Mexico Missouri message., 1917-04-05
FROM FLORIDA.
Rests Under The Shade Thru The Day
and Sleeps Under Blanket at
Night-Eating Strawberries.

the direction of Tallahassee, the |
State capital So l took the Sea-
board r. r. and at noon it landed me
in the strawberry section, where |
there are thousands of acres of land
in strawberries, and they were ripe
and hundreds of children gathering
them. They paid two cents per
quart for picking and 20 cents for
the crate. In the afternoon they be-
gan to bring them to the depot to
ship to Boston, New York and Chi
cago. They get $500 per crate of
commission men here and $1,000 in
New York and Boston. Three train
loads start out each evening. Straw
berries sell in Jacksonville two boxes
for 20 cents.
Thousands going home every day.
The station is literally blocked. Some
coming from the South, as this is the
key to Florida, and some going North
by boat and car, and yet when l go
to our beautiful park it seems that
none are missing. This park is in
the center of the city. On the north
is four-story department store that
can't be beaten this side of New
York. 1t covers a whole block. 1t
is built of Georgia marble, and is fill
ed to overflowing with fine goods.
Then on the east of the park is the
three-story Y. NJ. c. A. and a magnif-
cent cafe, and on the south the Meth
odist and Christian churches, and on
the west is the wonderful and splen-
did Windsor Hotel; covers a block,
and is the finest hotel in our city. So
you see our park is surrounded with
beautiful business buildings. Con-
certs every day, forenoon and after
noon.
Where / am stopping now, my ho-
tel joins the armory, and thousands
of soldiers and sailor boys are here.
They are soon to be called East, Our
people here do not think there will be
dUy war Will
That freeze we had the other day
did not do half the damage in Florida
we all thought it did. All fruit trees
are out in full bloom and leaves, and
all flowers and shrubs have come out,
and so did nearly all garden truck.
Was only cut down to the ground, not
damaged below the ground. 1t seems
that we still have the same amount
of oranges, grape fruit, ETC., and all
kinds of garden truck that we had
before the freeze, but the prices are
high. 1t made board one dollar per
week higher.
They estimate that the tourists
who visited Florida this year will
number above 100000. 1t seemed at
one time there were no rooms or
beds for hire at any price. I learn
that certain hotels charged $500 per
night for bed and room for one. No
meals served. If it had not been for
the rooming, houses some tourists
would have been compelled to sleep
under a palm tree. They think that
twice as many tourists will be here
next winter. l see that all towns in
Florida are building department
houses, three or four stories high
that will rent to 10 and 30 different
landladies and each will have her
separate department with five or six
rooms. She pays from $25 to $35
per month, then she charges the tour
list $500 per week for room and
board.
At two o'clock in the afternoon
here it runs up to 80 in the shade
then during the night it gets dowr
to 40 So you see we can sleep un'
der a blanket, which makes it sc
healthy here. They have two things
here that other States do not have
health and climate in the winter
time According to your Mexico
Mo-, papers you have more deaths
from your 1000 population in Mex
leo than Jacksonville has with he
100000. We seldom ever see
hearse on our streets.
Our fine-haired ladies are now il
a better humor, as their fine potteC
flowers which were thought ruined
by that freeze are coming out al
right and soon will be in full bloom
Garden truck coming likewise,
I must stop my rambling letter,
GEO. KABRICH.
We have a short note from ou