Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-03-29
GEORGE KABR|Cn WRITES
OF WONDERS OF FLORIDA
R M. White G Son, Editors.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, 1926 East
Forsyth Street, March Is, 1917. -
Dear Sirs: As il Is my custom every
morning to go toi the park and hear
the concert, and 70 see if / know any
new arrival, as there are hundreds
each morning, to my surprise and de-
light l came across Mrs. Doc Graham
and Mrs. Lawrence, sister of my
old time friend, Pomp Plunkett. l
was very glad to meet them, and hear
from Mexico and her people.
We are having it very hot here now,
80 to 95, and still they come by the
hundreds. Neatly all go further
South for a week or ten days.
In going South, we start at May
Port at the mouth of the st. Johns
river. Then stop few days at At
lantic Beach. Then we go to the
quaint old St. Augustine, over 400
years old 3. don't believe there is a
man or woman that comes to Florida,
but what goes to St. Augustine to
view her from one end to the other.
We drove our auto through the seven
foot street. We filled it--no room
for man to pass. Here is where the
Spanish women could visit and each
one stay in her own home. They have
improved the city very much since the
big fire there.
The next stop is Daytona on the
Halifax river, This is nice place to
stop, and fish. 1t is a good orange
country. The next stop is at New
Smyrna. This is near the Bay, and
still on the east coast line. This is
a good winter resort. Next is Deland
and Orange City. There are some
splendid truck farms here, now on the
same railroad to Turnbull and Titus
vile. Both are on the mouth of the
Indian River where it is six miles in
the ocean, and there is much shipping
of oranges from this bay. The river
is salty for one hundred miles along
the side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Melbourn on the Indian river,
where the orange and truck farms are
the best in the State of Florida.
and Fort Pierce are both
near the Indian river. Now on the
Palm Beach Lake north. 1t is be-
tween East and West Palm Beach.
Five cents takes them over this lake.
East Palm Beach has the best bath
ing and most of it in the same length
Of time. Those million stay but two
and half months.
From Palm Besph we take side
run to Lake Okeechobee and the Ev-
erglades. This is too much water
and marshy land for US tourists to
tackle, so we cut across again and
land in Miami. This is one of the best
places in the State of Flor
ida, and it never passes eighty-five
in the shade summer or winter, and
very little change in summer or win
ter, when your Missouri will go forty
in on hours time. Such changes will
bring grippe without fail.
Then on to the Keys, to Key West.
Then take boat to Tampa, which is
a great fishing place. They bring
them in here by the boat load, and sell
at five and six cents a pound. Here
is the largest cigar factory now in the
world. All farmers, both men and
work in those large factories
by the thousands. Then spin over to
oC. feUerSDuIB.
st. Petersburg is a beautiful place
on the Gulf of Mexico, and like Tampa
a great fishing station. A great ma
ny of the millionaires winter there
now.
We start back for Jacksonville on the
Atlantic Coastline, stopping a while
at Lakeland. This is thriving city,
and they say it has more improve
ments in the last twelve months than
any city in the State. 1t has .the@best
black soil we saw in our travels. 1t
is good for oranges or any citron
fruits and garden truck; or corn and
oats will grow there, and do as well
as in Missouri.
Our next town on the coastline is
Kissimie. This is a great fishing
and hunting resort and much like
with rich black loan and
will raise anything. We missed Fort
Myers this time. Our next stop was
Taft, a nice village in the heart of the
orange belt, and truck gardens. Now,
on to Orlando. This is next to the
Indian River fruit. 1t is large and
sweet and yields more per tree than
any orange grove in the State.
Our next town was Sanford. Here
is where they have thousands of acres
of celery. They pull it up roots and
all to ship to New York. The next
stop is at Talaxa. Here is where
the Atlantic Coastline crosses the st.
Johns river. From the east to the
west it is quite city. Much traffic
down here by boat and railroad. The
next stop was at Green Grove Spring.
This is thirty miles up the st. Johns
river, and thousands of tourists have
gone there by boat from Green Cove
Springs to Jacksonville, where we
found as many tourists as ever.
Today Mrs. Doc Graham, Mrs. Law
renee and myself went to Sam Mel
sons office. Mrs. Graham wished a
check cashed. While there Mr.. Mel
son told the ladies he would take them
out and show them his thousand-acre
farm. He is very proud of his farm.
It is q snlendid nlace. and one that