The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-09-08
From Florida.

but had never visited this section.
Through the medium Of your paper
will gladly answer We left you on
Saturday $3.50 a. m, July IA, and ar
rived at Fort Myers Sunday at 1890
p. m.-close connections. Our longest
delay was at Jacksonville. We spent
more than one hour there very pleasant
ly-sight seeing. On our arrival at
Fort Myers We found our friends, Mr..
and Mrs. 0dom, with carriage, awaiting
us. Mrs. 0dom was formerly a Union
City girl-Miss Dissie Wiley, from a
very prominent and much beloved fami-
ly. Messrs. Ed and John Wiley, her
brothers, being the excellent managers
of the ~, C. & St. L. Ry business there.
With much pleasure do we remember
their dear mother, who contributed so
greatly to our social entertainments
with her superb music-she was master
musician.
Fort Myers is indeed a beautiful little
gem, imbedded in the rare foliage Of
the sub-tropics. A modern little city
with all the privileges of larger one.
Electric lights, paved streets, water
works and sewerage. A large ice plant,
together with several wholesale fish
houses, both salt and fresh. The largest
citrus packing house on the continent,
run by electricity. The town is located
on the Caloosa Hatchee River, an In
dian name meaning beautiful river. .
Here, it is two miles wide, with the
stately palms and large oaks and draped
with Spanish moss along its banks.
When swayed by the gentle breezes they
too seem to bid you welcome-truly,
the Nile of Florida. Regular steamers
ply her waters, while in the winters, the
tourist season, many pleasure boats Of
the millionaire visitors are seen riding |
upon her waves. This is great Tarpon
fishing grounds and her fine hotels enter
tain many guests, A handsome new
school building, with every modern
is just being completed at
a cost of $45, 900. The winter home Of
the great wizard, Edison, is here. At
his labatory he perfected his invention,
he electric light. This country is de-
'eloping wonderfully fast and destined
important commercial centers of the
south. OF course you have heard of
he reclamation of the Everglades OF
Florida. Several dredges are now at
york draining the overfowed lands by ,
utting canals from Lake Okeechobee
D the Atlantic Ocean. The close OF the
ear will bring an open waterway from
he Atlantic to the Gulf. There is a
redge here now deepening the river
nd this town will be the gulf port.
We have just returned from a most v
elightful outing on Sanibee Island, Il
The Mathews, on the Gulf of Mexico.
is twenty miles from here to the open A
"a. This winter resort is well known s
} tourists. We gathered the shells
ON the seashore, /" and daily took =
p in the briny deep. While strolling .
a the beach | gazed upon the sun
ssed clouds, as old Sol was sinking to
st, and wondered if the hand Of man
'uld paint such scenes. A thought
rs plucked from memory's gems
was Byron's beautiful words: y
Roll on thou dark and deep blue ocean,
roll,
N thousand fleets sweep DER thee in n
vain" W
How longed to see the gulf in its
ry. The early dawn OF another day, er
ought my wish to its fullest realization. do
storm was on the deep and from my U
ndow within / watched the angry
lows roll upon the shore and heard
, old gulf roar. The sight was awe
piring and sublime. | felt that only MI
DIS hand could stay the tempest. M
e storm passed on and left behind
tful calm. We have the sea breezes Fa
wing from off the gulf continuously. fal
il can imagine our surprise and pleas Au
in finding ourselves in a cooler and !
re pleasant cline than Tennessee. Mi
T friends have delightful home the
rounded by large bearing orange mu
grapefruit grove, and from the Sec per
story windows we have a beautiful her
v of the river In order to appreci- her
the great opportunities OF this +
ntry you will have to come and see felt
N. and
IF. and Mrs. Odom join me in kind He,
wishes and best regards to all old F
ads. Sincerely, Init
Mrs. MoLIE GEORGE ADAMS. recc