The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-03-21
VISIT TO FLORIDA
Mr.. M. Boyle's Trip South and
What He Saw.
To the Editor of The Republican:


the columns of your enterprising paper
the fact that l have just returned from
a trip to wondrous land; a land of
sunshine, health. pleasure and golden
opportunities.
have seen something of the old
world, in fact | have been in almost
every corner of 1t, having spent most
OF my youth in the old country, and
spent it travelling about, and for some
years past have been thinking of see
ing some of the sights of our own great
country. AS there has been so little to
do IN the way of business / thought this
would be good chance to take the
time, so planned to take a little va
cation and to see some of the southern
part of the United States. especially
Florida. which has been so much talked
about the past few years.
Well, left Oakland tor Washington
right in the midst of the coolest wealth
er of January, and spent two days in
Washington tussling with its storm and
sleet. | went from Washington to
Jacksonville with great speed and COM
fort, and strange as it may seem, in
less than twenty-five hours we pulled
into a climate like our most delightful
days in May. The change that was
wrought going from Jacksonville south
ward 272 miles to Sarasota on the Cult
Coast was still more remarkable being
like that of our most glorious summer
weather. | will never as long as | live
forget the wonderful experience going
from ice and snow to sunshine and the
loveliest of June days in a passage of
practically little over "a hours.
| want to say briefly that the city of
Jacksonville is the gateway of the most
marvellous region of this country, if not
on the face of the earth. 1t is all lust
vibrating with new life. One can't but
help look with amusement upon the
growing towns and cities; upon the
streams and rivers and bays with their
rapid development in commerce, manu-
features and amazing travel. | had
always heard the South was slow but,
believe me, have been awakened. Nv
eyes have been opened to the wonderful
development of Florida. And | have
learned the reason also. The brains
and money of every state is represented
there. Men who love the out-of-doors,
and joys Of mild climate have gone
there to stay. Many have built up
great industrial plants. Others are
putting millions of dollars into magnifi-
cent country estates; while many more
are establishing modest homes that
give them the opportunity to express
their love of nature, and to enjoy the
delightful climate ard environment of
beautiful Florida. 1t is possible to
make superb garden and landscape eff
fects in two or three years-effects that
would require more than double that
time in our northern climate. The
Florida summer night is never hot; the
day is not uncomfortable in the shade,
while men work in the midday sun, and
sunstroke is unknown. Florida bids
fair to become TIE hot house of the
United States. First grade early
vegetables are grown cheaply under
glass and require little or no fuel.
The timber and phosphate, and fish
and fruit, and early vegetables, are
being now efficiently handled and | can
see the state in the future filled with
the most prosperous, and the happiest
people on old Mother earth. The near
ness of Florida to the thickly populated
East is one of the great features of her
future growth. The business man can
run down in from IL to Sc hours from
any part of the country this side of the
Mississippi; he can take two weeks off
and be rested and refreshed. The old
folks can have cheap cozv home to
tinker about all the winter, where they
can renew their youth. The delicate
child can outgrow its disability. The
lazy-bones can find sweet contentment,
for Florida is long on hunting, fishing
and boating.
Bi; men have Just found out that
there are no pioneer hardships, such as
tired the hearts of settlers in cold and
distant states in years gone by. Plenti-
full money, and modern mechanical de-
vices for building cities, as if by magic,
are there now, and are being used to
develop, on an astonishing scale, the
last state to join the procession of
Empire builders. Millionaire homes
and holdings are steadying the values
for the small investor, and never again
will land sell for so low a price in
Florida as obtainable today. The
awakening of the Government to the
value of ports that are never closed by
ice, like Jacksonville. Tampa, Miami,
Charlotte Harbor, and others, nearest
ports to the Panama Canal, means large
employments in all the trades, and con-
stantly increasing outputs in timber