The Palatka news and advertiser., 1916-04-14
FLORIDA. FOUNTAIN OF
YOUTH, ALWAYS.

Four hundred and three years ago
March 81, Ponce de Leon discovere:
Florida. More than four centuries
ago a dreamer. an adventurer, land
ed upon the shore of what was sup
posed to be the Island of Bimini up
on which was located the tabled Foun
tain of Youth.
1t is pretty generally acknowledged
that when the old mariner stumbled
upon this peninsula he discovered
something. Young is Florida, indeed
although hoary with age. The Oldest
State in the Union in point of years,
Florida is today the Fountain of
Youth for the young man, for the
youthful adventurer who is striving
for new conditions, new environments,
and new opportunities.
Millions of acres yet to be develop
ed; hundreds of diversified opportu-
mites for the young or middle aged
man who would till the soil, erect fac
tories, open new business ventures,
and grow up with the country. A half
century ago Horace Greeley shout
ed, GO West, young man, go Vest"
and today the plea is Come South,
young man. come South
Florida is rich in story, romance,
tradition and history. Florida is sea.
girt and swept by the most rejuven-
ating breeze-an ideal climate. Flor
ida is the Nations playground. 1t
is being garnished with golf courses,
spacious and comfortable hotels, hun
dreds and hundreds of miles of brick
and improved highways. 1t is a mec
ca for fishing, bathing, hunting, mo-
toring and kindred recreations. 1t
is the state of 365 days of beautiful!
weather.
From the forest primeval" Florida
has become the land of handsome and
inspiring churches, splendid schools,
and up-to-date and modern stores,
sweeping, awe-inspiring sky-scrapers,
thrifty newspapers, theatres and
scores of similar institutions and ia
cilities for the comfort and cure OF
mankind.
Florida knows no dsiease-no yell
low fever, no typhoid, malaria and
malignant diseases. Florida has all
up-to-date health board-a marvel and
a standard for efficiency which 9TH
err states should follow. Florida can
grow nearly everything any other
state in the Union can grow and then
some things besides. Florida can be
made and will be made the greatest
agricultural and cattle-raising state
in the Western Hemisphere.
Florida is unsurpassed for citrus
fruits-the juiciest, sweetest and fin
est in the world. When it comes to
flowers and the other beauties of ma
ture, Flor;dians realize, as others, that
God has graced this state as no other.
Florida boasts the greatest sponge |
fisheries in America, the crookedest
river-the Ocklawaha; the longest
river-the St. Johns; the largest
springs; the greatest variety of trees,
two of the oldest cities in the world;
the only state with railroad ira
versing the tempestuous sea; the
nightiest and most tremendous
irainage project of all times; the
greatest phosphate mines; the lar
rest lake within one state; the longest
alt water line 10000 miles; the
,randest beaches in the world, and
he most exhilerating and cureing
urf in the world; the best people,
lot to mention the best harbors, ci-
yars, hotels, and the purest water.
Verify, when Ponce de Leon dis
covered something he scooped all ex-
,lorers! He made finished job Of
t; he was master at unearthing as
t were, vast stretches of uneXcelleL
Come to Florida !-Orlando Sentinel.