The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-23
Ths 9@ailg Assas.
FLORIDA,
Letter from J. II. Campbell,

HAwKrNsvILLH, Fla, Feb sth 1876
To The Editors Of The Rock Island Argus.
In your issue of January 18th you
published a letter written by John A.
Bower. who, at the time OF writing his let
ter, was at Fort Ried, in our county Of
Orange. The mere publication of his let
ter would have been unnotieed by me had
YOU not prefaced it with your ideas regard
inc the soundness of ldr. Boyer's views
upon the subject, and made, at the same
time, mention of the difference between
Mr. Bowers and my ideas. and saying
that you thought Mr.. Boyer's views were
about right. [ will, therefore. show the
readers Of The ARGUS the reasons for the
faith that is in me concerning Florida, and
how incorrect Mr.. Boyers statements are,
and how he comes to be wrong. | will take
each statement IN order, and / appeal to
every fair-minded reader Of this letter for
the truthfuluess and correctness of my
views.
Mr.. Boyers statement about being IS
far south as he could well get aud at the
head of navigation of the St. Johns river
is good specimen of the fairness of his
entire epistle. He could go three hund-
red miles farther south in Florida and
one hundred miles further up the St Johns
river. He is only one hundred and twenty
miles south of Jacksonville, as the maps of
the state will show He is less than two
hundred miles south of the northern
boundary of the state and he says that he
is some three or four hundred miles too far
south for health, comfort, or anything else
that is decent or bearable.
His next, that the only things enjoyable
here are the oranges and the green scenery
| is very ridiculous. It is fact, weil-knowr
TO every intelligent northerner who comes
here, that the salubrious climate of Florida
next to her fruit and vegetables, is hel
chief attraction and must eyer remain so
Our beautiful June-like weather we are
ENJOYING now, while it is mid winter al
the north. This fact must have been los
sight of by Mr.. Boyer, whose experience il
co extensive with his trip upon the rail
road through fifty miles O. the northerr
and poorest portion of the state, to JACK
sonvine. and from there upon steane
up the ST. Johns river to Millsville ant
/ Fort Ried, three miles back from LAX
/ Monroe, through the miserably poor whit
sand that covers the most of that neck Q
woods.
The reason why Mr.. Boyer knows s.
little about our state, her productions an;
attractions, is that he has not travele'
sufficiently through her territory to Sc
what she is He is very evidently sou
Upon some of the many boarding hous
kee, ers who only know best how to charg
high prices for accommodations,
On. we'll water is the clearest eve
saw sparkle in a glass All the water i
our peighborhood is as clear. My neighbol
a gentleman from Illinois, has not got
we'll dug yet and uses water from a hol
only four feet deem, but the water is a
clear and pure as chrystal and is worth
of the celebrated apostiophy to waite
used by Mr.. Cough, the great temreranc
lecturer. | have been here much longe
aud oftener than Mr.. Boyer. aud / hay
never yet tound any lake, river or surfal
water, in the winter months. warm enoug
Tor comfortable bathing. On the contrar.
the water we use slakes our thirst as e
fectually as any ever used in X OK isian
county. The waier is all soft, and
course has a different taste to one wi
has been In the habit Of drinking hard I
] lime water, but that soon wears away.
: In the lakes in front of our home the
is as fine black bass as ever graced tabl
perch, sun-ish, brill, and ca; fish, and
!. is all bosh for Mr. Boyer to assert that Il
fish grows soft as soon as taken out OF &
!. water. The assertion, to say the least,
simply guessed at and unworthy of 4
least credit. 1t Mr. Boyer viii come
my house will satisfy him Of the truth
my statement.
es As to the cost of oranges being
OF much to the producers as they get
e them, I can bring ten thousand witness
n to prove that tie assertion is untrue,
or But will not pursue the subject furth'
st only TO say to yea and all the rest of L
other friends in and about Rock islar
that | am not specializing in lands here
elsewhere. | came here to live and &
away from the long and severe winters
the north. aud will be glad to welcome a
and ali nf you to ny house (when get
f it that may see proper or make 1t CT
venitnt to visit Fi"rida, aud would rece
mend all who think of changing tn
homes to first come and see Florida Def,
locating elsewhere. | hav. seen sn una
consumptives benefited by reside,
here that ] recommend all who are suff
= ing from that fearful and fatal disease
come to Florida aud live.
Yours Respectfully.
J. II CAMPBELL