The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-08-28
[By James Phillips Hoyt)

Get out your map and look LOT tue
gulf of Mexico. 1t is so nearly CIR
cular that it may be called great
circle, enclosing an area of 100000
square miles, the only break in the
circumference being the opening be-
tween Yucatan and Florida, Cuba be-
ing in the middle of the opening.
There are few islands in the gulf,
but several on the Florida border,
called keys" Some of these keys
have a romantic history, but our
story is concerned principally with
two so near together that they are
practically one, narrow pass sep
arating them.
There was formerly small bay or
bayou on the southern island leading
to a shallow inland lake. This was a
resort for pirates and adventures a
hundred years ago or more, and here,
according to we'll authenticated ira
ditions, they buried treasures Of
god, silver, jewels and valuables In
strong boxes One CT these boxes
buried in this shallow lake has re-
Gently been discovered, lifted from
it's grave in the water and sent to
Washington for examination. That
it contained treasurers of untold val
ue is literally true, for no one, as far
as ascertained, has told the nature or
value Of the contents.
But the northen island, miscalled
"Coney Island" interests us most.
We will call it Health Island" be-
cause its atmosphere, full of oxygen
and ozone, is so Eealthful; and "In-
:er-seas Island" because it lies be-
tween two bodies of water, the gulf
and bay.
Both of these islands were home
stoaded many years ago by two men
well known to the writer who has
spent many happy hours on both is-
lands. On the first of these Is now a
little CITY, incorporated, with hotels,
telephones, electric lights, ETC., soon
to be connected with the maitland by
forty thousand dollar bridge. The
other smaller island has as yet only
one hotel and six cottages, and has
just begun to be developed.
My first visit to this island was or
chilly day after storm, and on the
broad, hard sandy shore I found
steamer chair washed up from thu
gulf, which, with slight repairs, wa
worth several dollars; also large an,
valuable sponges, beautiful sea shell
innumerable, and fish and crabs 4
great variety
Here, too I became acquainted wit
the only settler except the proprit
tors graduate of a university, VIII
had bought several lots, built
SHACK" and was enjoying life a
few do.
So attractive did this island seer
to me that I bought lots extendin
from gulf to bay, about 300 feet bui
a one-room cottage, large enough fc
two, furnished 1t with all that wa
necessary for light housekeeping an
made 1t an outing resort for occasion
al visits, winter and summer. Fint
ing this cottage too small for friend
and gusts, added another gulf
bay purchase, on which was a Nv
room cottage, which, when painte,
screened and furnished, made a d.
sirable all the year home. On tn
bay front lots I made rustic seat
near to- and some of them over, til
water, where one can sit and watc
the ripping waves as the tides CON
and go, the sea gulls, the leaping tis
and the porpoises, as they heel ov,
and over in the bay.
In the center of one lot Is an a
Dor, cut out of the wild grape vim,
and Spanish bayonet growing proli
ically there; this arbor has an OF
look through an opening onto Il
beautiful bay, where motor boats al
fishing vessels move back and fort
But it is on the gulf front that
most like to look and to be- He
come in with mighty surge, and y
musical cadence, the waves al