New-York tribune., 1870-01-29

| TIONS.
FERNANDINA, Amelia Island, JAM 20, 1870
1t was mistake to suppose that patient endurance
or pleasure Is nowhere eXomplIlcd as among the
Italians Here. in this flr.of island, the natives
udhce all night at TO keep Christmas I've
In their way; and them with tho energy Of merry
making unspent celebrate Christmas by riding In gro
tcsqnc procession all day through the streets every
msshapen 10 be found, every ridiculous costume
that fun devise and peerng through every soTt Of
mask conceivable to buresqno itself Add to this the
uuearthy yels Of tho mascrs the blowing Of cracked
horns; the batterng kettles; the jnglng OF
bcs the shuekug Of little "niggers" at the horses
heels and the barking OF vagran dogs, frantic with the
wild show, and no wonder that the church bells and Christ
mas carols drowned in tho din. Churchbels aud
Christmas carols there were here Indeed churches
abound in Fcrnandina. nearly every sect beng repre-
sented by kind Of building crowned with cupCa.
The Romanss and Episcopaians of course, kept Christ
mas in their evergreen way with lturges. cborals, and
carols the latter warbed by Sunday birds that
Ocked the sacred aiSe utered around the trees Of
promise which had dropped golden fruit for the warbers
OF Christmas Eve. We had looked for Of these
signs OF the holidays in this sandown, but rather for
negro rotlng negro melodies alone having heard
that in the evil old days OF Slavery FROM Christmas TO
NewYcars slaves FREQ TO enjoy their only holi
days In their own primitive way. Now that freedom
the year. they eager for jo1catlon than
| before, and we noticed many a c0Ored man working
from choice perhaps for daily bread, all the festa
week Nevertheless, they 90 avail themselves OF Their
liberty though it is yet novel to them that they hardly
know how to 1t to their advantage, or that Of
anybody else. At the election last week We had somo
well amusing exhibitions OF liberty turned into
cense-to violence In case, to rdicule in several
A negro, for example. mounted his q ticket Tor
Mayor, against the regular candidate, who was, OF
course, elected though tho eOlOred voters feeling thc
selves the OF the uderous in setting their dusky
brother against white man. humOred the joke by cheat
ing Sdinbo last with the idea that he olectod
whereupon the woudbe Mayor mounted stump and
haraugucd the mob yellow patrOts!" !" he began. Use
afearcd o. yo Is rebels yet Why. spects tie
white men, sum oh dem, be rebes-its bad enough for
DEM but OH gcmmeu oh color! spccts better tinSs
oh ye!" And on, to the infinite amusement OF the
stranger albeit all that cklpped ecquence did little
to help the orators aspirations.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
"But what about this Pernandina itscf-is it habit
able a. would say, first sight Of the place.
with it sandy streets, yordurcless fields, unpanied
houses, and generally diapidated appearance that
neither beast could thrive here When, more
over, tho stranger chances to arrive in cold north
caster, and finds that all Northern ways Of comfort in
cold and sccLl.I gly unknown on the island
ana contrasts the chill that cIccps into the bones aud
the sense desogon indoors and ont with the dreams
that have been indu ged Of "he sunny South" ia not
surprising if there comes first burst Of Gsapponmen
"And this IS Florida! the land OF gorgeous birds and
Towering fields, Of orange groves, the magnolia ana
banana, OF blue skies and Ddhy DletLcs OF open HOUSES
aud OF outdoor living" Wc 1t is some rclcf to eXcaim
in this wisc though 1t does not take tho chill ont OF the
air. nor mako the wet pine wood Of yondcr fireplace
SHINE into warmth! blaze from its deep corner far
back in the chimney. But blankets and hot water to tho
feet make one forget IN sleep these ororn rst impress
sons after q while.
Now let Ms be Just and look a, FcrnandIna In the sun
shine for storms do last always not long generally
here The SKY IS very blue the Amelia River on which
the town lies also vcry blue In the cani the steamers
and shipping the wharycs,o az anchor give one inc
impression Of significant port Then the whistle OF 1000
motives from the railway which Is to make the place I'M
portant the puff OF i'ss from great en" mil
recently established here by outerprsng Yankees
the shops and the business street begin
10 change the Strangers first impression OF the place
70 one Of town that is looking up in the world again.
after its log paray zation from the war; We learn why
buildings have gone uupaiHtdi how after having been
occupied by the L.. s. troops, they were sold BY The
Government to pay taxes; how parks look desoate oI
| verdure or foliage how only scraegy stump' remain
where groves bcauidcd ana shaded tho landscape
and how everywhere the footprints Of rousshod In
yasio are left to tell their sad story The former pro
prctors gcw etErulug ~ rcnuy lhe!r own property
| Some few r4,y dwellings have recently h'"' 49,,
tc prospect this becoming the terminus Of the new
railway trom Tallahgsscc-wlncL viii bring cotton for
shipping North well as for exportatOn-has revived
general courage aud brought Northcners here for pecu
ation IN real estate and other business ends The rail
road that crosses Florida Cedar Keys, which was In
tcrruptcd by The war; IS IL full operation again, and
connecting with the line OF steamers between NewNorL
and FcuaEdEa, takes produce, &c. for Mobile and New
Orleans across the STATE which used TO be carried all
round the coast Of Florida to the Gulf Of Mexico.
MIIDNEss or The CLIMATE
These advantages will doubt ero long make
| Tcrnaudina an important town. The dcsertplace
vii! begin TO rcjocc and the wilderness (Of sand to
| bud and blossom as the rose. There si!l some
few houses Of the Old Southern families remanhE'hse,j
and one or two gardens yet ouIshng In these we see
orange trees laden with golden fruit roses, and other
flowers blooming IN the open air OF January, which can
be very cold in its actual temperature let flowers
4dyf notwithstanding the chness which one often feels
out Sf the sun Gor this felt cloudy days, or
when cold wind prevails While the suns rays are at
the same time hot to bear without the shade OF an
umbrella in several Of the kitchen gardens here green
meas may now be sssn ripe for the table; have had
them served mOrGtban at our hotel, though they
seem to lack the swest flavor OF Spring peas North The
residents say that Winter oyer here by the middle OF
January when the planters around begin plant cotton
We notice that people have coumenced gardening al
ready The weather is certainly fine now and the
'tomperature like May still the nights are chilly toward
morning especially Fires IN the evening ana warm COW
| erng at night required
| ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.
The great advantage for nyads ia Florida, Is that OF
being doors through the day without the risk OF wet
feet from melting OF breathing freezing TEN
peratuTe as at the North In coming here for health
whoever should bring horses and carage there 10
but one covered vehicle Fernandna, and that, called
biggy is really roekGrap in the Of its shaky,
ricketty notion plenty of horses about, such
as they are; many Of them wild. hunting their
ger food the salt marshes. As for cOwspoOr scare
croWs-t hurts the feelings OF one who has been
toned TO the cOyerfed peted animals OF the North TO
see these half starved creatures left miles daily
gI taflaF flf.yyg gatfa