Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-03-17
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH II, 1875.
Correspondence Of the Waterman.
FLORIDA.
PROM JACKSONVILLE TO Kry wrr

! out on expeditions ln search OF eithef peas
ure, health, or business To Jacksonville he
returns to start again for other scenes. Jack
sonyille is the distributing post office
for the mails Of the entire state, and it is
also the edistributingpointfo for all travellers who
visit the state Now, reader, we will suppose
that YOU and are at jacksonville, have seen
this portion Of Florida, and are discussing
where to go next / suggest a trip to Key
West for 70 win show many Florida pecu-
liarties not visible on any other route. II
you win go with me We will walk down to
the station ia themoming and start at seven
forty, AN,
And thus we are off Our ticket to Cedar
Keys costs us six dollars each. Our cars are
as sumptuous as any on the average trains
in the North or West We have left most Of
our baggage behind for the experienced tray-
eler, like the old soldier, does not cumber
himself with a large amount Of luggage.
We whisk off over level country OF tall,
straight pines, with here and there an open
ing occasionally shanty or hut, and at the
end Of twenty miles the brakeman shouts -
" Baldwin, change cars for Cedar Keys
and Fernandna" Baldwin, 10y its frequent
appearance on maps and guide books, might
be supposed am important place but We see
only a station house. a freight she'd, two long
platforms, tvorailroad tracks crossing nearly
at right angles and a barroom or two, as We
hurry out of our comfortable car into what
would bc considered on a prosperous rail.
road as unfit even for smoking car An
anxious, impatient look backward shows us
that we are in the rear car Of the train. The
car ia front, half filled with negroes Of both
sexes, Is as good as a cattle car would be If
rough seats were fastened around its sides, a
door made in either end and a window or
two 80 either side Sinking into a seat Of
hard cushion, covered with enamel cloth we
resign ourselves patiently to what the rail-
road company, the Fates has provided
for us but there is anxiety in our tone as
We ask the conductor on his first round .--
"What time are we due at Cedar Keys 2"
Sixoclock," is the laconic reply, and we
find resignation is a necessity Enquiry
shows there is nothing better ON the road
and a casual acquaintance tells how in earlier
days engines broke down, car wheels refused
service and a hundred and one other ae.
cideut. prolongeda jouneyo Of twelve hours
into a fourth as many days We finally
thank our stars, and bless the nineteenth
century for even the little improvement
which 81 has youchsafed 10 the A. G.. aud
WI r. Company railroad and by noon
when too tired to feel rebellious,-we become
resigned
The journey Is tedious. The whole is
over one long level For the first half Of the
way the forests Of tall, yellow pine are more
common than anyother scene their straight,
arrowy trunks shoot up without branches or
underbmsh. Sometimes they stand seat
tered. and at long intervals again they are so
close their trunks look almost like united
wall now they are untouched by the axe,
aud anon We pass thousands O.: them notched
and Scared for their pitch, which is trans
muted into resin and tupentine at the oc-
casional distillenes by the roadside. Occa-
sionally we see a swamp Of small cypress
trees standing literally mp to their knees in
water and we search anXiously for the ALI
gators but, see none. We interrogate a
colored citizen, and learn that " They are
plenty, but it is too cold" With a ,hrug We
consult the thermometer -7j9 and Feb
ruary. Wedonot care wait until summer to
see them come out Of their mud retreats it
would be too long TO watt and beside We
have au ill-defned feeling that it might be
too warm for us when it proved to be pleas
ant for the alligators.
Our line OF travel is toward the southwest
and our gradual approach to the tropics is
shown by various indications in the forest:
about us. The pines are not so numerous
and we see more swamp land. The under
brush becomes at last very dense and high
a perfect tangle OF confused vegetation
most Of it strange to eyes fresh from the
north The scrub palmetto, OF which We
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