The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-23

from The Courier Journal

Long years have passed since Ponce
de Leon and his fellow adventures, OF
an age when romance possessed the
imaginations Of men, sought for the
fountain Of life in the wilds Of Florida
It was then, as now, land OF flowers,
In cline that invites TO case. IT, after
all, the dream Of renewed OF perpetual
life is not 10 be realized there, 1t IL u
blessed land ii II gives only short
otherwise held in u state OF imprison
ment in sick room during the preva-
lence OF winter winds, it must be CRATE
ful to be In u land Of perpetual summer
Instead Of the mu1fIed tread Of the
nurse, the row OF ominous-looling la
beled bottles on the mantel, he Is u
freeman, drinking in the balmy air Of u
new country, which treats him kindly
as q guest. He Is welcomed by the
zephyrs, and the river banks and
meadows are in holiday attire. 1t Is u
land where the flowers never die, and
the songs Of the birds never cease.
All Of these surroundings are doubt
less very matter OF fact to the resident
in coon skin cap and long rifle; who, II
he has his grove Of oranges, thinks
more Of the market price than OF the
delicacy of the fruit. Perhaps there Is
something more comfortable, according
to the idea of healthy man, in the
warm blaze OF an open CRATE, than life
where the daily newspapers are stale
when they reach you, and where one s
safety is q question Ii he absent-mind-
edly gets too near an alligator. Unless,
then, one is troubled with lung disease
(which God forefend) he ought to
be reasonably satisfied with
home comforts. II is fortunate
| a. ;, al To hn
orally to make the trip to Florida. II
we can't all listen to the mOcking bird
we may, for valuable consideration
secure choice seats at the opera. Al
Delmonico's and various other places
not unknown to epicures, we may get
something like an equivalent for ba
nanas and oranges fresh plucked. Aside
from the practical advantages that may
be derived from u Southern climate, II
must seem to the traveller something
like joke to be roaming around with
palm leaf fan in the hand, and com
plants about the warmth are grotesqut
while uttered in a elf-complacent man
ner To the person who can afford tht
luxury of all that Southern skies imply
and il necessary, take his mother-in
law with him, the novelty is something
in which he gets his money back
This Florida fever is the development
Of the American genius for travelling. l
is an encouraging indication that peopl'
are making money enough TO get abou
on. 1t helps to circulate rag money
The constant thrusting Of paper cur
rency on the rebels Of Florida is max
ing them familiar with the faces OF tn
late Mr.. Lincoln and other Fedora
ofliceholders, and is doing much to re
concile them to reunion. Mrs. Beeche
Stowe is in their midst, too, impelled b
a desire to find out something definit
about
the land where the cypress and the myrtle,
Are emblems Of deeds that are done In thel
cline,
to use the words of her favorite poe1
We entertain no doubts as to the bene
gts and pleasures Of this trip, but 1t !
getting to be SO fashionable-and prob
!; ably Boss Tweed is secreted now !
some of the swamps there, feeding o
| bananas-that the stay-at-home peop!
: must have some consolation. There
no need to suggest any disadvar
tages. We will derive what pleasul