The Dickinson press., 1911-10-07
FRANK Mead
TELLS | Of FLA.

Former Belfeld Resident Made
Money in North Dakota, Is
Now Enjoying Life in
Florida
St. Cloud. Fla, Sept. 2Sth. 1911.
Mr.. NJ. L. Ayers. !,
Dear SIR
Enclosed you will find cheque for re-
newal of my subscription for PRESS.
which we would find hard to do without.
and in looking over its pages one can
not help noticing the great progress
Western North Dakota has made.
Twenty years ago | road over those
prairies, and for miles and miles there
were great herds of cattle. horses and
sheep. and punches of antelopes, and
now and then ranch nestled against
a bluff on some creek or spring. Those
were the golden days for ranchmen, but
the progress the steam plow has made
in the last few years, the building up of
hundreds of nice homes on those prair-
les. the Bad Lands which are rich with
coal and on whose hills hundreds of
horses and cattle Craze, are a combi-
nation which cannot be beat by any
state, and foretells a great future for
Western North Dakota.
AS I was requested by some before
leaving home to let them know what
Florida was like, will say that there
are many beautiful places here, and a
climate that cannot be equailed. l
have not suffered any with the heat
this summer. for, although it is warm,
there is always breeze and the nights
are cool. The carpenters and other
laborers claim to work here with as
much ease as in other states. and sun.
stroke is practically unknown.
We have enjoyed ourselves very much
and have stayed six months longer than
we expected to. and will perhaps stay
all winter.
st. Cloud has a population of about
5000. and its people represent every
state in the Union and Canada. 1t has
what is called one of the most beautiful
lakes in Florida on it's front, Lake
Tehopekaliea. on which there are being
built many beautiful and expensive
homes. Among these is the handsome
residence of Judge Peckham, a very
wealthy man from New York who pre-
diets St. Cloud will have population of
10, 600 people in four years. There are
many new towns being doomed in
Florida, but St. Cloud is far ahead of
them all. The town is on a high eleva-
tion, on the watershed of the state
north and east the St. John s river runs
north for a distance of over 200 miles
on the south the Kissimmee river runs
south to Lake Okechobee and the ever
glades. There is school-roll of ovel
200 children-a good graded school witt
primary, grammar and high school
classes. Also two churches, and the M.
E. church, brick structure. is credi,
to any town; the cost is estimated a,
$40. 600. and there are also two OF
three others to be built soon. 1t is the
only town that has not the colored clas:
Of people. and they have tract of thei
own about mile from the town limit
There is an electric light and tele.
phone system, an ice plant. and thu
First National Bank of Osceola county
There is also to be an electric car lin,
soon: franchise has been granted anc
right of way secured. and the vice-presi
dent of the road states it will be il
full operation by February 1st as par
has already been graded and ties laid
Quite large steamers already come from
Tampa. and with little dredging O
the canal which. connects this lake witt
another. will bring them into LAX,
Tehopekaliga on whose southern shor'
St. Cloud is built. The railroad has al
ready been instructed to put in th'
drawbridee. and thence they will. &,
through St. Johns river to the eas
coast.
4: There are not many flies here. and
have not seen a half dozen mosquitoe
around the house since I've been here
Being centrally located must account fo
7 this, for on the east and west coast the,
are very numerous during the summe
months. There are some fine orane
and grapefruit groves in this vicinity
South of here is prairie. with man,
beautiful lakes, and dotted with hum
mocks Of palm msand oak trees. On th
prairie and through the pine timber hun
dreds of cattle range. without any car
in the winter. E. [. Leslie of Kissim
NEE sold his entire herd for $3.50, 600
These cattle are, Of course. inferior t
those raised in North Dakota, but sine
the Cuban market has 0nened tho cott1