The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1912-02-20
HAVING FINE TRIP
Mrs. William Rosendahl Writes
Gazette OfExperience In
The South

our promise and write you some
thing of our trip. Our first stop
was at Chattanooga. where we took
an automobile ride over the battle
fields of Chickamaugua Park and
Missionary Ridge. The scenery there
and the views from Missionary Ridge
are simply great. We also took the
trolly ride up Lookout Mt. which is
certainly hair raising experience
but the view when you get to the
top is well worth it. There is a little
town at the foot Of the mountain
called st. Elmo, where they say
Augusta Evans Wilson wrote her
famous novel by that name. Our
next stop was at Atlanta which is a
beautiful city, with fine hotels and
well kept streets. We took a trip
out to Fort Mcpherson where Billy
was stationed during the Spanish
American war. also saw the Federal
Prison. Our next stopping place
was Jacksonville which is a hus sting
city raore like the northern cities.
We find more foliage here and palms
the parks are very beautiful but not
many flowers yet. We went out to
the ostrich and alligator farm where
we SAW the ostrich races and also
saw how they train the alIegators
SO they can hitch them to a small
cart and drive them.
We left Jacksonville on Monday
morning Jan. % for Miami, up to
this time we had been quite COM
Portable with winter clothing, but
began to feel pretty warm during
the day. Wf-seached Miami at
O'Clock at night, got room at the
Plaze IN the morning the first view
as looked from the window into a
park below, was as beautiful sight
as ever saw, the garden was full of
palms and beautiful HIBISCUS trees
covered with large red blossoms also
oleanders full of blooms, and such
beautiful foliage plants. We soon
found that we would need only our
very thinnest summer clothing here,
and even then as soon as we got out
in the sun we were nearly overcome
with the heat. If a person sits quiet
ly in the shade he is quite COM
Portable as the sea breeze is delight
fully cool here, but the sun is very
hot. We met some people who were
on their way from Daytona Beach to
Havana and wanted us to take the
trip with them so decided to go on
at once instead of waiting at Miami
couple of weeks as had been our
intention. We left Miami on Jan.
% at noon for Key West, where they
were having a big celebration over
the opening of the new over sea
railroad which had been completed
from Knights Key to Key West re-
Gently, our train was the fifth train
to go oyer the road. It was certain
~ great experience to ride for
miles and miles over the sea, one
concrete bridge was q miles long,
also miles of steel and trestle-work.
One beautiful spot we passed was
Long Key, a small fishing camp COW
cred with white sand almost as white
as snow and not blade of grass.
We reached Key West at 9 o'clock
that night and found every hotel
filled but managed to get a good
room at a private house. | don't
like the climate at Key West it is so
damp and smells musty everywhere,
also lots Of flies and mosquitoes.
There is a queer white soil there
when damp looks and feels just like
putty. you can imagine how delight
full it is to walk in.
The town was full of sailors, Portu-
guese and American. Our boat the
Governor Cobb" was to leave at
1000 A. M. on Jan. "a, SO we went
down at that time and sat around on
deck watching the little niggers dive
for pennies. nickels and dimes. they
pick up lot of money that way.
Our boat didn't leave the dock until
$50 P. Nj. and then only pulled out
into the harbor and staid there until
1000 P. M. as they say they were
not allowed to enter the harbor at
Havana in the night. the sea was uD-
usually calm, a. this is usually a
4.