The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-09-10
Cor Washington star)
Florida, the New " Italy o: Amer.
iCn."

Coin TO land here? Well, hope
you'll find the old lady in good hum0r.
They say she's awful snappish with call.
Grs sometimes"
The speaker was Georgia preacher OF
the cracker pGrsuasion-lank and yellow
who with his lGnk and yellow wife had
been wintcring at Green Spring, Florida,
aud drinking the sulphur water for their
livcrs' sake. The person addressed was
the undersigned, md the scene the gang.
plank OF the little steamer Darlington, the
shore end Of which plank was then upon
the little pier at Mandarin, the Florida
residence Of Mrs. Harriet BCeChcr Stowe.
Mrs. Stowe, like the Overrun rural gentle.
man in the farce, has the disadvantage Of
living at Just
"A CONVENIENT DISTANCE FROM TIE
CITY,
some fifteen miles above jacksonville, and
MS about the first inquiry OF the thirty or
forty thousand visitors who now 30" the
St. Johns river annually is for Mrs.
Stoves place, it happens that not only
are there good many lOIgncttCs levclcd
at Mandarin from the river boats, but u
good many people land there, and eXer.
else their liOn.hunting mania in way 10
cause the subject no little annoyance.
have heard various instances of the per
tinaCity OF callers, who without Crctlcn.
tials or any claims whatever upon Mrs.
Stoves attention, make themselves quite
1t home upon the premises, helping them.
selves TO oranges, breaking oil flower and
twigs us mcmcntOs, pulling aside curtains
and pcCring into windows over Mrs.
Stoves shoulders when she is writing:
and with some the spirit OF research car
rieS them around 70 the kitchen to cues.
tion the servants as 10 the housekeeping
arrangements. 1t would scarcely be pos.
siblc Tor wOmGu-aud u Bccchcr-nGl to
resent impertinCnCcs OF this kind, to the
extent, ut least, OF shutting the window in
the fNce Of the offenders but, on the
other hand, | heard on all SIDES aCknOwl.
edgmenlS OF the courtesy with which
sell.respeCtiug visitors are treated nj Man.
DARN. In tact, the people Of Florida are
great believers in Mrs Stowe, as they
should be, s.her bright and eloquent dc,
scriptions OF Florida lite and scenery have
done more TO call attention to the inter
esting features OF the State than any other
cause
But to return to the gang plank Of the
Darllngton;-heing provided with kind
letter Of introduction to Mrs Stowe from
n literary friend, concluded, despite the
wOrning OF my Cracker fellow traveller, to
at least pay my respects 10 the author of
Uncle Toms Cabin" and, as the result,
passed an exceedingly pleasant day
"MANDANI:,"
is little more than n boat landing-thc
first on the river above Jacksonyillc-
with Il store, no hotel, and n struggling
line of houses along the river. A carrmgr
track runs straight up from the little pier
to the country and ncighbOrhOOd grocery
and variety store. 4 couple Of hundred
yards TO the left is Mrs Stoves modest
aud picturesque Florida home followed
Il plank walk through Il luxuriAnt fringe
OF swamp vegetation, and up q bank To
coiteccolored, many.gablcd Co,tugc'-an
unpretcndlng wooden structure, such Us
would cost perhaps $4,000 in IL northern
village. |; was shaded by two enormous
live oaks, heavily loaded with trailing
moss; and up the trunks Of these monster
oaks crept two bands OF bright grccn-,hc
Scotch and English ivy-Contrasting in
their colors agrccably with each other and
with The gray moss and the green OF the
small willow shaped leaves Of the oaks.
Surrounding the house was a grove OF
orange trees s,-.rOund.hcadcda and cabbage.
shaped, after the fashion Of this not rartiC.
uIarIy graceful tree, but with the stiffness
OF Their wlgCy spray somewhat relieved
by the injection Of moss caught from the
over'hanging oaks. The CLEAN OF the
whitc-washcd trunks OF the orange grove,
also, served TO Sci of the shady rccCsscs
OF the cottage vcrlndas with flavor Of,
additional CUHincSS and COOlncss on this
bright sunny day. Entering the shade,
there WAS Il pUZIling concert from unseen
mOcking birds. The whole grove was
vocal with them, but not wing WIS Wis.
ible. learned afterwards that they
haunt the orange tree, finding secure re.
treat and building plNCc in the close mat
ted foliage. MOCklng birds, by the way,
are rather drug in Florida. They prey
upon the small fruits to II dcvasling cX-
tent, and the people don't dotc on them,
but suppose Mrs Stowe thinks il Er tu
divide with them in exchange Tor their
delightful, il not marketable notes A
piQuant charm OF the FLORIDA m0cking
bird 10 the northern Cur is that its notes
are limitations Of the notes Oi the wild
birds OF that region.
PROFESSOR STOWE.
Following the path, came in front of