the
bank of this river one can see a dis
tinct color line where the blue water
form the spring meets the Gear water
of the st. Johns.
1t was now nearly train time anC
we had yet to walk about half mile
through a deep sand road to Orange
City Junction. This changed poetry
into prose for a short time. 1t wa.
nearly noon when our party boarded
the train for home-hot and tired
but well satisfied with our trip
Memory will soon obliterate the prose
but the white sand road-the jungle
trail and the beautiful Blue Spring
looking like a gem in a beautiful
setting, will always remain.
Our next excursion was to Sanford
or Celery City, thriving little towI
of about three thousand inhabitants
The trip up the st. Johns River anC
the celery fields were the chief at
fractions. 1t was necessary to get al
early start in order to drive to Blue
OpTluS LdHuluS III IlInS LOT Lne DOd
which was due at half past siI
o'clock. 1t was a little hard to leave
the arms of Morpheus at the earl!
hour of five, but the lovely cool roaC
and the sunrise more than compen
sated us for so small sacrifice.
Sunrise In Florida!
wish l could describe a Floridi
sunrise! The sun seems to come VI
like reat ball of fire and all at once
it is full day. Our sunsets are thu
same-we look out and see that grea
ball of fire just above the tree tops
as we gaze it drops down, down
down and it is night. No twiligh
no rosy fingered MORN" just |
great, glorious ball of fire. l fail t
find words to describe it.
We reached the dock on time bu
our boat failed to put in an appear
ance, until three hours later. w
! did not mind the delay, however
there is always enough of interest Il
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