The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1914-01-22
A FEW FACTS CONDENSED
PERTAINING TO PuNTA ooRDA AND
VICINITY


locality the following facts are given:
Punta Gorda Is on the Charlotte Har
Dor Division Of the Atlantic Coast Lin
r. r., 296 miles south Of Jacksonville. 8
miles east of south from Tampa on tn
south side OF Charlotte Harbor. 25 mile
from its mouth. Boca Grande. It's popu
iation by the Federal census of 1910 wa
slightly In excess Of 1900. but this humble
mas been considerably increased by PEG
PIE who have located here since the cen
sus was taken, and the number of PEG
pie In the town now is variously eStimat
ed at from 1900 to 1000. OF this popula
ton about 800 are black people.
There are Methodist Baptist, Episcopa
and Presbyterian churches with regula
services for white people, and Methods
and Baptist churches for negroes A
public school for white children, embrac.
ing grammar and high school depart
ments. employs eleven teachers and has
an enrolment Of several hundred pupils.
A private finishing school is also main
tanned The negroes have a good public
school with two teachers an an enroll
ment of about forty pupils.
The taxation for city, county and state
purposes is not considered excessive and
considering that property heretofore has
been assessed at about one third its real
value there has been little occasion for
dissatisfaction from this source
The town contains two substantial
banks. an excellent telephone system
with connections all over the neighboring
counties; post office, telegraph and ex-
press offices; several private boarding
houses. four hotels; plenty CT grocery.
dry goods, drug and other stores to sup
ply all the demands of the trade; ma
chine, wagon and boat shops: ice fac
tory. bottling works, three cigar fcctor-
les livery stable. newer 3per ard Job
printing office, bakery, restaurants,
itown hall; fourshing lodges of Masons.
Woodmen of the World and Red INw
nve lawyers, four physicians, one dentist,
q number of real estate men, ETC., etc.
The chief industry is fishing in which |
six wholesale firms with 800 or more men
are engaged. CAPITAL Invested in the |
business Il estimated at 100000, and
larse easements Of Ash on ice are made
, - daiU during fsh.1g seasons.
~ uuiS of the fish shipped are mullet.
many pompano, Spanish mackerel.
s-ss, trout, sheep-head. snapper and 9TH
er fine food fish are shipped. The oyster
business is small
Next to fishing, the cultivation Of fam
cy pineapples engages most attention. as
the profits Of this industry often reach
$500 an acre 1t requires about $500 to
properly prepare and plant an acre in
te,.t oft n xyaar
would cover the cost of cultivation. The
plants bear in twelve to eighteen months
after planting and continue to bear an
nually thereafter without replanting for
five or six years.
Truck farming is an industry yet In
it's infancy and Offering good returns
on intelligent and well directed efforts
All kinds of vegetables yield good crops
Profitable and easy crops to raise are
sweet potatoes. Irish potatoes and sugar
Gene, which pay $50 to $500 per acre.
Oranges, grapefruit. lemons and lines
are successfully grown; so are some 9TH
er fruits of lesser note
Prices of town lots and of lands out of
town vary so greatly that 1t Is imprac-
ticable to give quotations here; but al
most any one who does not expect to
find in new and sparsely settled coun-
try like this, the improvements and con-
veniences of Ohio and Massachusetts,.
can find here something to suit him in
price and character, whether he wishes
improved or unimproved property
The town government consists of a
mayor, marshall five aldermen, clerk. coli
Iector and assessor and treasurer The
streets are hard-surfaced and so are
miles of public roads leading into town;
and the people of the town and surrounds
ing territory have recently voted in favor
of the creation of a special road and
bridge district and the issuance of $780,
00O.O 90 Of bonds for the construction and
improvement of highways The town
has voted s60,000.OO in bonds for sewer
age and water works.
The location is one Of the healthiest
to be found any where, as is shown by
vital statistics kept by the local health
officer
man can work out of doors here any
and every day in the year. Prostrations
from heat never occur. The climate here
is ideal the year round.
Flowing artesian wells may be obtained
here at varying depths, and number OF
them are now in use in and about town,
some for irrigation and others for supply
ing drinking water etc. The water from
these artesian wells contains mineral
and are said to possess medi-
cinal value, some citizens claiming to
have been cured of various ailments by
1t freely. The town owns two
Of these wells, small one which supplies
a public drinking fountain and a large
one that supplies fire protection through
81 main laid for the purpose.
Our people are from various states and
countries and are very liberal and toler
ant in their views and opinions. They
are hospitable to respectable strangers.
generous to their neighbors. to the poor
and needy, progressive and enterprising
to the extent of their means, law-abiding
and united for the common welfare Of
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