The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-08-22
THE REPUBLICAN JOURNAL THURSDAY AUGUST e. 1912

of living and the expense of raising and
educating family, he nasn seen MS
way clear to laying very much by to re-
tire on unaided. Nav such a bill be pass
ed, and soon, say for one!
MIAMI.
A more or less detailed account of
some of the places stopped at and the
people 1 met in them may be of interest.
Miami pronounced by the residents
My-ammer), beautifully situated on Bay
Biscayne, and the port OF departure Of
Captain Whites steamer for Nassau in
the winter months, interested me very
much and convinced me that one need
not necessarily 60 into the west to find
young, hustling towns. Fifteen years
ago, l was told, there was very little
here besides a fort on the Bay, and a
sort of trading post for the Seminole
Indians, who still come to town, men and
women clad nearly alike IN variegated
calico blouses, and skirts which they roll
up, leaving their legs bare for the am
phibious life they lead in the Ever
glades." They are fine self-support-
ing race of Indians, many OF them hav-
ing bank accounts in Miami, where they
come to sell their fish, game and
aigrettes, all to one man who acts as
sort of agent for them, l was informed.
What they will do when the Everglades,
their hunting ground, and their home,
are drained seems to be as yet an I'M
solved problem. | persuaded one TO let
me take his picture, and caught two
others in their canoe, but they have
superstitious fear of cameras and hide
their faces if they see one pointed at
them.
In the 1910 census l find Miami is
given population of 1851. They now
claim it to be IL, 900. This growth has
been due, not on y to the attractions of
the place as a winter resort, but to its
natural resources and advantages as a
place of residence. In its shops,
churches, hotels, fire department, banks,
hospitals, city government, and all that
goes to make town civilized, and a
convenient, healthy and pleasant place
to live in, it is fully on par with many
of our New England cities of twice its
size.
spent upwards of two weeks there,
and happened to have number of
friends, both among the winter colony
and the permanent residents, and had
as good an opportunity to see the place
as passing traveller can, and was
much impressed with it. The Yacht
Club, pleasantly situated out over the
water, and to whose float even the Ever
glade of 257 tons can run up and make
fast, is a live and at the same time
fashionable organization, differed by
some of my Newport friends, who W. Il
coined me Hospitality.
The way in which the Fire Depart
ment, including an automobile engine
and full equipment, handled what might
have been bad fire near my hotel in the
early morning before daylight was, I've
no doubt, typical of the energy and en-
terprise that seems to characterize the
people who are running the town.
l was also much impressed with the
work of draining the Everglades back of
Miami, and went up to where the
dredger was at work in power boat
Miami is already surrounded by pros
porous truck farms, and if this much
mooted scheme is a success there would
| seem to be no end to the opportunities
for extending them. l talked with men
on truck farms who a few years ago
came out of shops and offices, and knew
nothing of the soil, but who are doing
well in potatoes, tomatoes, ETC., or pine
! apples, or even grape fruit. People
here seem to be paying less attention to
the orange than when | was in Florida
four years ago.
One thing these growers have to con-
tend are the high freight rates, and l
don't see why some enterprising people
haven't started boat line, with feeders
to pick the fruit and produce up, and
then ship it in a good-sized freighter to
New York. For the same reason all
goods brought to Miami are high. The
climate admits of many economies, how
ever; for instance, on entering one of
the large shops on 18th St., was struck
by the great piles of overalls and khaki
suits, and l learned from the proprietor
that he sold them by the gross, for il
this climate people need very few clothes
and if the year was a bad one the mar
got no good Clothes" economizing by
wearing nothing but overalls and shirt
throughout the four seasons.
Thrifty CONGRESSMAN Gould