The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-04-23
LETTER FROM FLORIDA
Rev. w. w. Willis Has Accepted Call
to Baptist Church at La Bell-ln-
teresting Account of Some Places

write.
1 am now in Barlow, Fla, in the
splendid home Of Mr.. and Mrs. A. b.
Mclean, having come oyer from
Lakeland on yesterday. Barlow is a
pretty city, high and healthy. It is
a city like none others I have seen
in that the beautiful oaks are in ev
idence everywhere and to add to their
beauty, they have the drapery Of
moss which hangs in profusion and
this gives grace and form to the pic
ture. Sportsmen of Lumberton and
Fairmont would become little rest
less if here, for squirrels help to con-
stitute the citizenship Of Barlow
they are all over the place and are
quite gentle as they are never dis
turbed. l have walked within ten
feet of them.
There are phosphate mines within
few miles Of here and at intervals !
the explosions, following in quick sue
cession, sound like heavy thunder.
Lakeland is beautiful with its,
many lakes within and without the
incorporation. Barlow is beautiful
with its we'll paved streets, nice res
licences and beautiful growth. Mr..
Mclean is a truck farmer and likes
it we'll. He sold three car loads of
cabbage at one time for something
over $4,000. Reader, don't get it in
to your head that was all the cabbage
he raised, for he had many acres Of
them.
Newspaper space is precious and
I will not write much along any one
line of thought. Since writing you
/ last, I have visited Fort Myers, near
the Gulf of Mexico. 1t is beautiful
town with its tropical growth. The
, Royal Palm-I name it with capitals,
as it is so graceful in appearance
the cocoanut and the cabbage palmet
to are to be seen in plenty. From
Fort Myers | went to La Belle, Fla.
This trip of As miles is by water,
as there is no railroad. Now l will
give the name Of the river over which
We glided so smoothly-a hard name
to spell and difficult to pronounce
Caloosahatchee is the. name, and
means beautiful river. It is very
broad at Fort Myers but up at La
Belle it is about like the river at
Lumberton. Don't think I am stretch
ing the blanket when tell you saw
thousands of ducks on this river.
They are known as the blue bill and
size larger than our summer ducks
! in North Carolina. The town of LIE
Belle is beautiful little town with
this river running through it. The
growth is live oak and cabbage pal
metto. This palmetto is about the
/ size of our electric light poles and
about the same in height, with all
foliage at the ton. La Belle has two
churches, Methodist and Baptist. A
magnificent school building that cost
$4,000 adds much to the appearance
Of the place.
I remained in La Belle and talked
J to the folks in the Baptist church one
week. This church has extended me
call which I have accepted, for all
Of my time. The pastor Of the Meth
odist church is named McColl, splen-
did man and doing good work.
| can't go anywhere without find
ing somebody I knew in former days.
Dan McCormac, from near Pages
Mill, S. G., is living in La Belle. If
any one cares to locate this town,
they can find it on good map, sit
j uated half way between Fort Myers
and the great lake Okeechobee, to-
ward the east coast.
j went to sec {. great prairie which
teg:ns about one mile from the town
Of La Belle. 1t is about 100 miles
long but not 80 broad. 1t S level
with here and there small basins
which hold water. No trees of any
kind scattered around, but in the dis
lance can be seen small punches of
the cabbage palmetto. It is fine graz
ing land and thousands of cattle live
and feed here. I saw the buffalo
cow with the hump between the
shoulders, cross between the cow
and buffalo, larger than the common
cow. These cattle are looked after
by herdsmen but do not require feed
ing apart from what they get by
grazing. This is profitable blsi-
ness and men are growing rich on the
cattle industry.
Florida is great country and has
: before it a great future: The lands
are of all kinds, from that which is
worth nothing apart from grazing, to
the best that can be found anywhere
> in the U. S. The climate is lovely
j. always cool in the shade, but the sun
hits hard and you will surely feel it.
+ I must close as this letter is too
long already. Send me The Robson
, ian to La Belle, Fla, and I will give
YOU oil OCCdSlOIldHy l6CC0F from Cne
"I.and of Flowers.
+ shall take charge Of my work ov-
: er there next week.
: :. Kindest regards to you and the
:, people Of my home land.
: w. w. w
. Barlow, Fla
], April IA, 1917.
& BETHEL, HILL FINALS