The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-02-13

klugh Writes interestingly
What They Saw-Rev. and Mrs.
Henry Pressly Are Happy and Sue
cessful in Their Home-The Stur-
DIV Scotch of Florida-Launching
Ship-Beautiful and Gay St.
Petersburg-Mr. Wilson Succeeds
in Florida.
The pleasures of life are most en-
joyeh by those who have not been
surfeited thereby, and so with those
who have travelled but little.
On leaving Abbeville in the late
afternoon by way of the Southern in
company with Mrs. Bradley and Mrs.
Harve Wilson, we reached Columbia
at midnight, making close connection
with the Seaboard for Jacksonville.
We regretted that Savannah was
passed during the night, giving rather
a dismal impression Of that old city.
Reaching Jacksonville in the early
morning, everything bouyant with
the life of fresh day, our first i'm
pressions of Florida could only be the
best.
Through the kindness of Mr.. Wade
Wilson, once of Abbeville county, and
a brother of Mrs. Wilson, our stop
ever of two hours was filled with the
sights of the city, covering a drive
on the beautiful river front, where
the broad sweeping St. Johns is
edged by the magnificent homes Of
the wealthy. The public buildings,
schools, churches, parks, and especi-
ally the very handsome new station,
tell the tale of progress in this, Flori-
da's metropolis. Mr. Wilson ispros-
pering in the drug business here, and
is investing in Florida lands.
Leaving Jacksonville at noon we
made our last change, Tampa being
the point of vantage our minds were
centered on-this splendid port city
of the southwest coast. Except fo1
the usual little railroad stations, i;
was long dreary ride through
stretches of country covered with
stately palms, long leaf pines, and
trees festooned by long gray moss
which delight the eye for a while
but three hundred miles of this som.
'bre scenery becomes monotonous.
Tampa was reached at eight o'clock
Mrs. Pressly with baby, Margaret
met US at the station with her car.
She drove to nearby boarding house
where we left Mrs. Wilson, and then
to the A. r. P. Church, where we
were reinforced by Revs. Pressly and
McAuley and little Ruth McAuley
from Greenville, S. c., making hap
py and congenial party in the Pressly
home. We found a stirring revival
going on in the First A. R. P. Church.
Services were held at night, and for
a week we went to preaching at night,
and sightseeing during the day. The
Pressly's live three miles out en- route
to Ybor City. The home joins Mr..
Williams, pastor of the Second Tam
pa Church. A spendid orange grove
is in front of the house, and equally
as large grape fruit grove at the
rear, to which the family have access;
and to those of US who have long
since dreamed of gathering the gol-
cen fruit from the trees, the realiza-
tion was most heartily enjoyed.
Mr.. Pressly thinks of moving back
to the city where he will be near his
work. Besides his work as pastor,
he fills the chair of Spanish in one
of the senior high schools. Tampa
has a large Spanish element making
it necessary to add this language to
the regular curriculum.
The personnel of Mr.. Pressly's lit
tie church was to me quite interest
ing, being composed of tourists, once
members of the U. P. Church north.