News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 14

THt FORT JTTERS PRESS, FdRT MTEBS, FLORtDI WEDNESDAY AFTER00-, MARCH. 12, 198 drugs and sundries and has the larg-years and five years In the present phate business- of Florida pro COCA GRANDE, A PROSPEROUS UP-AND-COMING LITTLE CITY IS VERY MUCH ON THE MAP business. M. Tlllis assists In the store and wnen noi too nusy in tue barber shop and pressing club of which he is proprietor. u.

11. vwcaman conducts the I'hoto Gift Shop on Park avenue which is I duces nine-tenths of the world's sun i nlv This is the-only harbor in Lee county where" sea-going vessels can ancnor ana is reached by a natural I ohannel 300' feet Up anrl twenrv. four feet rienn. to 60 feet deep It Is three from from the sea to I I i tic uoniu la iiu i nit 11 luc welt no dees amateur i i i. i i Kooah.

iiiiisiiiiik una is assisted by id is assisted by 'Mrs. j. Macuonai. lie has been In I I i Gasparilla Island is seven miles in length and at its widest point is a little over a ntile across. At its narrowest point, "The Narrows," it is only a few hundred feet.

It is estimated that the island averages one- lialf mile in width and it, therefore. contains three and one-half square miles of land. Tolnn.l n.ut.tw.,1 I I. a un. 'ni 11 in iKiuii in aninu if.

tu waters of the Charlotte Harbor bay one side and by the blue waters of the Uulf of Mexico on the other. It is the favorite resort for anglers and tourists who are in search of recreation and this island possesses pleasure and sport in abundance. On the island are three postoffices. Boca Cirande is the principal town. Then there is South Uoca (iraude, four miles nway, which can be reach-; in a few minutes' drive over a smooth, oiled shell road which has been constructed under the stiperin tendence of Lee County's Coinmis- Bioner F.

Thompson during his short incumbency of office. North of Boca Grande lies Gasparilla, which is in Charlotte County. I I i ships load. IVUIOV TTHViC I.IIU Here is where the phosphate from the mines at Mulberry and Pierce in Polk county is loaded into ships to bo sf'nt tu eve-y country in the wo1'111- is Mol(l by long pounds, L'onv''rlel into fertilizer which is HvU 1y 8hort tons-SOOO pounds. The Pliosuhate is brnmrht to South Boca 0 Grande in steel, hopper bottom cars by the Charlotte Harbor Northern railroad.

The car3 have a capacit of lorn tons each. From the cars till tu iiiimiuii fin conveyer bel and unloaded on the ship at the rati of Coo tons an hour, thus a 8,000 to tCIl I IV r-Jiri lit 111 LCU iii.M bin for butpIu 1 1U I in rw phospnnte wnicn is ouj 'la capacity of 18.000 tons. The eiij f- iitiii onu ii i iju1 are two steel oll storage tanks wit rj i' hi a v. i.uu7ul" fcviv a' F'anaclty cf 500,000 gallons. i Yie power plant here generate; r- i.

th i.i.wivivv. -4 nrJfc nd sunnlies both towns wit inp TiiHcuiuoi eCstrlo lights. It has 350 horf; iiiora k.w. per him dynamo, a 250 and a 350 k.w hour dvnamo. The business at South Boca Grand in 1911 was 172.778 tous.

timi iimp tim tonnage ha (Continued on Page 7) V. L. TILLIS GROCERIES 1 and MEATS Reasonable Prices Courteous Ti'eatmentl After five years business and first cus4 tomers still buy of us. Boca Grande, Florida Railroad Avenuet Although Gasparilla Island is really County Commissioner F. J.

Thonip-an island it is connected with the son owns an attractive two-story res-mainland by rail. It was left for i idence surrounded by seini-troplcal Henry Flagler, on the east coast, and foilage. the Charlotte Harbor Northern rail- The American Agricultural Chem-road, on the west coast of Florida, toxical Company, Uoca Grande Land prove to the world that such engln- Peter Uradley the Charlotte llar- Uoca Grande ten years and enjoys a large patronage. Ho has a fine Hue of souvenirs. The Airdome Theatre on Pm-ir avenue is open two nights in the week anil shows some good films and receives a generous patronage A.

McNamee conducts a bycide fciafti; uii I'lr-anig tiuu ULTIOSS irOIll the post office. The Bradley restaurant and pool room is conducted by p. G. Bradley and it does a good business. With the railroad offices full of officials as busy as a one armed paper hanger with the hives, and the numerous other offices in the fine building housing the passenger sta- i tion Boca Grande has nothing to be ashamed of and many things of which to be proud.

i At South Uoca Grande a hand-locked harbor where forty sea-going vessels can anchor at one time South Boca Grande, four miles down the oiled shell road from Boca Grande is the heart of the phos- I i 'J nay ot sport" Out tv.v of the Utmou is situated th Uut jm! uM. houses which ar 'f sue and accommodate many b.ia'.s Thf of tin1 lacoon is of sufficient depth, to ac- tommodau- boat ftvt draught as far as th hotel landing. The bathing tavitUn is plenty large t.i tuV-e of ftftV IH'ilUle is Otl the ivean drive The tnuldins is admirably I'unstrut ted. The casino, with fine floors and tennis courts, is an attraction to many of the visitors. iloca tirande has a number of millionaires among its property owners rininiif whom are! 11.

