The Penn's Grove record., 1913-01-31
Enchanted in the Land Of Flowers

Fort Myers, Fla, Jan. 81, 1913
Editor Penns Grove RECORD
Dear Sir; / presume many readers OF
your valuable paper, especially those who
contemplate buying a winter home in
Southern Florida, would be glad to have
some plain facts that would be an in
ducement to them to spend a few dollars
in this land OF sunshine, fruit and flow
ers.
| Can truthfnlly say that at Fort Myers
the climate is ideal. Vegetation seems to
grow spontaneously. | noticed some of
the telephone wires had quite a growth
OF moss over them. The principle crops
are grape fruit and oranges. Lee County
has about seven thousand acres in grape
fruit and oranges. Every variety ofveg-
etables will do well, but are not extern
sively grown.
Fort Myers is a beautiful little town OF
1000 inhabitants, situated on the south
side of the Caloosahatchee river, the
terminal of the West Coast Railroad. 1926
miles south Of jacksonville. The princi-
pal business places are, two banks, a
daily paper, a weekly paper, two lumber
yards, an ice factory, six fire houses,
three dentists, two bakeries, five large
hotels, an electrical light plant, fifteen
boarding houses, two theatres, high
school, Andrew ID. Gwynne Institute, also
five churches, Baptist, Episcopal, Metho.
dist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic.
Thomas Edison, the wizard, whose in
ventive genius has startled the world, has
a beautiful winter home here. Fort
Myers has many other attractions that
leads the tourist to spend the winter
here. Beautiful flowers, tropical plants
no wonder Henry Watterson said it was
the halfway city to heaven. While that
is an extravagant expression, those who
have never seen Fort Myers in the winter
would say what the Queen Of Sheba said
when she went to visit King Solomon,
''Behold the half has no been told"
l will now give my readers a trip up
the beautiful Caloosahatchee river. While
theirs will be imaginary, mine was real.
We left Fort Myers in the early morning
on the steamer Ada May. After we had
gone a few miles the eastern sky became
radient with the rays OF the rising sun .
While passing up the river a vision o.
beauty broke on our view, beautiful
groves of oranges and grape fruit, the
trees bending under the weight of their
golden fruit. The melody OF the mocking
bird was enhancing. The power OF song
from this bird is extraordinary in initial
ing other birds.
Wing waited flute you who the legends say
In that glad morn when earth's melodious
thing
Was given each his own lived bit of song,
By some strange fate were cheated of your
lay.
Our hopes are buoyed because you did moi
stay
Forever mute. but ~solacing your wrongs
With carols that to all your kind belong.
You sang as still you sing more sweet than
they.
After we had gone many miles up the
river it became very narrow. The seen
cry was magnificent. 1t was georgous.
1t was indescribable. The live oak with
its hanging moss and running vines
mounting over the tops of some of the
trees that lined the banks of the river,
decorating them with beautiful plums Of
various colors. Other attractions can be
enjoyed by the tourist if he has any love
for the handiwork of God in the realm of
nature. In my next letter l will give
some interesting things in reference tc
Christian Colony. Au Reyoir,-
E. S. Harris.