The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-12-13
WINTER IN FLORIDA BY A
MICH1GANDER

The subject 1 have selected for the
following account of my trip TO
Florida is somewhat of joke. There
is no winter in Florida, il oy the use
Of that term we think of frost visita-
tions, with our beautiful snow as we
experience in Michigan and other
northern states, although upon our
arrival in Tampa on the 23rd of Nov.
we had a light frost, which made the
sweet potato vines wish they still liv-
ed farther south. The next day peo-
pie were about in their shirt sleeves
during the middle of the day, for as
soon as the sun goes down you feel
the salt breezes from the gulf, the
Atlantic and the Gulf Stream which
produce an average temperature OF
about so degrees in summer and 81
degrees in winter. Another result is
a continuous salt breeze, full Of
health and comfort, especially for the
old, sickly, and feeble, which has the
health giving, invigorating climate,
free from extreme cold OF the north
and recognized as most potent for
many ills, lead thousands to flock
southward each year. This L believe
is true, for when we left Detroit on
the evening of the goth of Nov, our
train of seven sleepers had all upper
and lower berths taken, and 80 per
cent of them were people past the
middle ages. The wonderful even
ness of the Florida temperature is
due to the winds of the Gulf Stream
and the great expanse of the water
around the peninsula The prevail
ing winds sweep in from the sea,
bringing with them the salt tang that
is peculiar and invigorating quality
of the Florida air. One has to travel
far to equal the brilliant tropical fol-
iage, with most of her trees hanging
with the beautiful Spanish moss of
gray, intermingled with green, over
hanging the banks of its many live
and beautiful lakes and rivers, or
spreading out in profusion through
the tall, stately palms, her winding
rivers, and magnificent harbors, and
her delightful old cities with their
cherished relics of days of Spanish
domain, all possess peculiar charm
OF its own. No wonder people go
south. 1t is interesting to travel.
Ones eyes are greeted with such
beautiful scenery and funny people,
especially through Kentucky and
tennessee, where their hills and
mountains look so beautiful, with the
r1ountain streams flowing down
alongside of the railroad where you
can see, by looking out of the car
window, the large mogul that 10
steadily pulling you up the mountain
through tunnels, and as crooked as
u huge rattler winding its way
through the forest. Another thing
that greets your eye is more old ram
shackled huts of the olden days when
the south was a confederacy. You
also see many fields of corn and hemp
in Tennessee and Kentucky, corn and
cotton-cotton gins here and there in
Georgia. on the morning OF the 21st
as we were entering Florida, i was
up and taking an eyefull of peoples
homes, farms, cows, hogs (running
loose as dogs and cats do up north),
mules buzzards, the scenery, etc. The
land of cane and cotton" was ex-
ceedingly interesting to me, i con-
fess. Wednesday we arrived at Jack
sonville, a modern city OF some S0,-
600 population. We were some six
hours late, our train in waiting to
take us to Tampa. With hustle for
the transfer of baggage we made 1t
o. X. After long tedious ride
through much undeveloped country
of lakes and rivers we arrived at
Tampa p. NJ, city of some 10000
population with many northerners,
with northern ideas as to business. it
is one of the cleanest cities 1 ever
was in. We stayed call night.
Next morning at 1880 found us
aboard our train for Lutz, the end OF
our destination. The mogul here
burns wood, as all branch roads out
OF Tampa do, because IL is much
cheaper than coal. This of course
was odd to us Michiganders. Lutz is
a small town, but the surrounding
country is well inhabited by north
erners and westerners, who have
beautiful homes. modern in every re-
spect, with water works and electric
lights or gas. and groves four and
| five years old, coming along fine.
The Hanna grove of some 10 acres,
one of the best l saw, has many Tan
eerines, Grape Fruit and Oranges
which is estimated will bring him in
$1,000 to $4,000 this year. The pick
ing will be in full force about the
first of January. Another grove of 26
acres with 20 year old trees has an
estimated crop of $4,000. The
orange trees are grated on the wild
Lemon tree and it takes about years
before they bear much fruit After
this production increases very fast
The soil is sand, and you have to fer.
tilize some for. everything you grow
as the soil lacks potash and lime.
The northerner is not over his ex'
Iperimenting yet and settled down q
Ia few lines. for he Is trying oranges
tangerines. grape fruit, guavas. sugaI
cane. sweet potatoes, cotton. cab
bage, peas, celery. Strawberries and
many more things do not remember
gonao ara CofnQ fnto hoV and chfclx ar