V. Pd l'ollt. Ii. Crowninslm Id, lVter Hrtulley and K. 11.

Abbott. There ale a number of wealthy residents at Hoea (Irande i who remain throughout the year. Among the fine residences are those of: H. F. Ou Tout, F.

H. Crown- I inshielil. AV. .1 (iilligan. l-u-i gate, W.

AV. Clock, and others. The Horn Crande Land ('oninany owns a number of handsome houses which are occupied most nf the time. bor Northern Railroad, which are practically the members of one company, have extensive holdings in Boca Grande. H.

F. Du Pont owns a whole block and is preparing to erect some new cottages. He has been having his buildings repainted and has employed the Gulf Construction of Fort Myers, who are making a fill now. The Boca Grande post office has been in existence for fourteen years and AValter A'aughn was its first post master. It now has 3uO regular patrons and 200 additional patrons In the winter.

It has recently been changed from a fourth to a third class post office and this is proving to be the best season in its history If the air mail service is installed Boca Grande is to be one of the stops, as will be Tampa, Fort Myers, i Miami and other cities. On the Charlotte Harbor side of the island at Boca Grande is a new dock 510 feet wide set on concrete piling which extend three feet in the ground and the concrete eighteen inches above the water. At the end of the of Punta Gorda, have a fish and ice house and there is a Texas Oil Company tank. G. AV.

i kins d'irv ia th' 7,: to one oik! It was with regret that the writer Heard me wnisiic 01 me norm-bound Charlotte Harbor Northern train. Prosperous I'oni inn nit AVhen think of Boca Grande i. think of the iasuarilla which is owned by H. Abbott, nf the Inlands. Hetli lehem, JN.

N. This is a lourist hotel, and is open 1 Iff only during the winter months. It! lias a of 150 guests and so far this season has booked 115 which is equal lo the booking of last season, The hotel is an imposing structure ami the rooms are large and airy and many of them have connecting baths, Air. Abbott was at the Inn last week, having just returned from a trip north and was suffering from a slight attack of illness and could not be seen. The manager, O.

K. Skinner, a very courteous gentlemen, is in charge. He was four years with the Hamilton Hotel, Bermuda, and last summer was manager of the AVianno Club. AVianno, on Cape Cort. Dr.

Henry B. A'an Dyke, noted author and lecturer of New York, is a guest at Gasparilla Inn. The Boca Grande Hotel is an all-the-; car-'rouud hotel under the same management as the Gasparilla Inn. The Palmetto Inn, built, owned and managed by Mrs. Nellie Howell, is more moderately priced than the two hotels mentioned above, but it is full almost to capacity.

The beds are good, the cuisine excellent and there is a homelike feeling and a friendliness among the guests which appeals to those sociably inclined. The ho tel consists of three large frame build- I ings and was constructed twelve years ago. It is located on the corner of Hotel and Main streets; has forty rooms and is conducted on the American plan. Guests of social and business importance from all over the Florida. The store building is two I stories high and is opposite the rail-, road building and station.

This store carries a stock of general merchan- dise including automobile tires, tubes and accessories, hardware, groceries, shoes, hats, dry goods and has a filling commissioners, is manager. Includ- ing the manager the store employs ii i is out all C. is is is fertrrCrr. est line of Halt water fishing tackle i to be found in county. A soda fountain anil bottled drinks refresh-tliose with a thirst.

A regularly licensed pharmacist, Ii. A. Kennedy, in charge of the prescription de- partment. Mr. Fugate has been well known in the business circles or uoca tiraiide lor tounecn years ami nas i i uuiu up a large, uuswess Business cannot lie conducted with- money and the State Hank of Uoca Grande is ready to take care of 1 banking business with its efficient cashier.

1 1. C. Gearing, in charge. The bank has a capital stock of 115,000 and lias been in existence ten years. K.

Lanier is president and J. T. Swinney, chairman of the board oi Charlotte County Commissioners, is vice president. It is a Lee county depository. The Uoca Grande Milliery Store owned by Miss Rachel Lamberson and is open throughout the tourist season.

It is across from the post and carries a large stock of millinery, notions and art goods. It has been in business eight years and just closing a successful season. Mrs. J. B.

McClung, of Savannah, head dress maker. V. L. Tillis has a grocery and meat market on Railway avenue and carries a large stock of fresh goods and sells at reasonable prices. Mr.

Tillis was formerly a traveling salesman and treats his customers so courteously that "they always come back." He has been in Boca Grande for twelve WICKMAN'S Photo and Gift Shop Amateur Kodak Finishing Souvenirs and Novelties G. H. Wickman, Prop. Boca Grande, Fla. Park Avenue rj 1 I I 1 PdTlfP1 A fPo)AH(t I Mercantile C.

Capitalized at $50000 F. G. THOMPSON. Manager eering feats are possible. Go where you will over the world and find, if you can, another state or another nation which has two railroads crossing the seas and connecting islands and mainland by rail.

