The Punta Gorda herald., 1919-05-08
BEAUTIFUL PUNTA-
GORDA-ON-T -THE-BAY
Story Repeated by Request OF
Many Subscribers Who
Wish TO Send ii Out

Harbor, twenty-five miles from thu
Gulf of Mexico. 1t is 275 miles
south Of Jacksonville, so miles east
of south from Tampa and is reach
ed via the Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad.
Population--Its population by
the State census of 1915 was
slightly in excess of 1,700, but this
number has been considerably in
creased by people who have locat-
ed here since the census was taken
and the number of people in the
town now is variously estimated
at from 1900 to 1000. Of this pop
ulation about 300 are negroes.
Churches and Schools-There
are Methodist, Presbyterian, Epis-
copal and Baptist churches with
regular services for white people,
and several churches for negroes.
a public school for white child
rem, embracing grammar and high
school departments, employs elev-
en- teachers and has an enrolment
of several hundred pupils. The
negroes have a good public school
with two teachers and an enroll
ment of over ninety pupils.
Taxes-The taxation for city,
county and state purposes is not
considered excessive and consid-
cring that property heretofore has
heen asserted at about one-third
its real value, there has been little
occasion for dissatisfaction from
this source.
Hotels The town contains two
substantial banks, an excellent
telcphonc system with connections
all over the neighboring counties;
postoffice, telegraph and express
office; several private boarding
houses, four hotels; Hotel Punta
Gorda is one of the largest resort
hotels on the West Coast. 1t is
built SO that every room faces the
bay and is located in a beautiful
park containing over two acres
laid out with shell walks, and
great number of tropical palms,
bamboos, fruit and shade trees.
Plenty Of grocery. drygoods, drug
md other stores to supply all de-
mands of the trade; machine, au-
tomobile, wagon and boat shops; !;
ice factory, two garages, bottling
works, cigar factories, newspaper
End Job printing office, bakery,
restaurants, a town hall flourish
ing lodges Of Masons, Woodmen
# Of the World, Fed Men ]. 0. O. f.,
Eastern Star, Woodmen's Circle,
and Women's Benefit Association
y Of the Maccabecs; four physi-
clans, ono dentist, q number oil
real estate men, etc.
l. Boat Lines Boat lines make
regular trips down to the Gull
with stopping points at Useppa
Pineland, CaptiVa, st. james, San
libel Island, Puata Rassa, Naples
Marco, Caxambas and Chokolos.
kee.
Fishing The chief industry is
fishing, in which several wholesale
firms are engaged. Capitol invest
ed in the business is estimated at
over $l00,000.00 and large ship
anents Of fish on ice are made al.
most daily during the seasons. The
bulk of the fish shipped are mullet
but many pompano, Spanish mack
erel, bass, trout, sheep head, snap
per and other fine fish arc ship
ped. The oyster business is small,
but increasing.
lndustries-2Next to fishing, the
cultivation of fancy pineapples
and citrus fruit engage most at
tention as the profits of this in
dustry often reach $500 an acre.
1t requires about $4,000 to prop
CRY prepare and plant an acre in
pineapples, but after this, 5000 a
year would cover the cost of cul-
tiyation. The plants bear in twelve
months to eighteen months after
planting, and continue to bear an
nually thereafter without replant-
ing for five or six years.
There are numerous groves sur
5 rounding Punta Gorda and many
cars OF oranges, grapefruit, tang
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