The Punta Gorda herald., 1919-05-08
go SOUTH
YOUNG MAN"
FLoRIDA's BRIGHT FUTURE
Tide of Travel and Capital Head
ed to the Southland. Florida
is Being Advertised and Devel-
oped and Becoming More Pop
ulous and. Wealthy.

oped ana Becoming wore F0p-
ulous and. Wealthy.
John A. Sleicher in last week s
Leslie's magazine had a splendid
article on eco South, Young
Man. The article is too length
ly to be reproduced here, but here
are some of the excerpts:
Jacksonville is inaurgating
movement for worlds fair in
that city in 1921, to celebrate the
centennial of the purchase OF
Florida from Spain. Fareign
countries, and especially the
South American Republics, with
whom we are building up our
trade, will be invited ito erect
buildings and exhibit their pro-
ducts. 1t is believed that such an
unprecedented tide of travel to
South and especially to Florida.
Without an exposition, Florida
had an unprecedented rush OF
visitors during the past winter.
Everywhere hotels were filled,
and being enlarged and new ones
erected. The most expensive
hotels were doing record bus
mess at prices rivaling the high
est at the best hotels in New
York.
| The climate has done it; but it
never did it until the railroads
opened the way and until the
State awoke to the fact that good
roads were necessary to attract
the tourist with his automobile
the one who is really the best pat
ron and advertiser of the State,
| for while on tour he has no local
habitation, but goes wherever
good roads will take him, explor-
ing and investigating as he goes
This is what Florida has been ask
ing it's visitors to do.
Florida know that it had an att
tractivc winter climate, cheap
lands, undeveloped natural re-
sources, good harbors, fine rivers,
attractive lakes, citrus orchards
in profusion, and that all that it,
needed was capital for develop
ment, and visitors Ito realize the
opportunities and provide the
capital. Ii the Jacksonville Ex-
position is built, it should have an
arch commemorating the indomit-
able courage and far-seeing sag
acity of the late Henry NJ. Flag
ler. He was the first 6f Our great
captains Of industry to realize the
possibilities Of Florida His
East Coast Railroad and-shis line
of magnificent hotels put Florida
on the map to stay.
| well remember the opening of
that superb and impressive archi-
tectual achievement, the Ponce
de Leon at st. Augustine, now the
finest hotel of its kind on our hem
isphere. 1t was erected at a cost
Of over $1,000,000. 1t took nerve
to do this, but Flagler had the
nerve and the money, and the
Ponce this season has been over
crowded with guests paying the
highest rates ever charged and
glad to pay them.
The South is realizing as never
before the need of good roads as
an attraction to the tourist. /
read in the Savannah News that
all Of South Georgia was awaken
ed on the subject, and that every
county was issuing bonds Ito build
roads, not only to encourage the
money-spending tourist, but also
because the farmers were at last
realizing the value Of the autono-
bile truck in marketing their pro-
ducts.
Wonderful changes have taken
place in the South during the
past two or three years. | notice
not only more good roads, but
also more fences in the unsettled
sections, more farm-houses and
barns neatly painted, more banks,
citrus groves, humber mills, cult
va+ed farms new settlements,