The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-07-06
Florida And This
Section In The
Summer Time
AS Seen By
NOrthernel

lNUl lIlCl llCI
Mr.. Edwin S. Wadsworth, north
ern visitor who is spending some time
at Lakeland Highlands, seeing how he
like the Florida cline in summer, has
written the following article, giving
his impressions of the State and OF
this section, which we are very
pleased indeed, to reproduce here
with:
To escape the heat and humidity OF
summer, come to Florida. This may
Sound extraordinary to those accus-
toned to think of Florida as a win
ter resort only. Nevertheless. the
summer climate of this beautiful! lake
region is altogether delightful.
The lake country of Florida escapes
the notice of the usual tourist who
conventionally follows the crowd
along the east coast to Palm Beach,
down to Miami, or travels the beaten
track to the gulf coast, stopping at
Tampa, st. Petersburg. Bradentown
Clearwater and other places kept be-
fore him by the literature of the rail-
roads, and by newspaper advertising.
, 70 1rrhi v,V
visit Florida to escape the severity OF
the northern winters, only fortunate
. few discover the charm of the pic
turesque bodies of water, and the
wooded hills of the central lake re-
gion.
Florida is not all sand dunes, pine
barrens and everglades. Motor easl
from Tampa for thirty miles and you
will find yourself on a table land OF
rolling hill country, dotted with nu.
merous lakes of surprising beauty
many of them undisturbed by the hand
OF man; surrounded by stately trees
and Astounding in fish and game. li
Lake county alone, there are fourteen
hundred of these lakes large enough
to bear names. In Polk county, one
!, of the greatest citrus fruit sections o.
, the State, there are some five hun
dred more.
Everything is quiet, tranquil, peace
), full. A place where tense nerves re
lax, where tired brains are rested
. and wearied bodies renew their youth
The literary worker will find an en-
vironment congenial to creativ
. thought. The botanist, the ornitho
logist, the nature lover will be con
: tinually surprised into new fields o
study and investigation.
;, Here in this southern, semi-tropica
Eden, some poet, still unsung, vii
get his spiration-some artist vii
, catch the magic picture that has ofte
flickered in his Imagination but ha
eluded his brush.
The fora of this section is wonder
+, fully varied. beautiful and interesting
j, In the woods, the fields, along Tn
springfield streams, and fringing tn
lakes, the wild flowers are numerous
and exquisite in their colorings, struc
ture and oddity. One is constant.
discovering specimens new to north
ern eyes. Among the trees you n.
the familiar hickory, oak. dogwoo'
and magnolia, while the strang'
ones will pique the curiosity and cleo
il admiration and surprise Border
ing Lake Seward, near me, is a grow
of stately oaks computed to be owe
four centuries old. This means thu
these silent sentinels were standing
when Panflo Narvaez entered Clear
water harbor in 1889
The birds, too, are numerous an,
=, animated, and inclined to be socia
and entertaining. Little Bob White
Is here, and whistles CHEEKY Hello
tc you, as you skirt the fence Of SOM
grapefruit grove, already giving al
earnest of its golden harvest to come
Nor is Bob alone, for he has man!
, feathered neighbors from the north t,
keep him company. Water fowl flocl
here In large numbers, and their tame
ness is uncanny. Here in this seques
tered spot they have not yet learned
. that man Is their natural enemy.
hope they never will. The waters o
the lakes are inhabited by the blacl
bass Oarge mouth which attain /
size that test the tackle and skill o
the angler.
Near where / am writing is one o
the finest 1S-hole golf courses In thc
State. The tee off is within stone'
throw of Lake Scott, a 1,000-acrC
, sheet of water which is thing o
beauty and joy to all who behold it
Tennis, motoring, canoeing ant
bathing round out the recreationt
awaiting you in this hill country, a.