New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-24
LETTER FROM FLORIDA,

New Orleans to Havana. One is directly
across the gulf by the Northern and Euro
pean steamers that touch there The other
ls the Florida line, which is run expressly
to bring the trade of Florida, as well as
Cuba. to our wharves, and which, therefore,
as home institution, deserves a word of
encouragement. This line runs d steamer
each way each week between the two cities,
touching at Cedar Keys and Key West, and
carrying the mails from New Orleans as far
as the latter point. The time through to
Havana is usually about four days, includ-
ing stOppage of about half q day each at
both Cedar Keys and Key West The route
lies through the smooth water of the gull
coast, and save in rare instances of severe
storms, enjoys the capital advantage that
passengers are seldom sea-sick.
The Hon. c. B. Darrall and family and
myself are here on board the Havana,
bound to the ever faithful island upon a
flying tour of pleasure and observation.
From personal experience we can vOuch for
the comfort of the vessel. for the splendid
table it sets, and for the interchangeable cour-
tesy and attention Of Captain Pennington
and Purser Boyle.
PROJECTED MAIL ROUTE.
Within two years this line has made the
State of Florida a customer of New Or
leans, and it is a shame that it can not OBJ
tain contract to carry the mails from Key
West on to Havana, inasmuoh as it carries
vast NUM- bers of letters across for nothing.
Mr.. j. X. Robert, the New Orleans man
ager Of the line, contemplates, as under
stand, asking Congress to establish light
ming mail route from New York to Havana
by rail directly through the Atlantic South
ern States to Cedar Keys, and thence by
his steamers down the smooth and safe
gulf side of Florida to Key West and
Havana. This route is already favorite
one for travel, and we now have with us
several passengers from the North for
Cuba, who got aboard from the cars at
Cedar keys, and who come this way for
the sake of speed and to avoid sea sickness
This project, if successful, will be a great
convenience to the entire South, for at
present letter from Florida to Cuba must
go by rail to New York and there take a
steamer to Havana. Safety and economy
are additional considerations. While five
millions worth of property are annually
wrecked along the dangerous and dreaded
Atlantic coast of Florida, the oldest sailor
does not remember any disaster that ever
occurred on the gulf coast north of this
point. The government subvention of Mr..
Roberts line from Cedar Keys to Havana
would vastly benefit New Orleans by in
creasing the size and number OF steamers
upon this route, and thus acceleraung an
already growing and prosperous trade.
SANDY CEDAR KEYS.
This is the farthest point south TO which
any railroad extends, and is a most unfa-
%orable introduction to the land of flowers.
1t looks like, and is, the jumplng-of place.
Five minutes after you 60 ashore the lovely
sea breeZes Till your eyes with sand, the
heas attack you with vigor all along the
line, and yOu-howI. You don't ask the
first man YOU meet the price of town lots,
not by jug full. Holding your hat on
with one hand, and rubbing the sand out OF
your eyes with the other you meekly in
quire, in gentle accents, how soon the first
conveyance, by land or sea, viii depart
from that pleasant village.
PLEASANT TAMPA.
Cedar Keys has no harbOr. Tampa. |
hundred miles further down the coast, has |
nineteen feet of water on her bar, and her |
bay could float the navies of the world. |
Cedar Keys is dreary. Tampa is delight |
tul orange growing town OF some two thou
sand inhabitants. and should have been the |
terminus of the Florida railroad which /
ends in the sand banks of Cedar Keys be- |
cause the old fossil, Zulee, owns the latter I
place as well as the railroad which he man
aged to gobble up when he was United
States Senator and ran the politics of the !
State Gulee is the most heartily despised
man in the State, even by those he led into |
secession, and upon whose ruin, wrought |
by his own intrigues, he managed to thrive I
while all the other rebel leaders went to /
the bottom. He is enormously rich, but
hostile to all progress. He is the bane of
the State and a great check upon its pros
perity. He poisons and stagnates every
thing he touches.
CHARLOTTE HARBOR.
Charlotte harbor is the last capaciOus
and deep harbor on the Gulf coast, and is
where the Gulf telegraph to Havana turns
to cable and takes to the water. The land
in the vicinity is good, fsh and game
abound, the climate is delightful, and as
frost is never seen further South than
miles to the north-tr0pical
fruits of all kinds flourish. In this de-
lightful spot party of New York capital
lists are starting town. They propose to
have up large hotel Tor Northern visitors
by next winter.
PROSPEROUS FLORIDA.
Strange as it may sound, Florida ls pro
portionally one Of the most prosperous and
growing States OF the Union. Northern
with plenty of money to
spend, are doing the work. Wealthy and
cultivated families, fearing hereditary lung
di .eates or one member of which has d
cough, are building winter residences every
where, and making the State their winter
Mecca. Jacksonville has 1900 inhabit-
ants, is growing rapidly, boasts two hotels
equal to the st. Charles and St. Louis, and
has all the characteristics of New Eng
land town. The same may be said of all
the villages in Northern Florida. 1t is es-
timated that 10000 travellers visited the
State during the past winter, and that they
spent $1,000 900, which, you know, is bet
ter thing than magnificent sugar crop.
Drummers from New Orleans houses
supply this region with groceries and pro
visions over Roberts line of steamers and
the railway to Cedar Keys.
KEY WEST.
We have spent to-day in seeing hey
Vest, and as it patrOnizes New Orleans, it
is worth talking about. | am surprised to
fnd it fourIshing little city OF oOJO in
habitants. AS 1t sits alone in the sea, with
hardly enough ground to stand upon, ole
wonders where it gets its business from.
Bat the wonder is soon dispelled. 1t is a
ooaling station. It is the headquarters OF
aIl the reef wreCkers, and wreckipg is a
permanent and profitable business. 1t is
an important army and naval station. 1t
is the headquarters of the sponge trade,
which is coed. 1t ships large quantities Of
Immense turtles, weighing from 100 to 900
pounds each, 70 New YORK; and last, but
not least, it is the greatest cigar manu-
featuring point in the Union. Most
OF our Havana cigars are manufac-
tured ia Key West by refugee
Cuban patriots they are hard looking pa
triOts"l Who have the raw tobacco sent
over from Havana, which is only eighty
miles distant. The difference in cur tariff
enables them TO save abou. twenty-five
per cent and pu: th. genuine Havana in
eur markets with paying duty only on the
raw material. Key West is town Of white
frame houses. It is growing wonderfully.
and nothing but the prufusiOn of eocOa-nut