Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1917-01-12
4 LETTER.

3Outd 0Oiuds 1Oiluos
January 3, 1917.
Mr.. ]. H. Grabill,
Woodstock, Virginia,
Dear Sir and Friends -
We left home on December the
10th and arrived here on the
z3rd. We met our Illinois friends
in Jacksonville, which made
eight in our party. We all have
good homes for light hoasekeep-
ing, two furnished rooms for
each couple, all close together
on the bay front.
Our Christmas was spent on
the docks fishing and in the eve
ming we attended the exercises
at the Community Christmas.
Tree which was held in the park,
where the men were without
coats and the children barefoot
ed. We have no need for fuel
and we cook on a gasoline stove.
There are but few manufactur-
ing enterprises in this place so
we amuse ourselves fishing,
which at this point is excellent
sport and where we all meet
many friends from all over the
country, mostly older people like
ourselves, but very kind and hos
pitable and always ready to
share with their friends.
We have made a number of
trips to the country to see the
vegetable gardens. Pineapples,
cocoauuts and bananas are also
grown here.
New Years Day we went on a
boat excursion to Roca Grand,
which is situated on the Gulf OF
Mexico, the excursion was given
under the auspices of the ladies
of the Presbyterian Church, the
distance was 30 miles. We left
the harbor at 7 O'Clock in the
morning and returned at 6 in
the evening, which gave us five
hours to picnic and gather shells
along the tidewaters of the gulf,
everyone had large lunch bask'
cts we'll filled and upon reaching
our destina ton, the kind ladies
served hot coffee. The mos
quitoes also had their inning and
likewise enjoyed the picnic. The
tide favored us both WAYS and
enabled the boat to make ter
miles per hour. The cost of the
trip was 75c. for round trip.
We went out to a fruit farm
today and filled box with choice
fruit to send to the ones at home
Every where we stopped to view
the varieties of fruit sucn a!
never seen before; we were invited
to come in and help ourselves.
The country southeast OF here
about ten miles distance is very
wild, it is called the Palmetto
iGlade Swamp, which is a great
place for hunting where only thu
brave venture. they have wild
Fcats. alligators, wild hogs ant
deer. Our party has decided no
to 60 hunting. We will pu
our spare time in fishing.
! We have planned an excursion
for next week to Fort Mires
which is about Is miles distan
where we will visit the winte
homes of Thomas Edison ant
Henry Ford. The town is abou
the size of Woodstock in tn,
lsummer time, but in winter tour
lists double its population, the,
have five churches with tin
methodist much in the lead.
| Mrs. Kibler is feeling quit,
we'll, said she surely could enjo.
life if she had the babies will
her. We take about three meal.
a week at the hotel, the meal.
are not quite as good as Virginia
cooking but that is possibly due
to the fact that we are not used
| to the fare. The drinking water
is pure, white sulphur from ar
teslan wells and is considered
very healthful.
Our Illinois friends have come
and are bound for the fish docks.
January oath the fish law comes
in when one can fish at any time
for their own use or to give away
but they are not allowed to sell
the fish. Yours truly,