Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-03-04
COMMUNICATION.
st. Petersburg. Fla,

I, VIII eAy W AuAAl MY promise TO
write you few lines about this city.
1t is situated on the southern-most
part of the peninsula, 270 miles south
from Jacksonville, Fla, and some 40
miles between the Gulf of Mexico and
| Tampa Bay The town is beautifully
situated on gentle slope rising forty
feet above the level of the bay. Winds
blowing from the Gulf and Bay tenn
! pers the chill. Every day the Gulf
flows into the Bay, which purifies the
water, and it certainly is delight to
sit on the pier and watch the tide
come and go and enjoy the sunshine,
, of which there is en- abundance for
TALL. The city has an excellent system
of sanitation and is rigidly enforced.
1t certainly is one Of the cleanest
cities we could wish to see. Streets
are paved for miles; splendid roads
through the country, made from the
shells and sands from the Bay. The
city owns the waterworks, gas and
street car lines. Commission form
was adopted in 1913, and is a success.
The parkings along the streets are
made beautiful by planting all kinds
of palms., flowers of many hues and
colors, and it is hard for us to believe
you folks up north are enjoying con
ly the snow-balls." / wish all of my
friends could see this lovely city and
enjoy the sunshine.
A beautiful library. fronting
clear lake about the center of town.
Splendid churches of many denomina-
lions are here. Then they have park
about the center of the city, ga. Will
liams Park" and if it had nothing
else but this park, with its attendant
form of entertainment, it would be
enough to make the Sunshine City
superior to most resort cities. It is
vast shaded woodland of many
varieties of trees, all hung with the
gray moss that covers so many trees
of the Southland, and is beautiful
sight to behold. They have large
stage erected about the center, where
they have fine band that gives
concert both morning and afternoon,
for which they pay $4,000 for six
weeks, just to entertain the tourists.
while sojourning in their city. But
that is not the only drawing card,
when I tell you there are games of
different kinds furnished, such as
checkers, chess, dominoes, to be played
on tables furnished them; there are
many courts for Rogue; it is played
something like croquet, shorter han
dies and much more complicated.
Then comes the "quoits, as we would
call "horse shoe" pitching. l never
kenw before there was any science to
it, but it is a national game. One
more that we never heard of and is
from Canada; it is Bowling on the
Green" The ground is made very
smooth, the balls have grooves to run
in, but l cannot explain it to you, do
not understand it; but people are
wild over it. Now all these games
this week are being played for the
championship, and cannot tell you
the enthusiasm over it; men from
nearly every state in the union are
here to compete. When tell you
there are 10000 tourists in the city,
besides the population of $4,000 that
go to the park to enjoy the games, to
hear the music of the band, to sit and
visit under the blue sky overhead, the
soft breezes blowing from the Bay,
makes it an ideal place. Other places
have band concerts, other places have
crowds" but I do not believe any
have a william Park" and do so
much for the comforts and entertain
ment of the tourists in their city.
must tell you of another thing
that in the different cities l have been
l never saw before. Central Avenue
divides the city into north and south.
| All avenues run east and west. Streets
north and south. If you are at loss
to know just where you want to go,
look toward the Bay; that is east and
will give you the direction. On all
the business streets and many others
all through the city are placed seats
where the tired and weary may sit
and rest. And you will see hundreds
on these seats enjoying the bright
sunshine and visiting with your
friends. 1t sure is great, and really
believe is the means of bringing tour
lists back the next winter, for it is so
restful to be able to drop down into
good seat when you are so dead tired.
| Every state has its Club, and of
course we were proud to join our good
old Iowa Club. Everyone has yell
low badge with Iowa printed on it.
We meet every two weeks, have fine
program, and sometimes refresh
ments. The churches are all thrown
open for the meetings, and every
thing done that will add to the pleas
ure of the tourists. must say it is
wonderful, and could write pages in
praising the city, but must hasten or
my letter will be thrown in the waste
basket. 49,.
| We have had many good visits with
our Mo. Valley friends, Mr.. and Mrs.
Boies, Emma and Mr.. Lisle, and my
self were invited over to their home
a few days ago to spend the after
noon and evening. We surely enjoyed