Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-03-08
SILVER And SHAKE IN
sunny SOUTHLAND
Mrs. Martha ShOwalter Says Mi
ami Sometimes Gets Cold.
A Magic City With All Styles of Build
ings, Flowers, Fruits, Million
aires and Land Agents.

Miami, Florida, Feb. 81, 1916.
Dear Editor Grant County Herald,
readers and friends of General Calls
Circle
You wished a few facts about this
part of the country, I presume.
The weather has been extremely
warm until the last week. We are told
by the old settlers, that for this time
of year it was an exception, that the
summer months were never any warm
er than the three weeks before this
cold wave, which came a week ago
today. The thermometer fell from GO
to 4S in few hours. AS this was sud-
den and extreme for this southern
cline, everyone was shivering. One
feels it so much as hotels and homes
are built without chimneys, so one
has to shiver it out in the sun. For
two days we shivered, and since then
it has been very nice.
They surely have the climate here.
The new hotels and partment houses
are now planning at least one room
large enough for all guests to gather
where there is a fine fireplace to sit
around. There has been so much COM
plant this chilly weather from all
tourists. They seldom need them, but
l should say one needs them badly
sometimes.
They call this a magic city, and it
surely is, for they claim it is only IL
years old. And on can reall believe
it, for wedged between very pretty and
more modern houses and bungalows,
are pioneer shanties, and a chicken
yard once in while along sometimes an
otherwise pretty street. Now the de-
mand is made as one buys to build
better and more stately homes.
AS many millionaires and wealthy
people are building winter homes here,
and have beautiful yards, and every
convenience that can be produced for
comfort. The ground in the wilder
state around here is covered thick with
a porous roc. / have seen a whole
block fenced with what is picked up
from one block, low wall with arch
es at the gates, and hollow left in
the posts, and they set an air plant in
that and an air vine, and it grows and
trails down, and makes an ideal fence.
The trees in the wild state are so load
ed with this air plant that in time it
kills a stately tree, but it is very pref
ty to look at anyway.
Many have hedges of the shrubby
nature here, of a bright red. 1t is so
very snowy. There is so much bright,
red, f1owery shrubs here that where
transplanted properly it makes one
think Of the Garden of Eden.
Palms redominate-palms of all
kinds. The cocoanut palms line the
sidewalks and grow in yards, droop-
ing over the walks, and are loaded
with cocoanuts. They are falling now,
might have one drop on your own CO.
coanut, as we call our heads in the
North.
The land agents are after all tour
lists to give them free rides to see
city lots and fruit ranches. You may
say, nothing doing as far as I'm con-
cerned." They say, 1--WE don't care.
of advertising" and l finds it pays,
too. They are correct.
The fruit ranches are of various
kinds: cocoanut ranches, pineapple,
oranges, lemons, delicious grapefruit.
In fact all kinds of fruit and veget-
able ranches. And how they grow
beats me. The soil is sandy-no irri-
cation. 1t looks very dry, but poked
my parasol stick in the sand and an
inch below the surface it feels damp.
The fruit is now being gathered, and
the trees are loaded, and look very
thrifty, and it's easy to persuade
many that your fortune is made if
you buy before that ranch is gone.
Well, lots can be bought here for
from $1,100 and up to as high as you
care to go. A lot is 6Ox12O, and some
was looking at at 81 LOO had fruit
trees of each variety bearing enough
for family USE All that was lacking
was a house. | really believe there
is money in it at that, for winter
home the place is ideal, the fruit
plenty for all purposes, and already
bearing, and enough for each for a
family of six, and certainly would
make paradise of home if one cared
to buy. The banyan tree f1ourishes
here. Rents for rooms are frightful.
The city fathers are provoked and say
it will make the magic city a poor adj
vertisement. We paid when we first
cam S12 per week for a bandbox of
a room, and very glad to get in at all.
Many men slept in the park, and are
doing so yet, and some on doorsteps.
Some pay $40 per week and this for
room only. All have to get meals at
restaurants. One room and a garage
near our present location rents for
$50 per week to a rich Cuban But
there will be plenty of room for all
another year, SO many are building ho-
tells and apartments. The city is full TO
OVERLOOKING Rooms are rented, some
at $40, $35 and $25 per week. One