The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-15
THE ITALY OF AMERICA.
our winter Retreat.

Our Winter Retreat.
Florida is pretty certain to become
the winter retreat of American invalids
and pleasure seekers. 1t is to be to
this continent what Italy and southern
France are to Europe. Situated he.
tween the Atlantic ocean and the Gulf
of Mexico; at the very fountain head
OF that marvellous gnlT stream that
bears genial airs on TO all western
Europe, and in its long pathway is the
trust of the navigator, and the comfort
of residents and travellers OH sea or
land, through all the northern Atlantic
portion of the hemisphere; with ocean
bree2es sweeping over her whole terri
tory by day and night, she holds dryer
and moro equable climate than the
most favored portions of Europe; and is
rich in tropical fruits and rural beauty.
NavIgable streams penetrate into her
very interior and open up her choicest
lands for residences and culture. Many
Northerners have been Lhithgr for the
past winter and spring, ana all
come back with one conviction that
t is to be our winter New
port and Saratoga. Those who
went for great business opportunities
rarely report ravorably, but those who
went for temporary residence for health
and com fort are enthusiastic over its
temptations. Along the ST. Johns
River, whittier steamers go direct from
Savannah, are many line locations for
winter homes: here Is where Mrs. Stowe
is located; and here large schemes for
purchasing extensive properties and
building up residence towns are in EN-
bryo among northern capitalists. y
writer from there in the New York
Evening PoStsays:
"Since my arrival here i'll February,
tho days have been like those in New
England during the first week i'll Oc-
tober-cool nights and mornings and
the most delightful air through the
day. My thermometer has ranged from
IS degrees to 90 degrees, thus indicat-
ing greater changes within a few weeks
then some winters have admitted for
the whole year. These changes have
occurred on the st. Johns between the
month and Lake Jessup. Since, how
ever, the ground is never cold here, one
suffers comparatively little from the
changes. A rise of the mercury from
3s degrees to 65 degrees within five or
six hours does not tax the vital powers
like the variations which range from
10 degrees or 20 degrees to 80 degrees
in the same length OF time, besides the
uncomior, table addition of the most
penetrating dampness in the atmos-
pherc.
DIR. Byrne, an old surgeon, long resi-
don't in Florida, and writing upon its
climate in 1860, also said:
The winter in Florida resembles very
much that season which, in the Middle
States, is termed the "Indian sum-
mer," except that in Florida the sky is
perfectly clear and the atmosphere
more dry and elastic. Rain but rarely
falls during the winter months in Flor
ida; three, four, and not unfrequently
less days occur continually.
Gen. Lawson, the Surgeon. General
ofthe army, bears this testimony to the
healthfulness of Florida in the same
and other respects:
Theclimate of Florida Is remarkably
eouable and agreeable, being subject to
fewer atmospheric variations than any
other part of the United States except
a portion of the coast OF California.
For example. the winter ut Fort Smell
ling, Mimi, is 4Se colder than at Fort
Brooke, Florida, but the summer at
Fort Brooke is only about So warm
er. In the summer season the mer-
curry rises higher in every part of the
United States, and even in Canada, than
1t does along the coast OF Florida. This
Is shown by meteorological statistics
in this bureau. Statistics also demon
strate the.fact that the diseases which re-
suit from malaria are OF much milder
tvpe in the peninsula of Florida than
in any other State in the Union. These
records show that the ratio ut deaths
to the number OF cases OF remittent fe-
yer has been much less than among the
troops serving in any other portion of
the United States. In the middle di-
vision of the United States tho proper
tion is one death to thirty.six cases OF
remittent fever; in the northern divis-
ion one to hfty-two; in the southern dI-
vision one 10 fhy-fonr; in Texas, one
to seventy-eighti In California, one to
one hundred and twenty-five; In New
Mexico, one to one hundred and forty
eight; while in Florida it is but one to
two hundred and eighty-seven.
The facts point clearly to such fu-
ture for Florida as we suggested in the
beginning. Every year adds TO the
number of persons in our Northern
States who cannot live here the year
through, owing to the severity of our
winters and the sharp changes of our
springa and falls. OF these, the rich
viii go to Florida for the winter
months, and those less able to go back
and forth will move thither, or to other
parts of the South more favorable for
business, permanently. This is sure to
prove a secret movement for large
Northern emigration to the South Sc
soon as politilal order is restored there,
the social system settled, and business
again flows in natural and profitable
channels. The next great emigration
movement within our nation will be
under these influences and this direc'
tion.
IT is said that Harriet Lane was
well remembered in the win of her
uncle,