Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-12-23
For the Spectator.
A Trip to Florida.---No. Ill.
MADISON, FLORIDA, Dec. 3rd, 1907

/ MADISON FLORIDA, Dec. 3rd, 1907.
Within my recollection, Messrs. Editors, EN-
grafton to new States excited as much lntere
in the old States, as it has continued to do. 1
none of these, however, has the tide been grea
er than to Ohio in its day. About the beglr
! ming of that tide, two men, then living IN heI
tncky, were said to have contracted the OH
fever. who like all prudent men determined t
90 and see the country. These States,you read
ers are aware, are separated by the Ohio Rive
only. The gentlemen referred to, having reach
ed the boundary line, tied their horses, entere
boat and crossed over. Then after wanderin
about for several hours on the fertile banks 9
that noble stream they returned home bripgln
with them very favorable report OF the Stat
Of Ohio. Now they erred in representing wha
they had not seen by what they had seen.
| 1t is less than a month since | entered Florida
AS yet have heen over but small portions o
what is represented as the better parts OF tire
counties only. OF course, | am but little bette
prepured to describe this country than the mel
referred to were prepared to describe Ohio.
SHALL therefore, contine myself TO what l hay'
seen or have learned from reliable sources.
First then, The CLIMATE.-This,s so far as hav
seen or heard, is as pleasant as have ever known
it represented to be. In reference to its mild
ness | need only state that about the 10Th
November, saw cucumber and tomato vines
green and bearing Peas are sown in October
TO be used in observation-disclosures are set ou
in November to head in January, beets arr
sown in November to he used in January,-oat
| ire sown in December to be harvested in May
&c.
Changes there are just as frequent as suddeI
and as great as in Virginia, but they are mucf
higher up the scale; moreover they seldom gel
low. Not once in two weeks on al averagt
through the winter, do they get down to frost
For several evenings past, | have noticed the
little bats flying about, as with you in mid-sun
lner. This, am told, they do occasionally thro
tile winter. Chickens are hatched throughout
the year. AS yet not half of the oak leaves are
killed. The greatest degree of cold during the
winter of 1866 and 1856 was l9 degrees above
Zero while with you it was more than as far be-
| low. The greatest degree during the past win
ter was 16 degrees above, while, if remember
correctly, it was with you "a degrees below
On the Goth ult. it was 20 degrees above, which
is represented as being unusually cold, and yet
| it was not colder than on the 29th and Both oi
September with you.
| Although there has been now and then calm
day since have been here, these are said to be
exceptions to what the days are generally. For
the far greater part of the time there has been
constant and delightful breeze from the Cult or
Atlantic, and this is said to continue through
the year. The atmosphere has had constantly
on exhilarating effect upon me such as l have
| not elsewh felt. Those | meet with from
other States have referred to these matters also.
| Moreover they say the summers are more agree
able than the winters, the nights being never So
warm that people who have gone to bed can dis
pense with cover.
But how is this exhilirating effect of the at
nosphere to be accounted for2 Sheep, cattle,
horses, &C., am told, will rarely touch SALT and
deer cannot he enticed to lick. Perhaps the
saline breezes constantly inhaled by man and
beast, will account for what is so different IN
both, from what it is in other places. Whether
the effects are similar on every sea coast, or
whether there are aya.saline properties in all
sea breezes ain not informed. Salt is so much
heavier than water that it may not be taken up
in the vapor Of water,
That there is much humidity in the atmos-
phere is evident from the tact that the long moss
on the timber which derives its nourshment
from the atmosphere only, is abundant every
where Still, that there is a purifying property
in the atmosphere, of some kind, altogether un.
usual, is evident from the fact, that meat may
be bitted and salted and hung up at any dry sea-
son of the year and it will cure without spelling
|, myself saw the pieces Of freshly slaughtered
beef exposed to the sun on scaffold in the ear
ly part of November, for that object.
1t is no doubt this property OF the atmosphere
that makes the climate Of Florida so effcacious
to consumptives, asthmatics and diseases of the
throat. Its great efficacy in cases of consump.
ton, when the experiment is not too long de-
ierred, is well known; and its efficacy in each
of the other diseases, | must consider, from all
have heard, just as great, and perhaps greater
During the winter, AIN told there is but little
rain, and neither snow nor mud. But notwith.
standing the climate is so delightful, and so de-
sirabe, have met with those, both here and
in Alabama, who, when have told them of the
SHOWS and cold OF the Virginia mountains, would
reply: well, would like to live there
Whenever hear this, think of "Qu fit Me-
cenas ut memo contentus whit" "How does il
happen Mecenas that there is no one SO wei
| pleased with his lot that he does not desire
changel" You know very well, Messrs. Editors
that if these people had been in the SHOWS an(
cold of Virginia during the last two winters a:
| have been in them, or as your correspondent
was in them, who so graphically described hi
trip on the cars from Richmond to Stauntor
through the storm OF January, they would rur
back to Florida, if it were in their power, jus
as the printer who happens to get out into th'
street on cold snowy day in his shirt sleeves
runs into his office. But must close. II. b.