The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-07-30
Friday. July so, 1870
MR. JOHN WICKER AND PARTY
RETURN FROM FLORIDA IRI?
Describes the Cocnsr-, AID Tells Of
the Fine Roads cut Alter Al There
IS No fiace Like Eome.

Editor The Herald and News:
In my last leter 10 you ! had just
arrived in MonteZuma. Here We
spent three days with our kin, who
were glad to see US and did every
thing to make US enjoy ourselves,
and I assure you we did to our hearts
content.
Wednesday morning we hooked up
No. 1904, passed through the fcl-
lowing cities: Valdosta, Lake City,
Gainesville, and landed at Ocala.
Here we found one family of our
kin. We spent one day and night
with them. From this place we went
out to see Silver Lake. This is the
most wonderful lake in the world.
It bursts out of the earth about 40
feet from the top of the land IN
stream of water that carries vessels
that can carry 500 bales of cotton,
or more than thousand persons.
Where it issues from the ground is
from a fssure, 65 feet by IL feet.
The water of this lake is as clear as
crystal; YOU can see pin lying on
the bottom;' you can see the tlshes
swimming at the bottom as plain as
if there was no water between you
and the fish. Some of these fish will
weigh as much as ten pounds. The
black fish or bass, as they are called, !,
will come to the top and eat out OF
your hand, hundreds of them at
time. The manager sends pilot
with you to show you the beauties
of this lake. He will show you the
bridal chamber, the devils kitchen,
the parlor of a thousand geysers and
many more places beautiful. wonder
full. The bottom tof this lake is COW
cred with the most beautiful grass.
ferns of every kind, water. lilies all
in bloom, under the water, maiden
hair ferns, and a very fine grass CALI
ed bridal veil. No one can describe
this place.. you must see it to en-
JOY it.
From Ocala we drove to Coiemans,
180 miles. Here we found nest
full Of our Wicker kin, too numer-
Gus to mention. We spent Saturday
evening, Sunday and Monday. We
went to Sunday school and preaching
morning and night. Monday these
good people gave us fish fry. You
ought to have seen US eat fish. Four
men left early Monday morning, say
6 o'clock, two to row the boat and
= two to fish. By 10 o'clock they met
US who had gone around the lake
with 72 pounds of fish, the finest
you ever saw, all trout, weighing
from one pound to eight pounds, and
these people know how to. fry fish.
Ny wife ate so much fish till that
night when I went to bed her feet
were tapping like fish, and fish
was not all we had. / need not tell
you, these people will do anything to
give you a good time.
From Colemans we began to think
of home. We spent some time in
Orlando. This is one of the prettiest
places in Florida. This city has II
lakes in it's boundaries, and the finest
homes built around them, making
them have a beach view. From: here
we, went to Winter Park, then to
Sanford. Here we met some ac-
:quaintances. The Chappells from
s Fairfield, and Forrest Lake, one Of
the big men of Florida, originally
!! from this place. We spent a night
and part Of a day here. From here
/; we went to Datona, then st. Angus
tine to Jacksonville.
- Up to this point we had delightful
roads, most Of the time you have
brick, if not brick, shell roads. You
'can drive 80 or 40 miles, or as fast
as you want to go.
The cities of Florida are beautiful
beyond description, but the most of
the country is the most God forsak-
en- land l ever saw. For 200 miles
we travelled from Orlando to Jack
sonville. There was not cotton
enough to make an apron for a roos
ter, nor corn enough to feed a chick
en-; can't imagine what the Lord
made this place for, yet they have
the finest roads of any state that l
know. How they built them or paid
for them I can not imagine.
Our next stop was at Ferdenia.
Our guide book told US to go this
way, but when we reached here we
found that the bridge was washed
away, and we had to go 90 miles
out of our way to cross this river
I (Atamana). This part of the road
was something fierce. After crossing
this river we came to Waynesboro,
then to Augusta-home. A large
fine trip, glad to get home and love
my town and the people more and
know that we have the best place on
earth. 1904 carried us there and
back, more than 1900 miles, without
a puncture till we reached Johnston.
There we had a puncture. This ma
chine when on good roads and run
ming 80 or 90 miles huns like Miss
Maize playing en- the organ at the
Methodist church, The End of Per-
feet Day." come and hear her play.
Before closing I want to say some
thing about the crops. The corn and
peanuts are fine all through Georgia