The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1914-03-27
MAURY FOUNTAINS
IMPRESSED WITH THE
FLORIDA BOOSTERS
FOLKS HERE WOULD ONLY DO
WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN
ST. PETERSBURG.
WOULD MAKE MUCH PROGRESS
Evil Effects, However, of the Return
of the Saloons Are. Soon Apparent.
Some Pointed Observations on the
Land of Flowers.

Believing that it would be interest
ing to some of the readers of youl
valuable paper, l will briefly mention
some of the sight l have witnessed
during my four months stay in this
place.
st. Petersburg, Fla, am sure can
not be surpassed by any city of its
size In the United States for cleanli
ness, sociability and climate.
Many of our Tennessee people who
have to struggle for breath could rest
and sleep well at night if they could
ejoy the pleasant, salty breeze from
the gulf and bays around this PENN.
sular.
st. Petersburg is growing rapidly
Twenty years ago, so l have been In.
formed, the place where the city now
stands was a wilderness or jungle
where aligators and other wild ami
mails were found unmolested. 1t is
now town larger than Columbia with
twenty to thirty thousand winter tour
lists, handsome buildings, miles and
miles of brick paved streets, avenues
and boulevards. The natives seem to
be lending all their energies to make
this town attractive and pleasant for
the tourists.
If half of the effort was put forth
by the city council and Board of Trade
of Columbia that is being put forth
here, we would have quite a different
town. The people here are doing
things" everything new, clean and
up to date Electric cars are run
ming out for miles south, west and
north. On the east is Tampa Bay,
with it's steamers and air boats going
up and down and across until they dis
appear in the distance I could tell
you some big fish stories but it would
take too much of your valuable time
and space.
I am sorry to say that on Feby. 2
they held local option election in
Pineilas county and threw st. Peters
burg in the wet column, and on the
last of March three saloons were
opened in st. Petersburg, to her
shame. The "drys" put up good
fight, and had it not been for the me-
gro votes she would have remained
dry. The negroes were offered three
saloons, but they were turned down
on account of an insufficient number
of petitions in the community where
they wanted to locate. And an anoth-
er requirement was that the applicant
have good moral character. Did you
ever hear of man with a good moral
character selling whisky? Up until
the time the saloons were opened, SO
far as know, everything was quiet
not a disturbance of any kind on the
streets. Since they have BEEN in op-
GRAFTON we have had many DRINKS on
the streets, and on the 7th Of March,
some weeks after the saloons were
opened, a young man, said to be of
good character, had his throat cut and
died instantly. The man who did the
killing had been sober man since
the saloons went out of st. Peters
burg year ago, but with the return
Of the saloons he went back to his
old habit, and claims he did not know
what he was doing. He is now in
Jail leaving a wife and children with
out husband and fathers presence
and support.
Among those have met from Ten
nessee and who have passed this way
are the following: J. P. Street, Nor
fleet Figures and family, Mrs. Irene
Nicholson and daughter, Mrs. r. p.
Stegal and son, J. c. Hickman, Mrs.
Dock Brown and family, Hon. Newt
White, Of Giles county; Judge Bullock,
of Jackson; Mrs. w. T. Richardson, R.
E. Potts and daughter, Joe and Gar
nett Rainey. L. N. Simms, former
ticket agent at Columbia, is comfort
ably situated in an Office here send
ing tourists home his way.
Land is very valuable along the wa
ter front, lots 50x125 feet ranging
from $4,000 to $4,000 per lot. The reg
lister shows that there are about three
hundred Tennesseans here, or have
been this winter.
The writer is a reader and well
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