Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-09-02

denee. For this reason, and because Of the
poverty Of the SOIL the uncertainty of the crops,
from 'ns engs OF %e not Il takes 70 get tSs
place Tor poor man 10 emigrate 70; but the
humber OF northern people who wish 20 tide over
the perilous winter season in a mild climate is
so great, and 50 much on the increase that the
state is pretty sure 20 have tor half the year at
least, al the visitors she has the drv land 20 ac
commodate or 10 feed. And have no doubt
that in a few years all the available building
sites on the st. Johns river from ,JackSanviile
70 Enterprise, two hundred miles south will be
occupied by the winter cottages OF the people
who now have summer cottages at Newport and
Saratoga.
When Tom Scott gets his through line OF
railroad, direct from New York 20 the Gulf in
operation, the mode OF getting &c Florida viii be
so much shortened, Quickened, cheapened ant
ameliOr2ted, generally, that IL will be a verv
easy on; hand matter 10 drop down there, ard
the amout OF travel in that direction, already
immense, will be greatly increased.
MANDARIN AND ITS SURROUNDINGS.
Mandarin, on something Of a bluff, for Flor
ida, where fifty or an hundred feet, is a good
deal OF an eievstion,) and placed on the eas-
bank Of the river, here some miles in width, is
exceptionally well situated for health The
Mandarin settlement extends in n neighborly
sort Of way for mile or two along the river
blum or plateau; the lots OF farms VARYING from
800 TO zoe feet frontage on the river and ram
ming back thousand feet or more. The settlers
here are largely northern people. Some OF them
Win WAX lungs Or InrOatS spend the winter
here, TO avoid what Hood would call the coffin
(coughingl weather of the eastern states, while
others have come to stay the year round TO test
the capabilities of the Florida soil and climate
for the growth of semi-tropical products. Among
these latter is Mr.. Duncan, son of the Capt.
Duncan who, on his Quaker City, steamer,
took The lnnocents MARX Twain included)
Abroad" There are some twenty northern
families within mile and.a- half of Mrs Stoves
cottage, and the society OF the little cOmmu-
nifty seems 10 be particularly agreeable. The
Yankee spirit of unrest and 90 aheadatiyeness
among the Mandarins finds vent, even in this
tropical lotus-land, where everything prompts
to take life easy, and new and expensive cot
tages are going up, such as line our northern
rivers. A considerable sum has been raised for
the erection of a handsome little church and a
couple OF school houses, and road is to be made
along the bank Of the river fronting the whole
settlement, to take the place of the fringe OF
malarial marsh. As regards Florida products
the MANDARIN folks are experimenting a good
deal, making some failures and some hits, but
on the whole with hopeful r9ults. One thing is
settled, judge, and that is that Florida sand is
a good Zeal like other sand, and needs high ma
nuring TO bring satisfactory crops. Ii is claimed
that the sand here is powdered coral, instead of
slick, and is therefore more productive; but il
looks to me very much like the genuine New
jersey article. / am afraid the proportion of
coral in II is too infnitesimal TO count, unless
fostered by good coating OF manure.
Concerning the special products of Florida
the orange, banana, &c.,-I may speak in
ahotner chapter' Z. 5. n.