Middletown transcript., 1912-07-06
IN WILDS OF FLORIDA

The following interesting letter written
by Rev. Vaughan S. Collins was received
by Mr.. Alfred G. Cox on Thursday:
CAMP SEMINOLE, Sunday Morning, June 80
DEAR BROTHER Cox 1t is just 1880
o'clock, and as the church bells are ring
ing in Middletown and we cannot 90 to
Bethesda for worship will write letter
to you.
We have had series Of delightful sur.
prises ever since onr arrival in Florida.
The whole state is improving very rapidly
but this section, Polk County, seems 60 be
leading the whole state in general develop
ment. Some OF the towns have grown SO
much III ten years that | would not have
recognized them at all, and some have
trebled in population in five years.
Not only lave the towns grown but the
country estates are wonderfully improved.
Where five years ago there was nothing
but virgin forests tor miles upon miles,
now all through this dear water lake
region orange groves are beginning to
cover the slopes of the hillsides to the
lakes. and the wilderness is beginning to
blossom as the rose.
A few miles northwest of here a gentle
man has bought the land surrounding a
little lake and divided it into ten acre
tracts and sells ten acre lot, plants it in
orange trees, cares for them for Eve years
and charges So, 500 ior the ten acres. This
is land that until a very few months ago
was virgin forest that was selling at 500
and $40 90 per acre.
Ten miles to the northwest a company
has bought up l0,500 Rcres of land and
water and started the town of Dundee.
We made stop there on our way out to
camp and ate our lunch. They propose
spending $3.50, 900 in improvements. They
only opened up last October, but they
have sold about 2, 500 acres of land, have
eight homes already built, have laid out
several miles of streets and are working
hard 10 get ready for the rush of next
winter.
Five miles to the southwest of us, at
Lake Wales, another company is opened
up in similar way. Seven miles to the
west and north company of Maryland
and Pennsylvania, one of them brother
of Governor PenUypacker of Pennsy!-
vania, have $50 acres in orange and grape
fruit groves, on one of our beautiful lakes.
To me, tile changes observe III this
country in the last five year Is little short
of marvelocs. Another surprise to me is
the almost ideal weather We have had
since leaving home. We were prepared,
from what we had heard of Florida in
summer, to have daily rains of almost
torrenlial violence; but we have found
the rains just about like We have had IN
MiddletowD, and as to temperature, this
is the hottest day We have had since v e
arrived, and it is now P. NJ, the hottest
hour in the DAY, and the thermometer
lust touches 81 grees 1t is now only
81 degrees at 4 T. M, with good breeze
going, that makes it quite comfortable.
There has not been night since We have
been here that we have not been COM
pelled to pull up some light covers before
morning. So the weather surprises US.
Then we were prepared to iHd lnnum-
erable insects and reptiles, from mosquitoe
to rattlesnakes, out IN this wild country.
We have walked and rode not less than
fifty miles to date, and the only snake
of any kind we have seen in Florida was
in the geological garden in Jacksonville.
As to mosquitoes, the five dollars worth
of mosquito netting we bought for the
trip has not even been unrolled, but is
still unwrspped, just as it came from
Wanamakers. We can sit under our teut
porch, or under the shade of the oaks AMI
pines in front of our tent morning, noon
or twilight and much to our amazement
not a fly, mosquito nor gnat comes 10
trouble us.
I wish you could visit our camp this
beautiful Sabbath day. We selected the
site on the south side of one of several
CRYSTAL lakes in this fair land, about fftv
wards from the water edge and about
twenty-five feet above the lake. The
house tent is 94xI4 #. with fly l0x22 #.
the fly extension III front forming our
porch and dining room. We could readi-
ly protect this by netting put to date have
absolutely no need TO do so.) TWen y
feet to the west. is 81 II ft. tent where
We keep our supplies while the cooks
quarter, over which Mrs. c presides with
dignity aud skill, forms a triangle with
the other two tents. A winding path
from the tent door to the lake has already
been formed and sitting in our porch,
looking down the slope to the lake, COM
mands beautiful sweep of vision. The
lake is a half mile long, by little more
than a quarter wide, aud its shore line is
as gracefully curved both in outline aud
elevation, at if laid out by skilful land
scape artist. 1t is 30 clear that you can
see the bottom perfectly clearly at
depth Of twenty feet, and you can stand
on the shore and watch the fish swim past
several feet distance. l have built little
wharf at the foot of the path, and at her
moorings my new canvas boat, the Water
klryo khn rInnIon AaFne6
the lake [ heard q male quail meIrIly
chanting his Bob White, and a hun
dred wards in the rear of the tent q herd
of at least hundred sleek cattle, weary
of grazing have come in to take midC ay
snooze in the shade OF the oaks OF our
forest. The chickens We brought out to
camp with US are feeding quietly about
me as l write, Mrs. Collins nd Miss
Caldwell are resting after the noon meal,
while l continue the letter l commenced
this morning, but frequent interruption
have prolonged its writing until now.
Our camp receives its name from the
tract of land, and the land was so named
because the Seminole Indians formerly
camped and hustled here. We visited
two of their mounds yesterday, about a
mile northwest from where | now sit.
Mrs. Collins is very anxious to see them
opened, but do not wish it enough it
enough to undertake the digging out two
mounds thirty feet long, fifteen feet wide
and five feet or more high.
1t is real roma ntic to know that our
white tent occupies the site formerly the
site of the tepee of the noble red man;
that the same lake that quenched his
thirst and in whose pelluced waters he
bathed are affording the same Offices TO
us; and as by his skill its waters gave to
him fish, fresh, gamy, delicious, so to US
comes the same thrill when the gamy
bass from these same depths seizes our
hook and makes his fight for freedom,
and the same elation when our "squaw"
brings it steaming, appetizing to the table.
1 guess there is a bit of ''savage " in US
vet, we take so naturally to the woods,
and its idNllic ways,
Mrs. Collins joins me in love and best
wishes to you, to yours and to all good
people of Middletown. Sincerly your
friend and pastor,
VAUGHAN S. COLLINS:
ODESSA HAD A WALKOVER