Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-25
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HOME AGAIN.
w. znelyIoP5
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HOME AGAIN.
Although ! had a perfectly delightful
time in the two weeks trip to Florida
! felt remarkably contented when | was
settled for the night i'm my own room
and my own bed. where I slept soundly
and sweetly after the evening train had
brought me to Gainesville last night.
There had not been a dull minute
during my waking hours for / had much
to see in Florida that was entirely new
to me. | was interested in the farming
as well as in the flowers and ! see a
great future for that state i'm the years
TO come.
The. people who have usually felt II
necessary 10 tour Europe could not go
there tails winter. The most of these
tourists have traversed California. the
Grand Canyon, Yosemite park, within
the last twelve months.
They were not inclined TO investigate
.dexico with the bandits i'm possession
of that country. and as Florida is lower
down las to altitudeD than any other
state i'm the union. the people who must
travel to remain eontented, turned their
steps towards Florida, to spend money.
And they are plentifully sprinkled all
over the peninsula The small towns
with hotels are full and the big towns
on the coast. east and west. are cram
med full. 1t must be satisfactory sea e
son for hotel people and taXicabs, be-
cause the money flows easily under
such circumstances.
The night before I left S.. Petersburg
a strange sort of wind came in from the
gulf If / had heard it in my home
town | should have said: Lookout for =
big storm" 1t clustered all night. a
sprinkle of rain fell and yet next morn
ing the sun shone out and the Their
mometer dropped to a surprisingly low
figure. ..> .
1 could not sit. on deck when the
boat was crossing Tampa bay. and was
none too warm in crowded closed
cabin.
1t was just the same ir Tampa until
the wind rose again before nightfall. ]
sought a place to warm my feet in the
hotel. and nothing was in sight except
a huge black aged heater, that smoked
like a small tar kiln.
After the stove got hot. the, smoke
went of as usual, up the long rusty
pipe. When / reached my secondstory
+ room everything was in "apple-pie or
DER except it was cold. | generally
take off my everyday wear on going TO
bed. but / will not tell you how much I
kept on to 80 to bed that night 1t was
all needful, and ] wished had more
warm things to wear next day. | saw
flue-dresseo ladies wearing their hus-
. bands overcoats and glad to get them.
/ left for Jacksonville near noon, and
arrived after nightfall.i A gentleman on
the train found out / scrubbed for The
Semi-Weekly Journal and he not only
conveyed me across the crowded railroad
tracks in that city but walked with me
to my nearby hotel.
You are not surprised to have me tell
you he was a Georgian now sojourning
IL ma n o mo. tIrIr
farm. There is something in these no.
bic sons of my native state that is de-
pendable i'm any time of stress and
strain, no matter where you find them.
Still the cold weather continued.
warmed a little at the solitary heating
place ih' that hotel establishment and
then decided TO go to bed. to get warm,
And this was Florida climate!
| dressed for bed like. was going to
ride outside in the wintry air and need
ed all had in reach TO keep. from shiy-
ering was not surprised to hear. there
: was hard ice in exposed places in Jack
sonyilie next day. e a@
sal concluded to find a Georgia fireplace
next dag. one of the sort that warns
your limbs, and stirsc your blood. !
found the desired glowing fire at Ash
burn, in. Turner county, with cherished
friends. who gave me a most hospita BILE
ffeat in their magnificent home, the fat
pine was -heaped in the open fireplace.
and for the first time for three days and
nights j. could truthfully say | was as
warm as / wanted to be. .'.?
II is joy to remember how the good
friends everywhere made me welcome
and also warmed the very cookies of my
heart, thereby with hospitality As we
neared the Ashburn depot 7 was afraid
the rules on the Dixie flyer and Dixie
limited are strict, but when the kind
young. gentleman, read my name on the
ticket he said Yes. Maam." .;You shall
get off. in good time, and safely" As he
handed me down the steps he asked. Are
YOU not the Mrs. FELTON, who writes
for u.s."
SO YOU will see how good these peo-
pie are to your old editress and how
they smooth the rough places and make
me, feel so grateful for their kindness
A short visit in Macon and day and
night in Atlanta came. along. and then
my home train and at last my good old
feather bed and roaring coal fire in
my own room to sleep and rest
Not r single thing transpired to mar
my pleasure in this trip to Florida.
saw everything there was to see, had the
best In the land served for my eating,
went by boat by rail, by auto cars and
hacks, and not slip or accident from
start to finish, and although eighty
years old and some, | made the trip
alone and i'm perfect safety!
p. 6. Tire "Rebecca Felton, steam
boat evaded her old namesake. The
owner phoned me that my boat would
be I'm, the dock Sunday morning. G sup
posed il would rest on Sunday as pious
people do, but when reached the dock
before noon, she was out and gone again.
Everybody was acquainted with her
i'm those parts. but she hid herself from
her old namesake in a most surprising
way Her owner says she is an excel
lent steamboat, stanch and stout, does
her work we'll and is always doing It,.
and I am going to he proud of her, II
I should never see her again i'm the
coming future.
So here's a health to the "Rebecca
FELTON," that makes her constant home
in Florida waters.
N0UIn cnDHMN CHIT