Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-11-25
WORDS FROM JAcKsoNvILLE.
what IA FORMER Citizen of HnoxviIi,
Thinks of Florida.
Nov. 18th, 1874.

NOV. lSth, 1874.
EDITORS CHRONICLE: Jacksonville
Is the chief city in Florda-the entire
port of the State-the gateway to the
interior of our American Italy.n No
city in the South has grown more rap
idly since the war than Jacksonville.
Less than twenty years ago, there was
a cornfield on the site of Bay street.
now the chief avenue of business for a
city of fifteen thousand inhabitants.
| During the years of the war every
thing was allowed to run to decay "a
fire also swept away many of the best
| Improvements; and at the close of the
great struggle, the grass stood waist
| high In the streets, and the cattle had
taken refuge from the sun in the de-
serted houses. But Northern people
have swept in 30 resistly that the
whole face of things has changed-the
city has grown up according to the
New England pattern, so far as the
houses are concerned. This is easily
accounted for, since fully one-half of
the resident population are Northern,
and have settled here since the war
Many persons have been foolish
enough to fancy that in going to Flor
ida they must absent themselves from
/ civilization, believing that the entire
peninsula was inhabited by negroes.
Indians and Crackers" Ia name
given to the poor native
whites.) Nothing could more agreeahly
dissipate such notions than for them
to come aud spend n few weeks in
! jacksonville. All city characteristic,
/ have found their way into this young
Floridian metropolis. We have two
mammoth notes.-the St. James and
Grand National. The capacity of these
two houses alone is at least. five hun
! dred guests, while there are a large
number of smaller houses with about
the capacity of the Franklin House I'm
| Knoxville. Our suburbs are charm
ing" Brooklyn" and River Side,n
and " La Villa" and Wyoming
where invaltds and pleasure-seekers
eau find repose and enjoyment. The
streets are wide and well ordered, and
almost perfectly shaded on either side
with large spreading "live oak,U
magnolia and juniper, robed and fes-
TONED in moss and mistletoe. Nearly
all the houses are ornamented with
double Verandas, covered with the
greatest profusion of Towering vines,
while the gardens are made beautiful
with the broad-leafed banana, sweet
orange and graceful palmetto.
Our city boasts of excellent public
schools for white and black children.
Both races are opposed to the civil
rights bill" so far as schools are con
cerned, hence the colors are kept en-
tirely distinct in the city schools.
Prof. Swain, formerly of Newark, nj
j., has charge of the white schools, is
) a thorough scholar, and is making a
grand success of his work.
, In point of ecclesiastic and Church
, privileges, almost every denomination
IL represented here and very like
: Knoxville, we have a duality of Pres
byterians and Methodists. The color
ed people have the finest churches,
and make the loudest noise in their de-
yOuons and these are kept up almost
= every night from June TO January"
some of the old fashioned ones claim
this right, and say Dat dey am de
Lords people, aud hab come to De
, year of juhilOn
] The 81. Johns river at Jacksonville
makes a crescent bend, not unlike
that of the Mississippi at New Orleans,
throwing large eXpanse of water
/ round about the city, making a
grand harbor, and Offering the finest
possible opportunities for commerce.
Our city claims one of the most flour
ishing lumber ports in the United
States. During the last year, over
100000 feet of pine lumber were cut
and shipped from this port to North
l ern cities besides an immense guam
tity of shingles, slaves and other na~
] val stores. Two or three of our mills
Y have the capacity of cutting 10000
- feet per day. When the war closed
there was not a wharf left on the river.
. Federal and Confederate.had warred
I and wasted, until everything like a
o wharf was swept away. AS battle
memorial, there lies in the stream
short distance above the city, sunken
gunboat, its engine gear just showing
above the waves. Inquiring of a ven
cradle Floridian how it came to be
" Crockett style. 1.-THE darned
Yankees shot and guns We're too hot
! and heavy for her, and they jist set
4 her up.'
+. Jacksonville is rapidly becoming the
I Saratoga of the South. 1t is estimated
= that forty thousand persons visited
this place last winter and that this
70 year the number will reach at least
a fifty thousand. 1t is by no means the
, invalid alone that comes to visit this
j land Of blossoms and perennial sun
. shine; but thousands Of pleasure seek
D ers aIefound here from November uu-
til May.
Messrs. Editors, if you are not quite
/ satisfied with what | have said about
Jacksonville, come down and take q
. strole with me through the city at sun
set, and let the soft breezes come ca
, ressingly about your face, and the
flowers Of every shade of beauty peep
at you from the dOor-yards, while the
! birds sing sweetly for you from every
: green bough overhead, and great clus-
= tiers of sweet oranges blushing into a
a golden ripeness tempt you; while the
last rays of the sun-iiash from the
!; bosom of the st. JOINTS, causing those
grand avenues to glitter with sill
D very sheen" and you will have a bet
Il ter notion of Jacksonville. J.F.S.