Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1922-03-09
OBSERVATIONS ON FLORIDA
TRIP, BY ADA e. HATTON

The nrSt outstanding place of In
| terest-from a historical standpoint,
which / passed on my way to Flori-
da, after leaving Cincinnati and
passing through Kentucky, was
Chattanooga, Tenn. Coming to that
place quite early in the morning and
not caring to avail myself of the
privilege of stop-off, my only ex-
perience of Chattanooga is the fact
of having passed through and hav-
ing exerted myself to obtain what
view one can from reclining on one
elbow and gazing through sleeper
window.
Near Atlanta, Ca, another his
toric section, noticed so much red
clay. The foliage and vegetation
had been changing considerably,
| trees particularly. Noticed there
were quite number of railroad
tracks through Atlanta. 1t seemed
a right busy place. The train lay
there about 20 minutes. At the
| Okmulgee river my attention was
drawn to an immense dam being
built there.
There is magnificent stretch of
level country beyond Macon, the
next important Georgia city passed.
A mammoth peach orchard was
noted. They raise -pecans there
abouts too. We crossed the Suwanee
river beyond Macon.
I saw Oleander bushes with their
bright flowers, through much of
Georgia. Sitting at table in the din
ing car commented upon the un-
painted condition of many old
houses passed-so different from
those of the north, and woman
who sat opposite me remarked that
the south was still "the old south, -
but she loved it just the same. She
was from Kentucky and was enroute
to Tampa, Fla.
1 struck up an acquaintance with
lady who got on at Atlanta, Ga.
She was also bound for Sarasota,
Fla, and said that after we both ar
rived at that place she would be
glad to "meet up, with me again.
Two relatives came to the station at
Cordele, Ca, to talk few minutes
with her. She said: "Caint you
'you-all' come in little while?"
In southern Georgia ran into
some sleet and ice-rain freezing as
it fell, and making it look for time
as if we were nearing the frozen
north where the James Oliver Cur
wood stories are laid, rather than
going into the sunny southland.
The greater part of my trip
through Florida to my destination
was made by night. Early Saturday
morning I got my first glimpse OF
Florida. I looked from the window
and saw what thought was heavy
white frost on the ground. In re-
sponse to an observation I made
the porter said: "Well, no ma Jam
that's white sand" 1 felt relieved
was chilled as the result of some
thing having gone temporarily
wrong with the heating apparatus
of the car in which / was; ] had
left zero weather at home, and had
seen snow and ice much of the way
down, so when the porter told me
was looking at sand and not frost,
felt as say, relieved.
Notwithstanding, my reception in
Florida was frosty" When / got
off the train at Sarasota about 9:3C
a. m., the air was sharply chilly
SO chilly that my winter coat and
wool scarf in addition felt good. Ny
brother-in-law, Mr.. Ziegler, met me
at the train. He said il felt like
walking, we would walk down by
the bay before leaving in the ma.
chine for home, which we did.
Sarasota bay was wonderful
sight to me. Off in the distance
observed the pass leading into the
Gulf of Mexico. My attention was
done some months ago by the terri
Bile tidal wave storm which struck
this section-where buildings con-
nected with the fishing industry al
the water front had been washed
away, and other damage done.
saw birds with long beaks lowering
about-flying over the water or
perched on piers, etc. They were
pelicans. Their prey is fish. and a
pelican can easily, it is said, "hold
in his beak enough for week"
! l drove with my brother-in-law in
the machine out to Idlewild, the
| country home of the Zieglers, about
| five miles from Sarasota. In one
place along the road l noticed a
row of seven cabins where negroes
live. These little cabins have no
windows-just one or two little
board shuttered openings, besides a
door The men of the colored fam
| lilies residing there are engaged in
the work of clearing land for the
| Palmer Trust Company which is de-
veloping this section. By the way,
the estate of the late Mrs. Potter
Palmer, in this locality, is one OF
the show places of this section, and
is visited by many tourists, Tues
days being visiting days. Another
place / have heard referred to is the
estate somewhere in this section,
owned by the Ringing brothers of
show fame. On a few occasions /
have seen members of the family
motoring in Sarasota. They have
too, boat in which they go pleas
ure riding.
When we arrived at the Ziegler
home, my sister Name came out to
open the wide gate for US to pass
through into the grounds, and to
greet me. | was soon seated before
a blazing pine fire in the big brick
fire place at the end of their long
living room, and one of the dreams
of my life was thereby realized. /
had always wanted to enjoy just
that kind of fire.
In the afternoon the sun had
come out so beautifully that it was
delight to be out of doors, the