Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-08
For the Freeman.
Letter from Florida.

which previous letter has failed to reach us This let
dated At It e March e sr
he writer details the events of his journey follows
have struck the oasis of this southern
land, at the capital of Observation-Disclosures
By the horse railroad we returned again
to Tocoi on the St. John. 1t began to rain
before we got there, and rained whilst we
were going up the river, and after we ar
rived at Palatka. We bought a ticke,
from Tocoi to Enterprise, at the head OF
regular navigation on the st. John, and
return to jacksonville, for which we paid
BIG. 1t was to include our board and
lodging on the boat for the trip. The,
gave us verp good dinner. 1t was abolt
lark when we reached Palatka, / walked
to the Putnam House, the proprietors OF
which are Ecrmonters. 1t is homelikt
place, with, should judge. about fifty
tells on the st. John.
We left Palatk:l at o'clock the next
morning. The monotony of the river is
somewhat excessive, but is broken by sew.
eral lakes, the largest of which. Lake
George, is 10 miles long by 10 wide. The
boats 90 through its entire length, then
come very narrow and winding, scarcely
larger than Otter Creek or Onion River in
Vermont. We stopped several times along
side the banks. at what are supposed to be
settlements, the largest of which consists
of one, possibly two stores, and two or
three houses. At one time we emerge
bounded by low hills For an instant YOU
may think that you approach an inhabited
country; dreams of distant scenes suggest
themselves. The boat keeps on, but there
are no cultivated fields; the open land is
overgrown with reed grass, and nothing
else, and forms what they call here prairieS,
quent in the interior, and on which thou
sands of cattle get their living. We saw
a good many of these cattle grazing on the
banks. The owners brand them and herd
them twice "A year. They sell them for
beef. They are small and sell for S14 to
s22 per head when grown. Besides these
we saw no inhabitants, excepting the heron
the fisher. the rice birds. and a paro-
quet, whose green plumage suggested the
birds of South America
Enterprise is situated at the head of Lake
Harvey. 1t was dark before we arrived
and we left before light, but have no
doubt it is Il very poor place. and small.
Its hotel is old and desolate, though at it
we bought some very fine oranges, six for
ii quarter. | saw the sun rise Friday
morning on Lake Harvey. 1t is the worst
place for sunrise that know of, but after
the day had advanced and we We're again
on the river, it grew pleasanter. The
passengers, of whom there were not more
than Il dozen. sat upon the hurricane deck
and watched the trees upon the shore, and
at times, when the boat stopped. walked
down and went on shore as a variety
The sun set whilst we were among the
islands above Palatka, where is the finest
scenery of the river; and the damp air
drove us down from the hurricane decks
We reached Palatka ut about I o'clock,
left there at 9, and were at jacksonville
the next morning. l walked to the River
side House, where | arrived some little
time before breakfast found five of the
old boarders there, four of them from Yer
mont 1t was very pleasant to come again
among acquaintance. remained at Jack
sonville four or five days. leaving Wednes-
day afternoon for Tallahassee At Live
Oak we stopped over from 9 clock till t
the next morning. | went to a house a
short distance from the depot kept by Il
Mrs. Slate. Supper was soon ready, and
consisted of partridees, an excellent
cup of coffee and watfles. | was shown
to the parlor, where beds had been made
up. l noticed upon its table "a good assert
ment of books, which l find in nearly all
these southern homes. From Live Oak to
Tallahassee is 90 miles. The road is through
thinly settled country that seems to have
been stuck with poverty. Some time be
fore we reach Tallahassee the country be-
comes rolling.
Tallahassee is built upon one of the many
hills that form the rolling country for
many miles around it. 1t is situated 200
feet above the Gulf, which is 20 miles dis
tant. in fertile country that was formerly
the most productive part of Florida. and
the center of its wealth, and which think
will become so again. for it has all the
natural advantages, fine scenery. dry eli
mate, hard roads instead of sand, and as
good land as can be found South
Much of this land is now for sale at the
very lowest market prices; SO per
acre being an average price for land
that would be worth in many parts of the
country 500; and very good buildings
can be included at that price if the pur-
chase is large enough. Oranges grow here
but are not cultivated AS a crop. The peo-
pie at Tallahassee are very hospitable, and
are doing what they can to attract north
ern visitors. think they will succeed, for
one can live with Il great deal more OF
comfort here than in any place I have Wis
tied, on account of the roads. And thei
they can be much better supplied will
vegetables and meats, and at much les
expense, owing to the nature of the soil
Eggs sell at ) cents; at St. Augustine they
were 40. Corn'at st. Augustine was 81 80
here 50 cents bushel There are but q
few hundred acres of cultivated land neal
St. Augustine; here thousands upon thou.
sands Of the very best. There is no farm.
ing country about Jacksonville. The mo-
ment you leave m artificial walk OF road
you go ankle deep into the sand Al