The Neshoba Democrat. (Philadelphia, Miss.) 1881-current, 1921-03-31
SEEING FLORIDA
EDITOR RAND REPORTS ON TRIP THRU FLORIDA

EulIUh hhMU herUhI0 UM INIT inhu Iluhtvh
I believe / left you In my last re-
port at ST. Augustine. Our final mo-
ments there were most pleasant. We
departed for Gainesville where the
State University is located. We had
dinner In the University mess-hall.
The University grounds are most
beautiful The campus there iscover-
ed with tall stately yellow pines
which are so completely bedecked
with Spanish moss that q graceful
ness is added that our own trees do
not possess. Gainesville is a beauti.
full city with wide streets and spread
ing shade trees.
We were in Leesburg for supper
and early the following morning we
were taken on 100 mile drive thru
Lake County. We passed through
Clermont, Mount Dora, Tavares and
Montverde. We saw grove after
grove and celery farm after celery
farm. At each town we were receiv-
ed by the local committees and were
served fruit, orange juice and cigars.
Large cakes OF Ice were scoOped out
and into these cold chambers the
Juice was poured. / had always fam
!. cied the lakes of Florida covered
with green skum and lilies. They are
as clear as crystal, and as fresh az
spring. Lake, Polk and Manatee
Counties are scenic and gloriously
picturesque. Lakes that nestle among
the gently rolling hills. are surround
ed by orange groves, and for miles
one sees the trees hanging with their
golden harvest, and the sweet fra
GRANGE OF million blossoms stirred
by the breezes that come from the
Gulf and the Atlantic fill ono with
poetic fancy. And these lakes are
alive with fish. In measure that l
have seen In no other place work
and play go happily hand in hand In
Florida.
We had lunch Monday at Mont
verde Industrial school. The school
IL sugpsFted By private suSscrip-
tions. It is coeducational, monde
nominationaL, and every boy and
girl is compelled to earn one half the
\ expenses by work. There are no
hired hands employed. All the work
ts done by the boys, girls and teach.
!, ers Here boys and girls learn to do
things, and II you could have eaten
what they had prepared for US you
could have only words Of praise for
such a useful establishment.
AS we passed thru the inland
towns of Lake County School chill
. dren lined the walks and showered
ls with flowers. We make quite a
procession with our 161 automobiles
In this conquest OF Florida.
, We see mo- mules or horses. The
work here is all done by improved
machinery. We pass many young
groves and huge tractors are at
work on many a hill side breaking
newground. The orange trees are
placed by civil engineers, and thou
] sands OF acres laid out as accurately
i as compass can make them.
( Yesterday and today we have
spent in Polk County. 800 crystal
lakes in this county make the drives
most beautiful. 8 lakes touch the city
OF Lakeland alone, and Polk County
has 326 miles OF asphalt roads. We
! drove 100 miles In a swift Templar
! car yesterday, and were out again
for long drive this morning. Every
where we have gone here prosperity
Y is rampant. There have been 100
anew residences built in Lakeland
within six months.
Florida has suffered less In the IL
nancial shakeup OF the last six
months than any state OF the Union.
What she has lost in the falling
4 prices OF citrus fruits and farm pro-
ducts she has more than gained by
the money that tourists have
!, brought with them. Every where we
!. 20 people are living in tents, and
, uutil recently the hotels have oil been
gAover crowded. There has been no
real reduction In land values. pass
ed thru miles OF $1,000 per acre truck
farms yesterday, and orange groves
that are valued at four times that.
We ate supper last evening In the
heart OF the largest grove In the
world; 1000 acres in bearing trees,
and valued ut something like $4,000
4 10000.
Florida is diversified, decidedly.
Her wealth omesfrommany sources
y We saw yesterday the largest phos-
u phate mine Ina the world, and also
/ the largest citrus fruit packing house.
We saw fruit washed, brushed, pol
ashed, sorted. and packed by ma
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