Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-05-20
FROM WASHINGTON TO THE TROPICS.

Editorial Correspondence Of The Star


If there are patriotic Floridans, who wish
well to their state, they will do well to burn, in
undate, or otherwise wipe out of existence that
miserable hole called Cedar Keys. They will
then hang to the first post the president of the
Florida Railroad, and the rest of the miserable
gang concerned in running the string OF ''sec-
ond-hand collins" that pass for cars on that road
across the peninsula from Fernlndna to Cedar
Keys. IL had been my plan TO first take a run
through Florida and then go to Havana by way
OF New Orleans or Cedar Keys, but in an evil
hour was beguiled by a rascally conductor on
the Florida road to switch off at ildwn Zen
route to Jacksonyille), on the assurance that |
should catch the Havana steamer at Cedar
Keys by going down by that train. All the way
south L had met gaudy yellow posters, setting
forth in red and green inks that The New Or
leans, Florida and Havana steamship company
tMarshall o. Roberts, president would dis
patch one of their frst-class steamers from New
orleans and from Havana every Wednesday
touching at Cedar Keys on Fridays, and leaving
every Saturday morning for Havana, New Or
leans and Key West" 1t was further set forth
that this was "the quickest, the most cOmforta-
BILE, and the safest route;" that by it "the long
sea voyage Is avoided. The distance to Havana
is only 300 miles, mostly along coast and smooth
navigation. These steamers have splendid pas
senger accommodations, and every effort win be
made for the Safety. Comfort, and Pleasure OF
Travellers" Tempting exhibit! Who wouldn't
60 to Havana via Cedar Keys?
vICTIMIzED, SOLD, DONE FOR!
Thinking it would be better to 90 over to Cuba
before the hot season came on, returning some
what later to visit Florida, hastily transferred
my baggage from the Jacksonville train and
did 60 down to Cedar Keys, to find too late that
there was not only M hoat thare for Hav
but that this rascaliy conductor and every Of
ficer and employe on the road knew that there
was to be no boat for at least ten days, In con-
sequence of the steamer Havana having been
taken off for repairs. found, too, that this was
but specimen OF the irregularities and disap-
pointments by this line, and that SO ar from be-
ing "the quickest, the most comfortable, and the
safest route" IL was VIGOROUSLY tine most unre-
liable; with miserable rattle-traps of boats, and
no certainty that they would ever make their
trips as advertised. There is evidently cOllu-
sion between the employees on the Florida r. all
road and the hotel keepers $50 caled) of Cedar
Keys, and j, with a number of other victims,
had been entrapped into going down to this
sink of iniquity and discomfort to spend the
Sabbath, and expehd good deal Of hard cash
for the benefit of the pirates and wreckers there.
MODEL RAILROAD.
IL was discomfort and disgust from the mo.
ment of setting foot on the Florida railroad.
The breakfast at Baldwin consisted of fried hogs
liver and muddy coffee. Then enter the cars,
and such cars! Take a couple of the Avenue
ex-omnibuses that have stood exposed for the
last ten years in the rear of our street-car de-
rot, exposed to the weather, used as a hen roost
and encrusted with guano, and you have spe-
cimen of these vile, filthy cars on the Florida
railroad. Next bear in mind that the road is not
ballasted; that ptch-pine is used for the engine,
and that the black smoke flom thi-, and the
sandy grit from the track perv AIDES the cars COW
ering everything and everybody with sooty
CRIME, and you have some idea of the delights
of travel down to Cedar Keys. No efforts are
made, apparently, to improve the, condition of
afiaiIs Oh this vilest OF railroads. Evidently the
cars have never been swept or washed. Mis-
directed squirts OF tobacco juice upon the
win dows have been coiered and rounded by
smoke and dust into a curious arabeslue and
fret-work of which the company are evidently
proud. The dirt and sand upon the floors take
the place of spittOOns, absorbing the juice that
does not fndit way through or at the windows.
The water-cooers, rusty, spider-webbed and
tiled with dust, have apparently no other sig
chewers. Evidently the Floridians don't risk
their lives unnecessarily on the Florida
gers, including the victims from abroad
going to grief at Cedar Keys. The country
tTaversed is almost as unprepossessng
as the road-desolate pine barrens, with few
shabby, Imprinted frames at the stations.
Gainesville, fifty five miles from Cedar Keys
is the most important point on the road, having
some ,oOo inhabitants. according 10 my ''Gulde
to Florida" described on the title-page as I" in
valuable to the Invalid, Tourist or Emigrant,'O
Gainesville is I" a favOrite resort for invalids."
AS the place was nearly depopulated last sum
mer by yellow fever, it is probable that good
many OF the invalids who make it resort have
settled there permanently. According to the
same invaluable Guide, "oranges, lemons,
lines, grapes, bananas and peaches thrive here.
Peach trees bear at the age of fifteen months
Garden truck is raised in abundance, &C." /
saw one sickly looking banana trying to lift its
1snv ha md h,,tI
inquiry that it had been winter killed regu-
arly every year, and had never produced any
fruit. doubt If q single banana was ever
grown at Gainesville, or a lemon, or an orange,
except, perhaps, the miserable bitter-sweet
oranges, that would pucker the mouth of one
raised on persimmons. The fact is, the portion
Of Florida where the delicate tropical fruits
prosper is not large district, and Is good deal
south Of the Florida railroad. One sees, how
ever, at the stations on the road an abundance
OF game, venison, wild turkeys, fresh fish. &C.,
to indicate that there is good sport for the gun
ner or the angler in this region. The eye, too,
is delighted with the .Profusion of beautiful
seen in almost every pond and ditch. The low
shrub palmetto, or "saw-palmetto," and the
larger cabbage palmetto, with gray wrinkled
trunks, looking like elephants legs, also serve
to relieve the monotony of the pine forests, but
aside from these there is little in the landscape
TO indicate tropical climate.
CEDAR KEYS.
At Cedar Keys 1 found a number of fellow
u tue lOTiud IallIOtu anu havana
steamer fraud, among them Mr.. VIM. Chase
Barney, on his way to Cuba about some tele-
graph business, and an elderly gentleman from
fonkers, N. Y, with his wife and daughters.
They had reached there the day before, and,
finding there was to be no steamer were intend
ing to get away from Cedar Keys before Sun
day, but were kept over by q scoundrelly con-
ductor, who assured them that the train would
not start for two hours, and in ten minutes after
he put on steam and left them to be plundered
by the Cedar Key pirates until Monday morn
ing. This style Of gouging is short-sighted
policy on the part Of all concerned. A rood
many travellers would take this short sea route
to Havana II they were not 90 systematically
deceived and cheated. As 1t is, the very namc
Of Cedar Keys and R0berts' steamer line 30
Havana causes . shudder Of dasgust and sayase
wrath with all who have experimented in that
direction. Cedar Keys consists of single strae-
Cling street, commencing at the fea-infested.
dirty little railroad station and skirted by half
dozen stores and shops and Q couple OF two
story hospitals for heas bearing the pretentious
names of'"The Gulf House" and "The Ex-
change Hotel" Beyond 10 . cove filled with
cedar logs stolen by the Cedar Key pirates from
government lands; and beyond this couple of
saw mills where the logs are put into lumber
and into pencil stuff-fOr the cedar here In ~