A TRIP TO NATURE'S GARDEN
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"You must leave at once, and the best place to
go is to Crooked Lake, the healthiest place I know."
"But, I have not enough money."
"You don’t need much money. If you take this
opportunity, you will even be money ahead by
spring, compared to your expenses right here in the
city. You cannot realize how much good it will do
you. The big lake, the great old pine-clad hills, the
sunsets, the smell of pines, the fragrance of flowers,
the cool breezes, the songs of birds—all will be a
healthy stimulant for your tired brain and worn out
nerves."
"Doctor, the trip will cost too much. Hotels are
terribly expensive."
"Don’t stay at a hotel—for what you might
spend on the regulation hotel trip you can get a
good lot at Crooked Lake—plant your own trees and
garden—and make your trip pay for itself each winter.
Don’t let me see you again till next summer.
and I will be surprised if I see you here then—the
charm of the place will get you and you will stay.
Here, this book tells you how to get there. Take it
and read it through. Goodbye."
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"This" was the folder which you are reading
now. Let us read the facts briefly stated and see if
this Doctor gives good advice.
HOW TO REACH CROOKED LAKE
Connect from Eastern States with the magni-
ficent through trains of the Atlantic Coast Line Rail-
way leaving daily for Florida.
Connect from any Ohio point with the splendidly
appointed L. & N. Ry.’s "Florida Limited," leaving
Cleveland every midnight after October lst. (Sleep-
ing cars ready at 9:00 P. M. in Union Depot.)
Arrive Jacksonville, Fla., 30 hours later and
after a day of sightseeing in Jacksonville, take the
Atlantic Coast Line Ry. through Pullman train,
leaving every evening for Crooked Lake, Haines
City, Lakeland and Tampa. At 6:00 in the morn-
ing, change cars (at Haines City or Lakeland) for
Crooked Lake Express, and arrive at Crooked Lake
after a 30 mile up-grade run from Haines City. The
full round trip return fare from Cleveland (winter
excursion ticket) is $36.60. lt is possible also to
buy a long mileage ticket which materially reduces
the regular cost.
LOCATION
Crooked Lake is in Polk County, Fla., on the
apex of the famous "backbone of Florida," a short,
narrow, high plateau—about 60 miles distant from
both the Atlantic Ocean and the Guf of Mexico. The
station of Crooked Lake is on the A. C. L. Ry. about
200 miles southwest of Jacksonville and about 60
miles northeast of Tampa and St. Petersburg.
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ALTITUDE
The surface of Crooked Lake is over 132 feet
above sea level. Mr. Cody’s lands rise terrace-like
from the south and east shores to an altitude at the
highest point of nearly 150 feet above the level of
the lake, or nearly 300 feet above sea level. lt is
said that this point is the highest altitude in Florida,
with the exception of Mt. Washington.
CLIMATE
Owing, perhaps, partly to its elevation and the
consequent mellowing effects of the air currents
from the Atlantic Ocean on the one side and the
Gulf of Mexico on the other, the climate of the
Crooked Lake region is even better than the aver-
age for the state or even the county at large. On
the hills surrounding Crooked Lake there is abso-
lutely nothing to create malaria—a well known fact,
as people from the lower levels who have malaria
soon find relief by coming to these hills. Bronchial
troubles and many other ills will readily yield to
the healthfulness of this favored place; even a few
weeks’ sojourn in the clear, dry atmosphere of
Crooked Lake will bring distinct relief to those who
travel south to escape the damp northern winter,
which is a fear to any one having bronichal trouble.
But the climate of Crooked Lake must be seen, felt,
breathed, luxuriated in, to be really appreciated—it
combines all the joys of spring, the beauty of
summer, the glory of autumn, and the exhilaration
of winter.
At this moment the only statistics we have we
quote hereunder from page 8 of the "Courier-
Informant, Fall Trade Edition."
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TEMPERATURE
Kept at Bartow, Florida, by Dr. J. S. Wade, Voluntary
Observer U. S. Weather Bureau.
1900
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Min.
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Max.
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Mean.
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Rainfall Inches
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October . . . . . . . . .
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65
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90
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85.8
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2.40
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November . . . . . . .
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33
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86
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77.2
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1.61
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December . . . . . . .
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34
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83
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69.1
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6.35
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1901
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January . . . . . . . . .
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30
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83
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49.3
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1.07
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February . . . . . . . .
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31
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85
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59
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3.34
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March . . . . . . . . . .
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31
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90
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64
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3.56
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April . . . . . . . . . . .
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43
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89
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67.3
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2.33
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May . . . . . . . . . . .
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50
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94
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76
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2.90
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June . . . . . . . . . . . .
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66
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95
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80.3
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10.84
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July . . . . . . . . . . . .
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69
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94
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81.6
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9.86
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August . . . . . . . . . .
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71
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91
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80.9
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12.39
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September . . . . . . . .
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69
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92
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81.5
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8.87
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October 1 to 14 . . . .
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66
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90
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78
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0.12
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On 17 days of October the mercury stood between 60 and 70
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On 6 days of November the mercury fell below . . . .
