The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-01
ON THE ST. JOHNS RIVER.
The beauties of Florida qThe Advantages OF
It's Climate for Invalids-rhe st. Johns

The beauties of Florida AThe Advantages of
It's Climate for Invaiids-rhe st. Johns
River.
From an Occasional Correspondent
PALATKA, East Florida, Oct. 81 1s70.-
There are few places more truly beautiful
than the country which lies along the banks
of the ST. Johns river. From the mouth of
the river, and particularly from Jacksonville,
distance of seventy-fve miles from here,
its stream continually expands and narrows,
seldom, however, being less than two miles
wide, ever revealing new beauties along its
shores, of the stately pine, the oak with its
curtains of grey moss, orange trees whose
fruit is beginning to ripen, the banana,
the palmetto, with here and there
the peculiar and thoroughly tropical Spanish
bayonet" Nowhere on this continent is
there the same air as here: bracing yet
warm, where the mercury seldom falls below
35 degrees, yet even at so degrees the atmo-
sphere being not oppressive. The average
temperature for the winter months is 90
degrees.
Already strangers and health-seekers have
begun to come this way, showing wisdom in
leaving our cities, more attractive, certainly,
rs far as comforts are concerned, before the
chill November winds begin to blow. But in
exchange for home and friends there is some
gain beyond the hoped-for improvement in
health, for the natural beauties will repay a
winters study. The lover of nature will
find his time fully employed: the beautiful
plumage of many of the forest birds; the
mellow notes of the mocking- birds; the ex-
quisite fragrance of the yellow jasmine,
which will soon bloom, and of the oleander,
which here grows into a beautiful shade
tree; and later the breath of the orange
blossoms, with which the air is laden; beetles
of rare colors, and other insects too numer-
Gus to mention, are sufficient to claim the
attention of the invalid too delicate for pro-
longed ramble. For those better able to
endure fatigue, there is the river for boating,
excellent fishing, and the exciting hunt for
alligators, which abound in quantities, and
game in the woods sufficient for the trouble
of bringing gun and powder.
All along the river are very good hotels and
boarding houses; but for persons desiring to
make winters stay on the st. Johns
Palatka offers many inducements. Its daily
mails, line of steamers from Charleston,
another from Savannah, besides four river
boats, make it easy of access to strangers.
The town itself possesses some pretty houses,
several stores, physicians, churches, and
many pretty drives and walks. There are two
very good hotels here the st. Johns, kept
by P. & H. Peterman, is very nicely arranged
and we'll kept, having billiard.saloon and
reading-room attached for the benefit of
guests. The proprietors are unwearying in
their attention to their boarders. The Put
nam is being entirely renovated and newly
furnished, and will be opened about the first
of November under the management of Mr..
Mckinley, former proprietor of the Screven
House in Savannah and also interested in
the Miles House and Charleston hotels. Both
of these houses have had numerous applica-
tions already from Northerners, proving that
the warm air of our own country is beginning
to be appreciated by both invalid and
pleasure seeker.
To the fruit-grower as well the valley of
the st. Johns is destined to become the re-
sort. All along the river oranges can be
grown with little or no trouble, as we'll as the
banana, the tree of which being very hardy
is seldom cut off by frost. On certain por-
tions of the river the sugar-cane thrives
splendidly, and is said to be a sure crop.
Sweet potatoes thrive here as nowhere else;
also the ground-nut. This land is well
adapted for grape culture and raising melons.
So it is not necessity that visitors to Florida
should spend an idle winter; each one can
have something to their taste to occupy thei,
attention.
. IBy spending all their time when the
weather is favorable out of doors, and having
some light occupation for their minds-a re-
quisite feature in leaving home-we car
guarantee that winters sojourn on the st
Johns would be, as far as human judgment
can decide, of permanent benefit to the in
valid and consumptive. N.