The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-04-19
CORRESPONDENCE.
SOUTHERN SKETCHES
From the Fair Land of Ever.
Blooming Flowers.
FROM FLORIDA.

FROM OUR SOUTHERN CORRESPONDENT
PEN PICTURES OF SCENES IN THE EVER
GREEN STATE.
Especial Correspondence OF the Sentinel
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. April 5 1s76.-This
land OF flowers Is so full of attractions; its
climate Is so genial and delicious, tempt
Jog the tourist 10 constantly wander among
and wonder at the new fields of enjoy
ment, that it Is almost impossible to get
even an hour for letter. Coming down
from the cold SHOWS of our home land. one
simply bssks under these bright
skies, forgets that be was
ever snow bound and lapses
into q state of satisfaction that makes
him smile all oyer. This Is why my
letters are so unfrequent. The air Is clear,
the waters are pure and perfectly trans
parent, the sunlight is stimulating, and
the stars come nearer to us than they do
at home. What wonder that
THoUsANps OF PLEASURE SEEKERS
from bleak New England, New York and
every state of the Northwest are crowd
ing these great hotels and boarding
houses and rsdisting from here
all over this vast state, visiting
it's unnumbered beautiful springs, deep
lakes and charming orange groves? Up
the great st. Johns, the mother .ot rivers,
goes daily tide on the splendid steamer
Hampton to Pilatke, or the popular Star
light TO Enterprise, 200 miles soutbwsrd,
or any of the many steamers that depart
for points nearer or far beyond; and daily
comes back an equal tide OF those
who have spent from single
day to two or three mon hs
wandering, always delighted and ALWAYS
craving more. To this picture there is no
dark side. .... r1
MANY A FAMILIAR FACE
you will meet here, Of friend who came
with hacking cough and wasted frame,
who here rejoices in returning strength
and hope. Everywhere we found com
sumptives expressing the greatest satisfsc-
| ton with the climate and it's restoring
| qualities. Both all through Georgia and
away into Southern Florida these pale faces
of the North have crowded In, and in
every In s.ance where we have met
Northern man, he Is perfectly enthusiastic
| about the climate. Many also claim that
only here can they fiud rest from the hor
rible p aims of Leuralgis. The great NORTH
| western excursion party maintained good
order and kept the ranks well until they
reached this city, 1t was no longer pos
sible to bind them together. An en-
'busiastic reception wss given them
In large hall, accompanied with
ve-y pleasant speeches, etc., after which
the cOmpany broke mp into squads and
started for the orange groves, the rivers,
| the fountains, and the lakes OF this en-
CT auting country. Some " ould spend but
| a few days, and q large number have al
ready "fsd to the land of the North" Just
in time to get caught in the great snow
| storm, of which we have heard OF here With
a. enlistment, but many are still far
| up in the high pine lands, and the groves
of bananas, hmes, pomes ranites, oranges,
| lemons, figs, cocoauuts, etc. Many spent
a season In one Of the many grand hotels
| of
JACKSONVILLE.
This is a beautiful city in every respect.
It Is clean. green and sprghtly. 1t is
crowded all winter always with genteel
people from all the Northern cities and
towns. 1t is, altogether, q fashionable
place of resort. The rates of hotels vary
| from 81 per day or S24 per week,
TO 81 per day or IS or Sl2 per
week In very fine boarding houses.
The place has the appearance OF beautiful
number OF colored inhabitants here is
about the only drawback. They are a
source of constant trouble. On last Satur-
| day fearful riot was gotten up because
policeman attempted to quiet a drunken,
noisy negro, who was using great deal OF
loud, vulgar language just a. the moment
tost many ladies and gentlemen were
did his duty very quietly, re-
Iquestipg the man to keep quiet.
The worthless creature drew a razor
and struck with all his power at the Of
icer's throat. Fortunately he broke the
rszor on carriage wheel, and with the
stump only gashed the cheek of the officer.
The officer shot him, not fatally. No one
| blamed the officer. But the most horr bic
scene ensued. Hundreds of negroes
rushed together, clamoriDg for the officers
| life, cursipg and shouting, "Kill him!' He
barely escaped to the Jail in an omnibus,
the mad crowd following through the
streets and attempting to tear the Jail
down. In no other place in Florida would
such a scene occur.
AN EXCURSION TO ST. AUGUSTINE,
made by three hundred of our party,
was most delightful affair. 1t
WAS made on the steamer Hampton, on
the majestic st. Johns to Tokoi, q de-
lightful ride, and thence thirteen miles by
rail on st. Augustine railroad and return
same day. A visit, to ST.. Augustine is
perhaps one of the most enjoyable to the
tourist who views this Land of Flowers"
This ancient place, as is perhaps known,
is the Oldest in America, being founded in
] 1865, fifty-dve years before the landing of
the Plymouth colory, and forty-tbree
years before the Jamestown, Va, settle
meIt. And 1t yet sbounds in tnF
RELICS OF ANTIQUITY
which universally prove of great interest
to the tourist. The city, containing some
1000 inhabitants, is in the shape of an
oblong parallelogram. and is finely situated
on harbor called Mantapzas river.
It. streets are of the sptiquated ktyle, be-
| ing butt very narr)w, sometimes but Is
feet broad, while the houses built close mp
site sides Of streets by the hanging baicc-
mes of the second story. The stone used
in all these buildings is called CT quina, II
is a very firm concretioD OF email shells
together with iragmentsry shell remains