Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-24

FROM sunny SOUTH
The following letter from DR.. /. L.
Mann. who with his family is nassins
the winter in Florida. will be Of inter-
est TO his many friends. particularly
5" as At refers TO- several Augusta
people whom the Manns have met:
Zephyr Hills, Florida, Jan. ~.
Dear
have just got around to writing YOU
few lines regarding myself, and how
find matters in Florida. There are
times when ! wish | was back in the
old state Of Maine. and among Au-
gusta friends. hut, of course. that
means a slight touch Of inconsistencies.
soon get over that when | read the
Eenaebec Journal and learn that il is
- below zero. accompa With
plenty Of snow. | then take a little
time To congratulate myself on being
where il is warm, plenty of sunshine,
and not have to worry about fuel con-
ditionG.
If | need a little fire [ go out in the
Lard pine woods and gather up all l
reed. in a few minutes, to last several
Gays. The wood is dry and full of
pitch. ard makes a quick hot fire
There is enough wood going to waste
here 10 relieve thousands Of suffering
people if t:iey could but get access to
it.
After leaving Augusta visited
West Virginia and spent some time in
the coal mining regions. and became
somewhat acqua nted with "A miners
life il the mountains. The miners
work hard. hut are we'll paid and help
il in great demand.
have been In Florida nearly three
months. and | believe this will be the
coming section Of the United States.
Its warm climate and scarcity of fuel
iii the north are bringing people here
in great numbers. Florida certainly
has delightful climate. most any
Kind of vegetable is grown here and
at most any time of year; and there
is abundance of oranges and grape
fruit. but the greatest possibilities are
in raising hogs and cattle. Florida
being nearly as large as all Of the New
England states. cattle have a wide ter
ritory to range in. | asked one OF my
neighborS low many cattle he had and
he said about 1000, but he never knew
within 800 or 400 how many he had.
1t took himself and four other men
riding horseback. all the time to keep
track of them besides it took lots of
time TO mark the calves which had to
be branded. The cattle tick has been
great pest here. but means have been
found to deaf with them. and it is
thought they will soon be wiped out.
Where ! am now conditions are very
favorable to raising cotton and many
are going into the business. 1t pays
about $50 to 800 per acre and is con-
sidered quite easy to grow.
The country here is almost as level
as house floor. and one may ride in
an automobile most anywhere through
the woods. as far as roughness is con-
cerned. | have travelled over a great
part Of Florida and this has been due
mostly to the little old "flivver". Most
everybody here owns one and | see
them from almost every State in the
1
see few other types Of cars. but a
'flivver" is the only one considered u
REAL automobile.
Christmas we spent in Fort Myers.
The trip was long one, and was a
drive of $50 miles from Zephyr Hills.
We passed through many fine places.
among them were Plant City, Barton
Lakeland, Wachula Fort Meade and
Arcadia, where they are constructing
q large Aviation field. After passing
Punta Gurda we drove eighteen miles
TT Myers was with Mr.. ard Mrs.
Daniel Noyes and their daughter and
son-in- law, Mr.. and Mrs. Herbert
Turner, formerly Of Augusta. Probably
no better Christmas dinner was ever
served in the sunny South than the one
the Turner's sat Us down to when we
arrived at their home. Mr.. and Mrs.
Turner have a fine residence. Mr..
Turner is q hustling young business
man. member of the Board of Trade
and is considered one of the progress
i've men of the city.
Fl. Myers is fine place, and in my
bound to have a rapid growth. There
We saw Henry Fords place. also that
of Thomas a. Edison. who says There
is only one Fl. Myers. and NINETY
MILLION people are going to find it
out"
There is now being constructed q
fine asphalt road from t't Myers to
Miami. through the Everglades. for a
distance of 100 miles. called the Tami
ami trail, and will he the connecting
link between the East and West coast
New Years day we spent with Mr.
and Mrs. George ). F'arris, who have
recently come from Augusta to Zephyr
Hills. and Will make this place their
future hone. Tho climax of this visit
was certainly capped when Mrs. Falris
treated us to a most excellent New
England boiled dinner. and ] would not
have been better pleased if some one
had offered to hang my picture in the
Hall of Fame. as the dinner was fit for
a king, pilt far too good for Kaiser
Bll.
I have visited Tampa several times.
1t is a fine large city of 5000 to 10000
people. 80 miles from this place: and
what Boston is to New England,
Tampa is to Southern Florida.
st. Petersburg is a fine place and