The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-29
The Natural Beauties
And Wonders of Florida

kulla Sprins, in Wakulla county, is
| $50 feet deep, yet the smallest coin
dropped to the bottom may be clear
ly seen. To float on the bright
waters of these beautiful springs
makes the pulse thrill with delight
at the almost unreal character of the
scene. The waters so pellucid that
one seems almost suspended in mid
air the shadows from the skies
above rest in changing beauty in its
depths, while the bright sunlight
flccks the silvery rocks below with
rays of dazzling BRIGHTNESS. 1t is
not strange that they should be
deemed to possess a renovatihg elixer
and to promise to those who would
dwell by their banks and disport in
their waters a restoration of youth
ful vigor and energy; and even the
tabled fountain might seem to find
a realization in these remarkably
Deautl1ul springs.
The rivers of Florida are charac-
terized by the rising and falling of
the tide The beautiful Suwanee,
with its high banks, has rocky bluffs
and bottoms, and many fine springs
are to be seen along the banks 1t
is deeply impressive-more easily re-
membered than described. 1t was
away down on the Suwannee that
caused the heart longing of the old
darkey for the old folks at home.
Possibly nowhere in our state will
you find the tropical growth that
spreads its beauty as it does along
the Peace river in DeSoto county
For genuine romance. the stately
palm, the moss-covered cypress lends
enchantment. 1t is along this river,
deep in the quicksand that holds the
treasures of the pirate, Gasparilla
The Indian mounds found in Flor
ida are always excellent attractions.
The largest can he found at Point
Pinellas, few miles south of st.
Petersburg some of them measur-
ing from 100 to 80 feet high. A
skeleton aug from one of them had
a thigh bone five inches longer than
had man living on the Point who
was six feet tall.
| must not fail to note the natural
BRIDES, considered to be one of the
greatest wonders of our state You
would find the largest and most won
derful across st. Marks river, about
20 feet in width and the same in
span, over which people pass. An
other over the Chipola river. These
bridges resemble very much the
bridges to be found in Virginia.
If you were to travel through Wa
kulla county you would find vast
jungle of trees. vines and marsh, and
see strange country of volcanic ap
pearance, great masses of rocks all
cracked and ragged, as if upheaved
from great depth. 1t is in this i'm
penetrable jungle that the famous
Florida Volcano is supposed to exist,
for a column of lieht, hazy smoke or
vapor may be seen rising from some
portion of it, and provokes the
conundrum, what is it?
Among the wonders are the great
holes, known as "sink holes" The
nearest is in the Miakka region,
lake supposed to be bottomlcss; and
there is another to be found six miles
from Gainesville, known as the
Devils Mill Hopper Still another
wonder is in the region of Lost
Creek, where large stream sud
denly ends, evidently plunging
downward into the earth in an
abyss that is bottomless.
Perhaps ones first impression on
coming into the State of Florida is
that the only trees to be found other
than orange trees are pines and
palms, but in travelling through the
state you would find many other in
teresting trees. One of the strangest,
alsomost interesting, is the man
grove. This is to be found along
the beaches or muddy, marshy places.
The juice of the fruit is used for
making wine.
The description of Florida, the fas-
cinating, would by no means be
complete were | to fail to mention
the valuable deposits of phosphate
OF befound in the middle portion of
the state and near the Gulf coast,
also in DeSoto and Hillsborough
This phosphate is shipped
to all parts of the civilized world.
And the fullers earth plants, prob
ably the largest in the United States,
located at Rocky Bluff and Ellen
ton
BY this time you will agree with
me that when the Creator parceled
out His gifts, to Florida fell rich
and although Adam had
the advantage of us, having seen the
world while it was new, the mani
of the power of God are
new every morning and fresh every
in our fascinating Florida.