Milford chronicle., 1921-03-25
UNDER SUNNY SKIES

This beautiful morning I am sit
, ting in the bay window of our rooI
looking out upon the placid water
of Tampa Bay, only two blocks ava.
and thinking of my dear Milfor
friends. Perhaps you will publish an
other line from my pen after so loni
silence. You have had several let
ters in your valuable paper from m!
favOrite California, but I think no
many from this summer land in win
ter under sunny skies-Florida is
just enough like California with its
citrus fruits, palms, climate &C. tt
make one homesick to be back in Cal
ifnornia. One misses the flowers here
especially the roses climbing over the
roofs of houses, the rows of white
callas, the banks of red geraniums OF
shasta daisies, the mountains and in
vOrating atmosphere.
But this is st. Petersburg-beau
full for situation and I have promised
to tell you of it.
A daily paper published here gives
away its entire issue every day the
sun does not shine on St. Petersburg,
Florida. In ten years it has given
away only fifty-seven numbers. This
is rightly called the Sunshine City"
Normally its population is given as
$4,000, but this winter, 10000 tourists
are enjoying it's sunshine.
They have come from thirty-three
states and Canada. Ohio is represented
by over 1000, Michigan by $500, New
York by 5000, Delaware by SO regis
tered tourists.
oil RI
others are making reservations and
will soon be on their northern migra-
tiOn.
What attracts so many people here?
Climate, sunshine, out-of-door life,
motoring, boating, bathing, fishing,
concerts, Bible conferences, lectures,
games, in and outdoor social life.
Beautiful Williams Park in the centre
of the city with it's shade trees and
hanging moss has seating accommO-
dations for thousands of people and
new band stand costing several thOus-
and dollars from which two daily
concerts of two hours each are given
by band of twenty instruments and
a lady solOist.
Games of chess, checkers, dominoes,
quoits, rogue and crOquet are played
daily for amusement in this park,
while tennis, bowling, golf, baseball
and other sports are enjoyed else
where. Sail and motor boats, yachts
and steamers ply the waters of Tam
pa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico to var |
ious ports on fishing grounds where |
some days large catches are made. |
Half a dozen aeroplanes navigate the |
air taking up passengers for $500 |
each and staying up only about Is |
Sightseeing autos carry
people out amid grape fruit and or
ange groves, or crossing a bridge one
and a half miles long to Clearwater
Beach or in another direction over
another long bridge of about a mile
and quarter over Boca Ceiga Bay to
st. Petersburg Beach on the Gulf |.
5trewn shores-not a pebble is to be
lound at any of the beaches in Flor
da, but shells in abundance, mostly
Medium and small ones. A pastime
If some of the ladies is making or or
place cards with some of
he little coquine shells which look
ike butterflies. Another pastime is
making baskets of the long pine nee
lies.
On Central Avenue, 100 feet wide,
as are all the avenues and streets of
he city, on hundreds of comfortable
eats arranged along the outer half of
he 20 feet wide sidewalks on either
ide of the double auto-lined avenue
Dr. several blocks (the autos coming
p to the curb diagonally side by side
D they can back out more easily here
n the seats sit thousands of tourists
rest, read, or get acquainted.
What state are you from? When did
ou come? Where are you stopping?
re you a Christian? are some of the
uestions which are asked and the in r
'OductiOn to some pleasant and last r
lg friendships. The expenses Of liv- p
lg here are not very different from d
lose of our home towns, but house, r
partment, or room rents are this C
ear exhorbitantly high, almost double c
/ price those of two years ago when O
e spent the winter here, many tour il
ts have left for this reason and g
hers are complaining of the excess b
e rates and say they will not come Il
gain while such Srates obtain. For "
stance an apartment which cost not a
yer $4,000 when built some years ago C;
clearing to the owner this year over n
1000 and that only for six months
mt. If
The tourists have been called by W
me of the residents "Pelicans" ESQ
e hear) to which retort has been ia
ade "If we Pelicans did not come tC
,wn here and spend our money you W
Ould soon become 'skeletons"' It is IL
e tourists who largely build and al
pport the churches, and build up bl
ID keep the city going-and this is fir
ght, if we come down here to enjoy of
If of the year. But it does not seem
ght to demand more than a normal ST.
Mt. M
Respectfully yours, to
(Mrs.) Anna Y. Davis Swan, in
ALBANIA Apis, St. Peterbusg, Fla. ha
arch 9Th, 1921.