The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1920-10-01
THE BENEFITS AND
BEAUTIES OF FLORIDA
From Tampa, Florida.

Editors Commercial and my 0bion
County friends: In response to a
number of requests 1 am writing
again of my adopted State, the land
of history, romance, flowers, fruit
and sunshine, tempered by gulf
breezes. Tampa is a wonderful city.
Industry is amply rewarded. 1t has
been tourist town only few years,
for until three years ago, it did moth
ing to induce tourists. The first year
only 1000 registered; this past year
the visitors were estimated at
$4,000. Tampa expects this coming
season from November to the last of
May to be the best yet-in fact, a
number are already coming in ana
procuring houses for the winter.
This is no doubt caused by the high
price of coal. People come here to
look; many of them stay and live.
The tourists bring fresh capital into
Florida, and this additional capital,
coupled with that of FLORIDA crack
ers,'' is building Florida. In antici-
patton of early arrival of tourists
this fall Tampa's entertainment fea-
lures, arranged specially for tour
ists-its band concerts, its communi-
ty singing and the information bu-
reau will open several weeks ahead
of schedule.
Business is said to be good at all
times in Tampa. ! It's industries move
under a steady forward impetus the
year round. 1t knows no dead sea-
son.
The Labor Day parade here Sept.
6 was said to be the largest one ever
held in Tampa. For more than an
hour this body of industry wound it's
way thru the streets from Twenty
second street to Jackson, where the
parade disbanded. Tampa has more
than one hundred and fifty cigar fac
tories. 1t is the largest manufactur-
ing center for clear Havana cigars
in the world, so the cigar workers
were greatly in excess of all other
labor organizations, although the
ship workers were well represented.
There are two very large ship build
ing yards here. 1t was my pleasure
but recently to see the new steam
ship City of Rayville launched, at
the Oscar Daniels shipyard. 1t was
the eighth steel freighter of $500
dead weight tons launched by this
company. Miss Stella Taliaferro
christened this ship with the time
honored ceremony of throwing bot
tie of champagne at the bow. A very
large crowd was present. Tampa is
the seventh port in the United States
in the collection of customs. 1t is the
nearest port of any Importance to the
Panama Canal. Millions of feet of
lumber are shipped to Cuba every
month. A vessel has just finished
loading a cargo of lumber for Spain.
Another vessel is expected to enter
the trade between Tampa and the
West Indies. Tampa is said to be
the largest shipper of phosphate, rock
in the world. The first cargo since
the war shipped from here to Ger
many was phosphate carried March
2 on the steamer Lake Herona from
Port Tampa to Hamburg. The steam
er Escambia loaded cargo of 7,1OO
tons at Port Tampa this past week
and went down the bay en- route to
Stettin, Germany.
All or most industries were rep
sented in the Labor Day parade, The
moving picture machines were on
hand, and no doubt you will be
shown Labor Day in Tampa at some
unexpected time. 1t being a real
holiday more than 1000 went to the
ball game, while 1868 automobiles
crossed the bridge to Clearwater
Beach, and, each car had an average
of six passengers. There are bUOV
licensed automobiles. From this
number one would think every one
rode in his own car, but at the
same time Tampa boasts a superb
street car service and these street
cars are always crowded. All OF the
beaches and resorts were crowded
Labor Day. Sulphur Springs was
alive with swimmers all day Our
party decided we would visit the
Sunshine City est. Petersburg), as
their program included an old-fash-
toned barbecue dinner free for all
But instead of finding city OF
sunshine, we found beautiful city
in tears, or plainly putting 1t, down
pour of rain. We did not wait for
the barbecue, but looked up route
to Pass-a-G Grille. This means grid
iron or place to fry fish. We caught
a street car and went to Gulf Port:
After a short while we went aboard
a small steamer into Boca Ceiga Bay.
The Captain told us that Boca Celga
meant Blind Pass, because the wa
ters were so crooked one could hard
" tell where he was going. He also
pointed out several islands. The hrst
was Birds Island, owned by the gov
ernment. No vessels are allowed to
land there. 1t is exclusively for sea
birds. The next were Fort DeSoto
island and Fort Dade. First Com
pany. c. A. c., are now stationed at
Fort Dade. The next islands OF in
terest were called the Cow and Calf,
being two very small islands not very
far apart. The Captain told us to
look at them for just fifteen minutes
and we would see the calf go up
10 the COW for lunch, which we found
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