The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-05-17


the southwestern portion OF Holmes
county and eighty miles east OF Pen
sacola on the p. & A. division OF the
Louisville and Nashville railroad. has
many things to recommend. it. Be
sides being the central point for q
large section Of well cultivated farm
ing country it is in the heart or =
sportsman $ paradise where the woods
are filled with game and the waters
TEEN with fish OF every opecies found
IN the fresh waters OF western Florida
sandy Creek. noted for it's fine fish
ing, Rows through the town, and II Ia
but a short distance to the ChoctaW-
hdlrhSe river or TO the large boiling
springs that have made this eectioD
famous since before the DAYS of the
noted Spanish discovercr after whom,
the town was named. IRON a business
standpoint Ponce de Leon IS one Of
the best towns of its size IN the STATE
Tor II has number of first class
mercantile establishments bottIinr
works, saw @nd planning mill. two
cotton gins. two hotels. a turDeufir.
S Ill, grist andNfeed mill and n good
market. There are two churches Inn
the town and good school and every
citizen in the place takes a lively IN
tercst in It's welfare. Under slIcb con-
ditions the town cannot but prosper.
the public spirit is there and the SEQ
llon Is worthy Of all that can be said
In its favor
Health and Sanitation.
Health conditions in Ponce de Leon
ana the surrounding country are ex-
celient and there has never been any
thing like a Contagion since the town
was laid out. The country is free from,
sWamps and, consequently free from
disease carrying mosquitoes. and the
and IS rolling, giving perfect drainage
10 the numerous flowing streams In
the vicinity In the midst Of the piney
woods section, the breezes from tho
Sllf, fifty miles distant, are charged
with the ozone Of the pines and abso-
iuie absence Of pulmonary troubles Is
he result. Where there Is nothing To
cause sickness people are invariably
healthy and Ponce de Leon boasts en-
TIRE freedom from conditions that in
duce illness. There is a drug store in
Ponce de Leon but it's soda water
business brings in considerably more
revenue than the prescription depart
ment. The water is unusually good
for, in addition to the magnificent
natural springs. one OF which. Ponce
de Leon spring in the vicinity OF the
town has flow sufficient for a city
Of $4,000 people. there are numerous
deep wells, many of them flowing ct
the rate Of thousands OF gallons an
hour. One OF these flowing wells. To-
Gated at the plant OF the Dixie Naval
stores Co, is shown in a group picture
on this page.
The cotton and naval stores business
are important factors in the prosper
ty Of the town of Ponce de Leon. Hun
dreds Of bales Of cotton are handled
o. the two gins in the town every year
and shipped by the merchants to Pen
sa cola and Mobile. There are several
9rge turpentine stills in the vicinity
+ the town, and practically all Of this
rodIct IT, shipped through Ponce de
con. immense areas In the Vicinity
- the town are deVotra to the rails
uG Of cotton and, WITH Ene advent OF
bank and a cotton warehouse, Of
which the town stands mUcn In need,
the larger part of this will find its way
20 the market through Ponce dc
Leon
The stock business - also an i'm
JOrtant factor in the business Of the
town and one firm last year shipped
over $500 head Of cattle to the Pen
sac0la ard Mobile markets. practi-
caly all Of this stDch having been
raised on farms in the vicinitw Some
Of the sock was imported young and
was small Hundreds Of hogs are
raised in the vicinity of the town and
many are shj~ ped annually.
Hotels and Stores.
The hotels Of Ponce de Leon. Hotel
Vest ond the Parker House. both have
comfortable accOmmoda ions and good
table and both enjoy liberal patron
rye. The stores Of the town carry
large stocks OF staple merchandise Or
an kin Is and the selection is good and
the display attractive. Nearly every
thing that can Io fonuC anywhere Ia
to re had in the various establish
meuts. and the quality is generally the
best and prices reasonable. There is
need for exclusive hardware and
furniture store at PonC~ de Leon, and
ore ra~dliug clothing and furnish
iugs exclusively. Both would find
steady patronage for a first class line
Of goods. Ponce de Leon needs a bank
about as bad as anything else and
the business men Of the community
would he willing to subscribe literally
TO the stock Of such an institution II
It's Establishment was undertaken by a
man with moderate capital who thor
oughly understands tn oaninng bust
ness. There is o good livery and au-
.JmoDile business in operation in
Ponce de Leon, and this enjoys gcner-