The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-09-30

needed this proof after looking over
the wonderful groves and gardens. /
met a man who told me that ten years
ago he was offered forty acres Of land
that now lies within the city limits
of Lakeland for $500. The same land
now is being sold for in the neigh
borhood Of $3.50 for building lot.
l guess condition exists in Polk
county that will stand as a record for
some time to come, and it is this:
Every town in the county is connect
ed with every other town with a hard
road. I am not authority for this
statement, but it came from the Good
Roads Association, that should know
| have cudgeled my mind to floor this
claim, but am unable to do it, There
are upwards of 300 miles of asphalt
in the county, that ! know, and I be-
lieve this to be record for the south
that will stand for some time, also.
/ know that this excellence of roads
has created condition that makes
the visiting motorist tarry for an ex-
tended visit, as usual thing, and the
cross-state motorist sits pack with a
pleased sigh when he sees the sign:
POLK County Line"
| Lakeland claims to be the sixth in
land city in the state and see no
reason for doubling the claim. 1t has
shown wonderful growth in the past
fifteen years, jumping from about
1000 in population to about 10000 to.
day There is good reason for this,
as anyone can see in just the short
est OF visits. There are thirty pas
senger trains daily passing through,
large railroad shops with a payroll at
the present time amounting to about
100000 per month. There are large
industrial plants which give employ
ment to a great number of people and
furnish a substantial payroll, includ.
ing an iron foundry and machine
shop, two fruit packing houses and a
canning factory. All these indicate
the existence Of a demand for bus
mess houses and homes for the men
who work. Lakeland has these, of
course, and both kinds of houses have
been constructed to accommodate fu-
ture growth, both in kiddies and bus.
mess stocks.
There is decidedly a "city" aspect
over the entire skyline, as can readily
be seen by the panoramic ut we are
showing with this article. There is
much more to Lakeland than is shown
in the picture, for only a portion of |
the business center is visible. The |
residence section would be impossi- |
BILE to picturize except from an air
plane, and even then the towering
oaks would hide most of the really
magnificent homes that Lakeland !
boasts of. There are some fine orna-
mental street lights, and a white
way" of course. A very nifty new
Federal building has just been COM
pleted, there are schools of the best
kind, churches Of nearly all denomina.
lions, daily and weekly newspapers,
fine golf course 1--WE show a picture
OF part of it), eight pretty lakes in
the city limits and hundreds in the
near vicinity, city hospital and SAM.
tarium, modern sanitary sewerage,
Well-equipped gas plant, fine depot
just completed, the most modern no.
tells, Elks' Clubhouse, with the best of
equipment, municipallyowned water
and light plants, and a live Chamber
OF Commerce. You can see from this
that Lakeland has all the earmarks
of real city.
AS tourist center there are few
places that have any better accom-
modations to offer, as can be shown
by the ever-increasing numbers each
winter. I think Mr.. Holworthy, secre-
tary of the Chamber of Commerce,
adopted last season a most graceful
way of inducing former visitors to
return for the winter. He wrote l
them personal letters asking that they
return home" and enumerating lust 6
what had been prepared for their re- {
ception. The larger percentage of s
them returned, many of them bringing 7
friends and relatives. Lakeland has
long been known for the quality and 8
quantity of citrus fruits raised and t
shipped through her packinghouses,
and the big quantities of strawberries :
and garden truck attest the fine soil ,
Tor these commodities. Transporta-
lion facilities are furnished by the At.
lantic Coast Line, which operates
from at least FIVE directions from the
city, giving a local outlet as well as
way to the markets of the north for 9