Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-02-25
For the vEREoSr FARMER.
A Visit to Beecher Springs.


Edwin A. Studwell, formerly of Brook
lyu, N Y, has established town on q high
rolling tract of land lying between st Johns
river and Dumas lake, and named it in honor
Of his former pastor aud Reighbor, Henry
Ward Beecher. In this town is section OF
land called Studwell park, in the center Of
which are located Beecher springs. There
are represented to be three springs, but |
doubt there being more than two the third
being combination Of the other two.
Mary, the so called third spring, is ninety
feet square, and averages sixteen feet in
depth.
Mable spring is sixty feet square and from
six to eight feet deep.
Lucia spring is fifteen by thirty feet and
four or Eve feet deep.
The water Of these springs united form
brook or creek ono rod wide and twenty
inches deep.
The water in the two springs is crystal
clear, but when united in the third it has n
milky shade. The water is said to be strongly
charged with sulphur, magnesia aud iron,
and to be valuable as o medicine. Bathing
in the sulphur water il beneficial, and in
many cases people are permanently cured of
rheumatism. The springs are surrounded
by forest Of live and water oak, ash, bay &,
palmetto and pine. If you desire to know
how the water tastes, drink water that has
been used in cleansing gun.
1t is said Juan Ponce de Leon, wealthy
and honored Spaniard, more than three and
half centuries ago, hearing the wonderful
stories of the existence Of fountain beyond
the seas, which bathing in and drinking its
waters would sndow him with perpetual
youth, organized an exhibition for the pur.
pose Of discovering the wonderful ife-giving
waters resulting 10 the discovery Of Florida
in 1912. Beecher springs may have been
the wonderful fountain that lured the brave
Leon over the waters in fond hopes of re.
newing the strength aud vigor of youth
We drank aud bathed 10 the waters Of
the life-giving fountain without any percep.
uble renewal of our youth, unless it was an
extraordinary appetite for supper, which was
no doubt caused by partial omission Of our
dinner. On our way to aSd from the springs
wO called on several cracker families 1t is
impossible for one to half realize, without
seeing, the stupidity and beastly nastinoss of
Florida cracker. They are sandV-haired,
pale, wedge.shaped vlsaged specimen of de-
graded humanity. 1t is the height of iucou-
siStency to expect anything Of them beyond
the power to vOgetatS. You could not com.
pei respectable northern hog to live in the
pen inhabited by many crackers twonty-iour
ton Of half that time death would result
from the fumes Of decaying filth to which
they are unaccustomed. The dress worn by
one woman We saw was not worth FIVE cents
only as fertilizer after decomposition for
orange trees. The children were moving
monuments Of dirt that had been accumu-
lating on their bodies ever since their birth
From these dens of filth, emanate low, vicious
men and women, who are deadly enemies Of
the negroes, and view northern settlers with
no friendly eye. The crackers are jealous Of
negro rights, fearing at ne distant day the
black man will be as far 10 advance Of them
as we are to-day ahead Of the Indians in
civilization. Under the least possible provo
cation the crackers will commit all crimes in
the black list from the lowest to murder
against the negroes. Without doubt demo.
Gratis will cry "blOody Shirt" but if they dc
not believe my statement that negroes have
been murdered and NOrtherners called ouI
in the darkness of night and shamsfHlly
beaten by masked bands Of crackers in the
adjoining county of Volusis, then let them
examine the jail at Jacksonville, wherein
they will hHd ten or more crackers, whe have