The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-11-16
Mr.. KELSO'SSECONDLETTER
On His Visit To the Land of
Flowers.
Editor of The Republican:

EullOT VI Inc DSpUpilSdli-
In nv former letter omitted to say
that the twenty-five miles that we
travelled by automobile. instead of on
the Caloosacsatche River. which was
formerly used by boats. but on account
of rubbish filing the river IS impossible.
As soon as the dredges remove the rub
bish, the full length O. the river will be
used again.
The eig hit mile strip near Lake Okee-
chobee, mentioned in my former letter
asIdrained sufficient for tiliage, is of
natural drainage and is supposed to be
formed by the overflow of Lake Okee-
chobee for many centuries.
On this strip of land | am told that
Walton B. Parker, former candidase for
President of the United States, and his
brother bought 1000 acres of land for
the purpose of converting it into stock
farm.
William j. Bryan has also bought
100 acres in this same section, and all
parties l am told paid $50 per acre.
The canal from Lake Okeechobee is
siXty-fve miles in length, entering New
River about eight miles from the At
lantic Ocean. On the bank of New
River is house which the late Presi-
dent Cleveland occupied a short time
for several winters in catching the
finny tribe.
will give brief sketch as related to
me of the peculiar customs of the Semi
mole Indians living in the dry ham
mocks of the Everglade up South Fork
of New River. Not far from Fort
Landerdale are several camps estimat-
ed at about four hundred in all. The
camps are composed of four to six
families, under one head. Each family
in the camp has its own Palmetto
matched hut, the men of the camp eX-
ercising a general supervision over the
women but the women never interfere
with each others children.
There is no wedlock outside the race,
and the ceremony consists simply of
public declara on and formal recep-
ton by the parents.
The man is allowed to take wife at
twenty-f0ur years, and when forty is
allowed to take another wife if he
proved a good husband to his first wife,
but to have no more.
Although the bride has been raced
for at the previous green corn dance
which takes place in July, she has been
given such a good start that if she
doesn't want to be caught she need not
be. If she allows herself to be caught,
she then makes shirt for the man of
her choice and her parents set the wed
ding day.
At the death of her husband, the
widow pulls her hair over her face and
wears it IN that style for a year. On
the death of the squaw the man can't
hunt for four days.
A Seminole girl who would bestow
her affections on a white man would be
held in perpetual ignominy.
The beads of a Seminole woman rep
resents much: many beads mean good
squaw. The mother begins by putting
one string about her baby girls neck.
AS she grows more and more beads are
added, until she carries ten OF twelve
pounds.
AS she passes middle life, they begin
taking them off, until only one string
remains, then the squaw is too old to
work and cannot and is not asked to
work.
When a squaw is to old to work she
is taken care of by one camp and then
by another, irrespective of family ties.
Many of the shell mounds of Florida
are supposed to have their history con-
nected with the early history of the
Indian
In the vicinity of New Smyrna there
was house built on a shell mound and
stood until fallen in decay.
The mo und renamed unexplored for
many years. But fnally the shell was
found to be of good material for road
building, and in removing the shell
found fort eight feet from surface of
ground. The origin of the fort is mere
conjecture.
Miami is the Invest town | found in
Florida containing twenty thousand
population. There were four hundred
honses erected in twelve month. and
still going at that rate. Miami recently
voted a six hundred thousand dollar
bond to build causevay from Miami
to Miami Beach.
A short distance south of Miami is
located William J. Bryan's estate named
Serena. His residence stands near the
bank of BIscayne Bay, in a jungle of
tropical forest and winding driveway.
Adjoining Mr.. Bryan's property, Mr..
Deering, of the Deering Machine Co.,
has lao acres of land, and has already
spent three million dollars. His palace
will be ready for occupancy this coming
December. His servants houses are
ponnDlate6 and hovo tho apnaoropoa Of