The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-01-01
A TRIP TO THE EAST COAST
Fort Lauderdale, Dec. g.

you Will take as much pleasure
reading what / have to say as I al
taking in writing it. Of my trip,
will try to give you as nearly possibl
description of it l felt most com
Portable and happy in leaving in tn
early dawning of the new Christina
morning, while yet the stars wer
shining merrily and brightly through
the golden-tipped mist of the new
born day. At Rochelle there was ;
wait of an hour and half that wa
most distracting. However, one some
! how manages to live through sucl
calamities, and for once there was Z
happiness akin to real joy in m!
| heart when at last the little old-timey
"Pea Vine Special" did appear around
the curve and nally crawled into the
station. Imagine if you can my sur.
prise in finding the "Pea Vine" still
being Cultivated" by that venerable
chieftain, Capt. Williams, and his
faithful black man porter. Many
years ago l ventured over that route
with my daddy to st. Augustine. A
memorable trip, when youth and hap
piness were in their zenith. l re-
membered how daddy's arms chung
about my wee little form to keep me
from sudden precipitation into the
was bobbing about alone, hitting the
high and low places, without shield
ing hand, with the same conductor
and porter afte rthe tickets. How
ever, memory helped me along, and
the hours finally slipped by. From
memory-land | was transported into
the happy realization of life on the
East Coast division, a pleasure had
anticipated for many years. My trips
heretofore to the Rivera of America
had been made in my own private
auto, minus the thrills of exubesanee
radiating from the palatial mode of
East Coast travel, lover the great
Flagler system, and as the great pal
ace cars clipped off the miles almost
noiselessly over the FURNISHED rails,
felt transformed to a fairy world,
where everything seemed so easy and
attainable. For once, l longed to
stop the hands of time, and to espec-
tally stay the hours of declining day,
for natures wondrous beauties SEEM
ed too beautiful to be shut out from
everlasting view. 1t would be disre-
spectful to let pass the beauty of
that radiant halo that cast it's spears
Of light across the mirror surface of
romantic Indian river that evening.
From the spacious window of the
coach / had the time and space in
which to watch those great spears of
golden and crison sunset flames merge
into mellowing silver and purple and
rose tints. There seemed no parting
Of sky and sea; there were no soft
glowing lines; the after reflections of
ethereal lights and shadows were as
one silver sea, broken only by flap
ping wings of wandering waterfowl,
as painted on the crimson sky they
seemed to float on forever, seeking
resting place. But the grim wing
of night lowered over all, and at last
all beauty was swallowed up by the
gruesome might form" and / felt
most regretful. drew my window
shade closely and tried to live it all
over again.
Our train, due to arrive in Fort
Lauderdale at 0:30, rolled into the
station at 1:30. l was one tired lit
tie mortal, and as / skidded out as
quickly as possible, imagine my sur
price to find it pouring down rain,
and no hostess or host awaiting me.
Rather crestfallen, but realizing more
fully the. possibilities of uncertain
ties during the Christmas rush sea-
son on telegraph deliveries, l forth
with dismissed the approaching home
sickness and bravely sought the de-
pot agent for a taxi. There was none,
and no boy, and apparently no man to
lift a grip or assist in any way. One
o'clock in the morning, alone and in a
strage town, is not an enviable posi-
tion to be in. However, nothing
ventured nothing gained" so l start
ed out to find the home of my hostess.
AS / passed down the depot steps a
queer, gawky, over-bearing looking
giant approached and asked where |
was going. told him where l was
trying to go and he said he had only
been in the town three weeks and
worked at the river docks, and knew
no one, but II L would let him he
would gladly assist me in finding my
way. Words cannot describe how /
felt, but we started out and were soon
at the Beck home, only to find no one
there. However, the front light was
burning, so / knew they would soon
be in, but the question was what were
real folks doing out that time of
night? Anyway, I thanked the man
and offered him a tip, which he re-
fused to accept; however, slipping a
bill into his hands. I said, "Your
kindness to me this evening is beyond
monetary value, and you must know
how deeply grateful l am for your
protection. You will please take this
and get yourself package of Christ
mas tobacco, and l am going to ask
you that when you wreathe its frag-
rant smoke about you, won't you
watt prayer to Him on high and ask