The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-07-14

OF the Edgeheld Advertiser pamphlet
"Incidents of a journey from Abbeville
s. Q. to Ocala, Fla" for which wo are
obliged. We observe some good things
in it, and transfer the following to our
columns.
In the evening Of the day I left the Or
ange Spring, l reached Ocala. This is
an Indian name; it seems that De Soto
once landed At Tumpa Bay, made an ex-
cursion through the peninsula, went 10y the
place where Rome, in Georgia, now stands,
and penetrated the country as far as the
mississippi valley, at the place where the
Red mingles its waters with the Mississip-
pi. He died and his body was committed
to the stream. In the course of his Jour
ney he came to large Indian Town called
IOcala, that being the name of the
Chief 1t is supposed that the present
Ocala occupies the site of the former one.
1t is an inland town; the nearest naviga-
ble water to It is the Silver Spring, which is
six miles off. 1t is two Oh three miles from
Fort King in South Western direction.
The Town now contains between three
hundred and fifty, and four hundred in
habitants, and six or seven stores; it is
doing very good business and l think is
destined to become place of Importance.
1t is now the seat of justice for Marion
County. 1t is surrounded by large and
extremely fertile hammocks, and since l
left it have learned that it is tho most
central place in Florida. and probably
will become the seat of Government; il
will certainly be removed from. .Tallahas-
see before very long, as it j. on one side
ofthe State. There are some of the best
T houses in Ocala that saw in Florida
THERE'S very neat two story Court House
, nearly finished, which is on the plan Of
the Court House in this District. The
Jail is an odd looking little affair, not
, more than fifteen feet square with two sto-
ri''s, the entrance to the lower story is
, through the upper one. 1t is constructed
OF hewed logs, double walled, and the
, space between the two walls is filled up
I with loose bits Of wood; but what liked
, best of all was that there was not Single
prisoner in it; that speaks well for the
county. The Tobacco trade is carried
E on very extensively there. Improved
Farms in shat section of country sell
5 for from twelve to twenty dollars per acre,
though | think there are still some public
lands near Ocala that can be procured mt
Government price. The clearing of Ham,
2 mocks is very heavy work on account of
3 the thick growth. The hammocks are
/ mostly small, containing from one to three
/ hundred acres, though | was told that
e there are some from ten to fourteen miles
E in length and upward of mile wide; but
= mock lands in this part of Florida yield
+ from eight hundred to one thousand
pounds Of Tobacco to the acre, and that
. Tobacco sells from thirty cents to dollar
, per pound, though tho dollar Tobacco is
9 scarce, From twelve to twenty-six hun
n dred weight Of shore -stoplc Cotton per a
I ere, is .lso produced; (the long stable is
y now nearly abandoned,) thirty or forty
!, bushels OF Corn per acre two hoesheads
; OF Sugar and any quantity Of Syrup and
-Molasses; as to potatoes they could not
tell me how many were made as they are
never dug except for immediate usc.-
A patch was pointed out to me that had
been growing undisturbcd for three years
| told the owner he must find the potatoes
very large. He said Re sometimes got
them weighing fifteen or sixteen pounds
| did not see any that large. Roots Of every
! kind grows finely in Florida, and Cabbage
Q grows very large, making fine heads. The
Q market in Savannah is beginning to be
, supplied with vegetables from Florida. |,
: Is an excellent poor mans country and
;, think that the rich can do well there two
I The pine lands produce from fifteen to
; twenty bushels Of Corn per acre, from eigh,
= hundred to n thousand weight of Cotton,
six or eight hundred weight Of Tobacco
but this Tobacco is not Of the hest quality;
indeed it is quite inferior ifthe land is moi
manured.
The ArrowRoot is cultivated with pro.
fit by some, but i suppose that if.many
. undert ke il the market will be over
: stocked.
The cattle that ] saw disappointed me;
: the were small and not very fat, the Butter
g was very poor. was told that had
: not seen any good ranges. The grass
' was very luxuriant hut coarse.
. / saw few hogs, but they were the
p finest ever saw in my life.
Q / tasted no cool water in Florida, and
Q what Is remarkable fact, the warmes,
. water came out ofthe deepest we'll That
!, well was forty feet deep; the wells are
Q generally from fifteen to twenty feet deep
e As was in the nc ofdrinking some water
5 that had just been drawn up from this
5 deep well, the owner told me not Ia
D drink II as Il was quite warm, that there
D was some in the house that had been
|, drawn some time and was cooler tas.
] ted what was n the bucket and found il
. ~t.y ~rsza indeed. / se,r e.ked 70 the
9 owner that | supposed he had the deepes,
Q well in Florida. "Ob, no !" said he, "therc
D is . well in my neighborhood which is
{ ninety feet deep, and the water is much
. warmer than tbi'." This is phenome
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