The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-03-27
A LETTER FROM FLORIDA
In Which MIR. Z. w. KeIsO Tells
Of His Visit in the South
To the Editor Of The Republican.


can have visited Florida and it occur
red to me that a brief letter might be
of some interest.
left Oakland January 31st ard ar
rived in Tampa February Sd and dur
ing that week attended the South
Florida fair at that city. 1t was very
interesting to note the great variety
Of fruits and products from different
parts of the State. Lee county, in
South Florida, had four hundred wa
termelons at the fair. Seed was
planted in September and melons TAX
en- off the vines in January. Some
large sound ears of corn were also on
exhibit from North Florida and ac-
cording to state statistics, ten mil
lion bushels of corn were grown in
one season in that section of the State.
Having heard much of the Candy, 1
boarded street car in Tampa and
went ten miles to Port Tampa and got
off at the point and walked miles,
reaching the causeway or approach,
made by pumping sand from the bay,
a half mile wide and a mile long.
where the bridge proper is being con-
structed of reinforced concrete "a feet
wide with street car tracks in the CEN
ter and driveways on either side. The
bridge, including the approaches at
each end, will be nearly six miles
long, stretching across Tampa Bay
and will shorten the distance between
st. Petersburg and Tampa twenty
four miles.
| could see the st. Petersburg end
of the completed bridge and it had
the appearance of about mile space
over the bay to complete the bridge
and connect it with the Tampa end.
Leaving st. Petersburg and Tampa
l went to Lakeland, town of about
$4,000 people This town is modern
in all respects. 1t has four banks,
good business establishments, splen-
did churches, good educational facil-
tiles, including Southern College with
a campus of rs acres of oranges, a
gift of the city Of Lakeland. The in
come from this equals an endowment
of 100000.
The college is located on an emf
nence overlooking the city. The land
upon which it is built slopes from its
crest to the limid waters of Lake Hol-
ingsworth. | visited the college on 8
Saturday and was shown through the
buildings, which have the latest mod
ern equipment. The living rooms are
richly furnished and have the appear.
ance of gentihty ard high standard
Lakeland has five packing houses
shipping 25 cars of oranges anC
grapefruit daily There is also ;
plant manufacturing a variety of pro
ducts of the grapefruit, employing
two hundred girls.
There are groves in every direc
ton in this section. | was in grove
of five thousand acres eight miles dis
tant from Lakeland. Near this grove
| saw a cabbage field said to contain
$50 acres. | am told that farmers
have a good profit on this cabbage a
$40 per ton, loaded on the cars.
Lakeland has seven lakes located
within the town limits. Most of thu
residences are surrounded by orange
trees. Many farmers and their wive
from the northern states are spend
ing the winter in Lakeland.
Leaving Lakeland, stopped on
day in Winter Haven. Here l me
William Nydegger, formerly of Oak
land, and his two sons. One of thu
boys kindly took me to Haines City
twelve miles distant, where | met Dr.
and Mrs. Ravenscroft and their sol
and wife, of Accident. They are yer.
pleasantly located in their coy bun
galows on four acres of land just out
side the city limits. They also owl
other real estate and splendid or
ange grove one mile from the town
The younger man takes great inter
est in the grove and gives it his bes
attention.
l greatly appreciate their man,
courtesies during my stay in the city
which is a growing town with tw
banks and other business establish
ments and has a great future.
From Haines City | travelled fit
miles south to Sebring, a nice tow
of 1000 p~pwiation, and the count
seat of Highland county. lively
years ago the town site was a wilder
ness; today there is a nice park in tn
center of the town on a slight emf
nence, in the form of circle and wit
the streets radiating from it, making
them beautiful and convenient. LAX
Jackson, a beautiful body of water
three miles wide and five miles long
borders on the town. The town ha
good churches and good schools, fin
hotels and two banks. Another rail
road from Chicago through to Milan
will pass through this town and wi