On 13 days of December the mercury fell below . . . . .
1901
On 10 clays of January the mercury fell below . . . . . .
On 12 clays of February the mercury fell below . . . . .
On 10 days of March the mercury fell below . . . . . . .
On 10 days of April the mercury fell below . . . . . . . .
On 17 days of May the mercury rose above . . . . . . . .
On 17 clays of June the mercury rose above . . . . . . .
On 8 days of July the mercury rose above . . . . . . . .
On 1 day of August the mercury rose above . . . . . . .
On 6 days of September the mercury rose above . . .
On 14 days of October the mercury fell below . . . . . .
On 6 days of October the mercury rose above . . . . .
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50 50
50 50 50 50 90 90 90 90 90 70 80
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WATER SUPPLY
Though Crooked Lake is said to cover over an
area of twenty-one square miles we know of no
river or even brook emptying into it; the fact that
the water level remains about the same throughout
the year would also indicate that the lake is one of
those rare bodies of water fed by springs only and
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not dependent on the uncertainties and dangers of
surface water. The number and volume of these
subterranean springs can only be imagined when
one realizes that they feed this great lake with
enough water to keep up the water level and to
force two outlets, one running west, making the
Peace River, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico—
and the other running southeast to Lake Clinch and
thence to Lake Okechobee and the Atlantic Ocean.
All of which would seem to doubly verify (if any
proof were necessary) that our lands are the sum-
mit of the entire region.
Crooked Lake, fed by countless springs through
a hard sandy bottom, furnishes an inexhaustable
supply of absolutely pure drinking water.
SOIL, CROPS AND FRUIT
This locality is peculiarly adapted to the raising
of citrous fruits. With the large lakes to the
west and north we have about three degrees protection
over the flat woods, and the hills are sloping
to the west and north, which is also favorable; so
that for the last fifteen winters in which fruit has
been grown here there has not been enough frost
to even freeze the leaves on the trees. As to the
quality and abundance of fruit, a look at the groves
(adjoining these lands), which are now loaded with
bright and luscious fruit, would convince the most
skeptical that we have the best fruit section in the
country.
As to vegetables, we have ten acres under cul-
tivation, which shows that we can raise the finest
of vegetables.
On some of our trees last year there were more
than twenty-five boxes of grape fruit on a single
tree. We invite the closest investigation of this
matter of fruit raising and all other phases of the
proposition.
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HISTORY OF RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
After long exploration, 15 years ago, Mr. Cody,
convinced of the possibilities, struck out far in ad-
vance of the railroads, and purchased the lands,
which, in his opinion, seemed to be the healthiest,
richest and best. The history of Florida since that
time is a complete endorsement of Mr. Cody’s un-
erring good judgment and far-sighted choice of a
land bound to prosper.
When one reads of the millions of dollars spent
in railroad development alone, in Florida, in the past
ten years, one cannot help but realize that those
railroad millions are never spent unless there is a
certainty of their reaping millions of dollars of
profits in return, from the development and com-
merce and ever-increasing population.
The railroad has crept up and up, until last
year it reached the lake to which Mr. Cody blazed
the trail fifteen years ago. Developments and col-
onization are proceeding steadily, and a substantial
growth is assured. The opening of the Panama
Canal will add one more to the many features of
business prospects and possibilities in Florida. The
outlook for Crooked Lake is particularly bright,
since, in addition to its having by far the best nat-
ual resources and general qualities, there is a
growing world’s demand upon the famous phos-
phate deposits across the lake a few miles away from
our lands. This industry will doubtless prove doubly
beneficial to the Crooked Lake section.
Having acquired the lands years ago before any
rise in values, we are able to offer our lands for
sale at a very reasonable figure. We have commenced
development of the allotment, and contemplate
the construction of a small hotel, so that prospective
buyers can then find accommodation on the
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allotment. Meanwhile the buyers can enjoy the
novelty of camping out—in fact many prefer the
tent life for an outing. For these who buy a lot and
want a house ready to step into on their arrival, it has
been suggested that we should consider contracting
to build small cottages at regular contract prices.
We are considering an estimate whereby we may
be able te turn out serviceable three-room cettages
in a month or six weeks after contract, at a little
below regular contract price, owing to our advan-
tage in being able to cut our own timber off our own
land. Substantial residences have already been
erected by satisfied purchasers of our land in the
vicinity of this allotment.
Incidental to the growth of the community, a
Bible Conference has been established, whose plat-
form we publish herein. The Bible Conference As-
sociations are to be commended for having chosen
this healthiest of places for their annual
Southern Conference, where the members can derive
much benefit in physical health as well as in
spiritual welfare and a fuller understanding of the
Scriptures as preached by the Conference’s able
speakers.
We believe that we have the best lands in Flori-
da and we invite full investigation by any one de-
siring to purchase the highest land at the lowest
prices. For full information write to either of the
under-mentioned addresses.
MR. LINDUS CODY,
Land Department,
1514 Garfield Bldg.,
Cleveland, Ohio
MR. LINDUS CODY,
Frostproof, Crooked Lake,
Florida.
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