The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-23
Our Florida Correspondence.

OcALA, Florida, Dec. 8, 1854.
Soufhey~ Live Odk-T Timber Cutting in 1905.
Simon's kland-7he First Government Ships =
Launch Of the Lsabeiia- Introduction Of Long
Staple Cotton-Atyican NegToes-Singxlay Facts
scith Respect 10 thsm, &c.
Being in tho way Of forwarding you some into
resting information from this peninsular comnor-
wealth and the region Of country which it is Coz
tiguous, take up my pen in the belief that any
communication of this character will End ready ad
mission In your columns. shall jot down ny notes
without much regard TO tho form in which put
them. without any attempts literary presension
Where 30 many strive At critical accuracy Of style
and ready expression Of the observations of Prac.
ticsl mind.
First Of all, then, am In the interior Of the ne
ninsula Of Florida, at county court, and into my
room at the hotel casually comes an old citizen
whose head has been whitenei with the SHOWS Of
more than eighty winters. During all this time be
has been constantly identified with, and residen: In
various parts Of the county between South Carroll
M and his present home. He ia Q native Of the
ehivalric State, and well remembers General Fran
els Marion, who was familiar ct his father, resi-
dence-hisfalher being also Zone OF Marion's men,
In early life my informant became . resident Of
Georgia, and from 1895 to subsequent to 1900 lived
on and in the vicinity Of ST. Slaons Island Ga.
Your readers may not all remember that st. Hmon's
sand 10 one of the chain OF islands stretching along
the coast Of Georgia. but the interest that will IT
to ,h to ii in the present connecton win arise from
The incidents which now repeat from the lips of
my octoRenarian friend. 1t is the locality f.ou
which the government first drew It's supplies of live
oak for naval purposes OF the live OAK from tnis
islaI several Of tho first American fngates we're
built Up0er Q contract during she sdminstra sion
Of Mr.. Jefferson, Messrs. Cowpertnwaite, Gree i
Morgan, Of the North, furnished the supplies stated.
About three hundred hands were employed on the
island 1T the period Of 1898 and l7e9 The hands
were mostly FROM the North, and Mr.. MOI gan. one
of the firm, remained principally at the island,
perintencing the operations. the main depot for
the business was 81 st. Simons after the timber cut
ting began to extend itself TO 0thes adjacent islaods
ana the main land. The contrast is great besween
the character Of the islands now ana what they
were at the time referred TO. Then, dense with
their noble ioIetts Of live oak, out OF which the
bulwarks Of the young republic were 70 be
constructed; = present cleared Of this misey
q sea island cotsSn,. with their white
bolls covering Immense plantations, and forming
the material out OF which mi lions are clad and
colnforted. Gigantic in .ize were many Of the sax
tries they were fellsd by corps Of choppers,
and IN turn fell into the hands Of the ne~e gaog
As they lay PROSTATE, TO be lined and squared b,
the heweH sn1 thus put in condition for shipment,
some were Of snch THICKNESS tnat scsfclds mad to
be erected by the side Of the PROSTATE log to enable
the htwvr TO bring the whole sided mtfacs within
sHe sweep Of his axe; and an instances vas known
where nine OF the worinen stoot upright upon
standing stump together, and crowned tho feat by
driBkn g, while thereup N, out of junk bottle.
After clearing the leland chiefly Of ts native
growth. John Cowper, one Of its earliest settlers,
obtained contract either to transfer the land .,
the general government, for replacing live oak
thereon, or TO plant the oak himself, for future
govern mept purposes. This will strike many AZ Q
singular idea as one would suppose that II would
rccnire an infinite time for an oak tree TO attain
sufficient bulk for naval usss; bat am told that
& Etsin tree which was, in 1870, not larger than
broom handle, now measures two and half feet in
disme1er through the trunk; 10 that the notion Of
cutivatiDg the live oak is after s not 30 very far
fetched as It might seem TO IA unprncticed jndg
r1ent 1t will be remembered that In Florida shsre
Ia live oak plantation, owned by the United States
which IL somewhat An adoption Of the idea OF Mr..
Cowper. Mr.. c. resided ct phase callef Canon's
Point; his family inherited his property On the
island, and portions Of it have occupied places
thereon ever sfnce. He left three sons Of whom
died by an accident, and the other two are James
Harnikon Cowper, now living on the Altamiha
rivor and distinguished gentleman, and bis bro
Bluff, on st. Simon's, and who married daughter
81 Hon. Thomas Butler King. James Hamilton was
named after gentleman Of whom shall hereafter
speak. ! alluded before 70 the extension Of thu
business of timber cutting beyond the Island. Much
vas THIN cut ont Of the little hammoch about the
main lspd.
IN 1908 great event occurred At Gaskins' BluG
which - Of course remembered by but few now
liviBg; but II was It the time an occasion OF noe,
and accompanied with public celebration. This was
the launch Of the ship Isabella which was built Of
the native oak and was destined for the then open
Ing cotton trade from he Islands. " was grand
gala day. Three hundred people assembled upon
DE spot from'ths adjacent maia land; many others