The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-01-10
Chadman Writes More About Florida.
PuNTA GoRnA. Fla.


minutes this morning while waiting a
week for my breakfast to give this type
machine its digital thumps. l am glad to
wait, for can see out into the back yard
and garden, and behold the landlady
out there gathering some bright red to-
mstoes, marrow fat peas, and bunch of
young onions. On the way in she will
stop at the hen house aud get me two nice
fresh eggs. So, after an expectsnt wait,
shall sit down to meal such as we enjoy
in our country In June or July.
1t is quite possible that, during my
meal, | shall be compelled TO take a few
swats at that dipterous insect known as
the Musca domestics, and, may be, will
be called upon to prolong the mastication
OF hunk OF Florida beef by taking suffi-
cient time to discourage the activities of
the red-complected ants in the sugar
bowl; but, with the exception of those
interruptions, shall dine with the same
degree of hauteur and elegance which
characterize the repasts of the Gaekwar
of Bsrods.
The merry Christmas season and the
glad New Year epoch are now over at
this place. Ipresume they are a. other
places also. The country DER, the fes-
tivities and celebrations are the same, ex-
cept that in Florida we shoot the fire
cracker and burn up the sky rocket. To
me it was complete Fourth of July
with all the customary pyrolechnics.
Joined the kiddies in their work of pre-
venting nervous people from having a
moments rest, and in showing, as every
good citizen should show, the marshsls
exactly where those mischievous boys
with the cannon crackers weren't, while
we'll know that on such occasions the
only thing there is for an old batch to do
is to line his outraged front up against
the imitation mahogany aud take his
shellac to the intermittent fortissimo OF
the cash register pianola.
There are no sleds here and no skates.
Not but that people get skates on here
the same as they do at other places in the
world where people live, and "slide,
Kelley, slide," is occasionally heard, but
the ice skates and the snow sleds, the
sight of which brings joy to the northern
youngster, never adorn the Christmas
tree in southern Florida.
This is the land where the man lived
who got so tired resting that he became
too fatigued to continue, and had TO stop
and rest up awhile. There is nothing
here to do and nobody eager to do it,
Every soul here believes in his heart that
no one should work, that if there is any
work to do somebody should be hired to
do it. But the work of hiring anybody to
work is too fatiguing for this climate.
Mr.. Dennis O'Toole. an Illinois friend
have just made, tells me, with every
intonation of truth in his voice, that
Florida is 95 per cent. climate, and per
cent. sand. l agree with him as far as he
goes, but / point out that 100 per cent.
doesn't come any ways near including all
there is in Florida. If we figure it all up
it comes to something like 1853 per cent,
which, as | remember, is the amount OF
the chemical ingredients in the Mt.
Clemens mineral water.
After get my break fast l am going
out to see something never saw before
in my life. 1t is simply this, cut worms
working on the Sth day of January.
Now, used to be something of a cut-up
myself, and during that period the diff
ferent seasons had no effect upon me, but
to see a genuine slate colored old cut
worm at work on the plants in a garden
should be many inches under the ground
cuddled up in his silken cocoon, is a
sight which am looking forward to with
much pleasure.
Out in the yard in the rear of this hotel
are two old soldiers camping. They are
from Portage county, Ohio, and are ac-
quainted with great many people /
know in northern Ohio, so l spend many
of my evenings around their camp fire,
chatting about our mutual friends and
the various items of interest concerning
the Buckeye state. These old soldiers
come to Florida every winter and live in
camp just as they did during the war.
They have excellent fishing tackle and
catch every day ten times more fish than
they can use.
The town is filling up with tourists"
and as they come and go, begin to
think that am an old timer. Next week
go down the Bay about IS miles to the
mullet and msckerel fishing, and expect
to remain with the fishermen few days.
After that l am going to Fort Meyers,
and from there up into Lake Ochechobee,
where, am told there is most wonderful
fishing and hunting If Gus Carson was
down here with that repeating rifle of
his, he could shoot dozen ducks in as
many minutes. A tiny bell is tinkling
down below, and me for that July break
fast. WALLIE.
A Great Work For the Sick.