One hears much of Flagler and his railway to Key AVest but the feat of the Charlotte Harbor Northern was almost as great. Separating Gasparilla Island from the mainland is Gasparilla Pass three miles in width and this had to be spanned by the glistening rails before island and mainland were connected. Unlike most other railrouds the Charlotte Harbor Northern uses oil-burning engines and solid steel wheels. Others use coal-burning engines and paper wheels with steel tires which frequently need renewing-. Why Boca Grande and Fort Myers are so little acquainted, although only thirty mileB apart, was made plain to a representative of The Fort Myers Press Thursday when, in company with County Commissioner Fred G.

Thompson, he made the trip to Boca Grande by rail. Commissioner Thomp- i son has to pass through two county! seats, Punta Gorda of Charlotte county and Arcadia of DeSoto county, to reach his home town, where he Is manager of the Boca Grande Mercantile Company, a $50,000 corporation. It is 105 miles -by rail from Fort Myers to Uoca Grande and if one took a boat to travel sixty miles on. account of the necessary detours it would be as long or longer making the journey. The town of Gasparilla and Gasparilla Pass lie in Charlotte county, as does that point of Gasparilla Island on which the town of this namp is situated.

The remainer of the Island is in Lee county. Tropical abound, especially the cabbage prdm and the streets of the towns are lined with Australian pines which have already reached sufficient size to shade the streets. Gasparilla, Boca Grande and South Boca Grande receive their visitors by means of the Charlotte Harbor Northern railroad, which has a fine depot at Boca Grande containing offices for a number of the officials of the company. Seagoing vessels and launches from neighboring keys and the mainland bring and take off people at the ports. The Postal Telegraph Company has a telegraph and cable office in the railroad building at Boca Grande as does the American Railway Express Company.

Boca Grande is lighted with electricity supplied by the power house at South Boca Grande and has a fine sewerage system. Pure water is supplied by a distilling plant of the latest type. There are three church edifices Methodist, Baptist and Episcopal. A good grammar school is maintained in a comfortable frame building. A nine-hole golf course which was laid off by Henry Cowie lies between the Gulf and Charlotte Harbor.

There are a few water hazards and the greens are well sodded with Bermuda grass. No. 8 is a short hole across the railroad and here skill is required to keep one out of the rough. The Gulf Shore Gulf Course is well patronized and is very popular with visitors who come to Florida to play golf. On the shell road to South Boca Grande is situated the Olub house which is roomy and comfort-j able.

Carries, one of the largest stocks of general merchandise I to be found in Lee County. The stock includes: 1 Gatewood, once of Fort Myers, is in states are registered at the Palmetto charge. The Standard Oil Company inn- also has a tank at this point. The Boca Grande Mercantile Corn-dock was constructed under the sup- pany, a $50,000 corporation, has in ervision of County Commissioner F. Boca Grande, one of the largest if not G.

Thompson and is a fine piece of the largest general store in South work. The dock is arranged to per jmit the landing of automobiles from boats. It costs $25 to get a car to jBoca Grande by rail and $10 by boat this feature of the dock is a at convenience as wil as a money for the community and visitors. Batbing, especially the surf bath-jand ing in the Gulf, and boating are faY orite recreations with the visitors and 'saver DRY GOODS, NOTIONS, HATS, SHOES, PAINTS, HARDWARE, AUTO ACCESSORIES, TIRES AND 1 TUBES, GROCERIES, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. II Seven salesmen to take care of the customers.

II Store in few minutes walk of best bathing and fishing I on the coast 1 I BOCA GRANDE, FLA. I v. Island was settled about station in connection. The store car-' forty )jr ago. John Pit-kins and fa- ries a $100,000 stock of goods.

It be- lu'ay, YA WaUfkr, ('apt. Manuel I gan business in liloS. K. H. Standish the JotiSiMin family, Peter fills the offices of president, secre- S'i'.

th fitter finally bxated at tary anil treasurer; AV. J. Gilligan is vi r-rl other pilots were Vice president and. F. G.

Thompson, (A t.Wfc who are known to member of the board of Lee county liavf ttji on the island. The light house wan the first building and the many people are to be found on the Gulf shore every day gathering beautiful sea-shells of which there are a great variety. Necklaces of are becoming quite a fad and portion, made of them are to be found in hotels and residences. Then there is the fishing. Shades 1 of Izaak Walton! There is no place where the angler can better enjoy himself to the uttermost than for Uoca Grande is called "The Home of the Tarpon" and the Silver King is at hia best here.

Talk of thrills with a 200 pound Tarpon hooked and showing hia silvery sides in a break Iroai the water what more could a quart'H'in station the second to be i seven salesmen. built on the island. Members of the On the corner of Fourth street and Johnson family are the only ones of Railway avenue stands the drug the original settlers remaining as far store of Jerome Fugate who has been as could be ascertained in business in Boca Grande for a nuiu- Beautiful, healthful, with friendly her of years and was formerly mana-peoply, and pleasures in plenty Boca ger of the Uoca Grande Mercantile r.U7n...nli Tt.l.,.l i r. ,1 ll t' i a loi-rr linn tit.