Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-06-02
letter from Florida.
JACKSONVILLE, 81. JOHNS nryrR AND ST. Auorsriss

L ltOHcfuueu.l
Green Cove Springs next claims our atten-
ton, and here we find every place full for
the climate is so delightful and accommoda-
tions so good, many persons prefer this place
to Jacksonville. Two large hotels and nu-
merous boarding-houses offer comfortable
quarters, while the sulphur spring, from
which the village takes its name, affords
variety and furnishes delightful bath-as
its temperature rarely varies from seventy
five degrees Farenheit-with basin from
thirty-fve TO forty feet in diameter, while
its greatest depth is twenty-five feet, but so
shallow near the margin that tiny children
can luxuriate in its heslth-giving waters as
well as those Of larger growth. 1t is
claimed that three thousand gallons of wa
ter are thrown out every minbte-enough to
cure all the rheumatics on this continent.
But we will hasten ON 10 Pilatka, vii
age Of thirteen hundred inhabitants, nearly
all Northern people who have settled here
since the war. / was informed that there
were many Vermonters among them, but
| did not chance to meet any Of them. The
town looks as II New Englanders had hand
in building il; ; but the natives viii not soon
forgive the innovation. To have clean, or
derly, thrifty village in place Of their dozen
huts and half as many bar-rooms, is too
much for the average cracker forbearance,
but finding resistance useless they chew the
cud of discomfort in quiet, only giving way
to expressions Of disapprobation when they
fall among oongcnial spirits
Fruit thriyes much better here than at
Jacksonville and orange groves are much
more numerous and productive Col IIart's,
just opposite Pilatka, is the finest, in which
are nearly a thousand trees, some Of them
over forty years old, which must yield him
an enormous income as the cost Of caring
for the trees, picking and packing the fruit
is comparatively small and labor cheap 1t
is hard 10 restrain the desire to pick the lus-
cious fruit as one wanders through these
fine groves; but if that were permitted, the
hundreds who daily visit there would soon
frighten away the profits.
The large steamers 60 no farther than Pi-
latka, but smaller ones viii carry us up the
Ochlawaha river, to Dunn's Lake, or directly
on to Enterprise On our way we pass by
Silver Spring, which is remarkable for the
clearness and purity Of It's water, which is so
transparent that though eighty feet deep the
pebbles on the bottom can be seen as dis
tinctly as in a mountain brooklet
Twenty-Five miles south of Pilatka, the
river widens into Little Lake George, which
is four miles wide and seven long from this
we enter Lake George proper, which is
twelve miles wide and eighteen in length,
and is studded with several islands, the
largest of which contains seventeen hundred
acres.
Five miles further on we stopped for
wood at place called volusia, where his
tory places an ancient Spanish city, but no
signs Of it are left. Here, also, was fort
built by General Eustis during the Seminole
war, but nothing now remains of it.
Enterprise is reached at last, after thirty
six hours of ride including stoppages. Here
we find Indian summer weather in Feb
ruary, with vegetables and fruit which, ac-
cording to Nermonts catalogue, belong in
July-green peas new potatoes, beans, beets,
Strawberries, etc. Hotel accommodations
are good at three dollars per day, and board
ing houses fair at less price.
Enterprise is the sportsman's Eden, and
will be until the game grow familiar with
their ways and forsake the place; fish are
very plentiful, and alligator hunting quite
successful though this sport reaches its
climax at Lake Harvey, twelve miles further
on, and at the head of navigation. Alligators
are good birds to waste lead on, for their
shiny backs are hard to penetrate, and so
! slippery the balls can stand no chance. They
look like black logs tumbling about in the
water, but the way they "wink their tails
makes one feel like observing due amount
of ceremony in approaching them. Many
visitor has carried home young specimens
from six inches to foot in lepgth, but l
think after they get their growth, twenty
feet of alligator will be rather too much to be
amusing.
Bidding adeu to Enterprise, we retrace our
steps TO Tocoi, which is on the east bank of
the St Johns, and between Green Cove
Springs and Pilatka The place has no spe-
cial interest in itself, but is the depot of the
/ St. Augustine railroad, which has for its
eastern terminus the ancient city of st. Au-
gustine, place no one can afford to miss
seeihg. Only few years ago-not more than
two or three-this road was " wooden one,"
the cars drawn by mules; but the rapid in
crease in travel created demand for more
rapid transit, so iron rails displaced the
wooden ones and the screech of the steam
whistle now wakes the blue herons from their
nap, which they take standing on one leg,
aud disturbs the buzzard at his dinner.
The country through which the cars pass
is very much the same as that lying between
Baldwin and Cedar Keys-one long, low, un-
broken level with tangled forests on either
side, little or no signs of life, and scarce any
thing to tempt one to try to live there. One
or two huts appeared in the bush, and sleepy
eyed human beings watched the cars as they
passed; near these huts were small sweet
potatoe patch, few orange trees and now
and then banana plant; fish in the st.
Johns are plentiful, so they need not starre,
and simply TO exist seems all their aim. How
they obtain money enough to buy the clothes
they wear is a mystery to me, but | suppose
they sell fish, or may be few oranges. They
are living Illustration of the words Of the
hymn which says
Man wants but little here below"
In forty minutes we had done the fifteen
miles of railroad, and now found ourselves
tranferred TO omnibuses which were soon
winding through streets, which seemed to us
like alleys, so narrow were they and so high
the walls in many places
Many persons are satisfied with single
day at st. Augustine, but spent eight days
in the ancient city, and then turned away re-
GREETING the time was so short. To be sure
there are not very many places of special in
terest to visit, but there is TO me charm
| | about ava,, ha rr.xy efraate and tha ouaaf