Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-04-14
Letter from Florida.
Two Excursions.

no doubt you have the same feelings
if so you will be interested in our fishing
excursion last Tuesday, the 22d inst,
which is as follows At half past Am.
started in company with Harris Car
penter of Milford, Mass, and George
Acosta, a native of this place, reaching
the north shore of Julinton creek at .
O'Clock where we took our boat and pulled
from the shore for the day, on the dark,
deep waters of the creek. As we passed
up the creek, the noisy birds seemed, in
disagreeable, muttering way, to try to
tell us that our room was more desirable
with them than our company however,
they kept us awake and we attended to
our own business. We had two spinners
trolling about fifty yards from the stern
of our boat which to the beautiful trout
were complete deception; rowing up
and down the creek FOR about Z hours,
till about p. NJ, which time we very
much enjoyed being quite successful
We landed where we launched the boat
in the morning, with fourteen nice trout
and one pickerel. The largest trout
weighed 81 lbs. the next 81 lbs, total,
SO lbs. and they were delicious. 1t was
splendid day, we had nice time and
enjoyed every hour, and that's the way
we spent Wednesday.
Friday, the oath, forty one of us char
tered the steamer, Mary Draper, for a
days excursion up Black creek. Our
captain was John Manucy. Our party
we're all northern people, made up of
Stoves, Grams, Spragues, Sayers, Meads,
Webbs, Cutters and others.
We steamed out from Mandarin at 8
A. NJ. At 81 we passed the wreck of the
go,ot, Transport Maple Leaf, which is
now sunk down out of sight One year
ago its walking beam was five or six feet
above the surface of the water. A pole
with barrel on it is put up for a signal
and a buoy near to warn people OF the
danger of running on to the Inflated
wreck. She was sunk by torpedo
placed in the river by the rebels in Apr
1864. Fortunately no lives were los
except the fireman's.
| AT 81 we passed the mouth of Julin
ton creek Ga very large mouth too, leav
ing it on our left At 10 we passed Hi
hernia, a small but pleasant settlemen
on our right, between Doctors lake anc
Black creek on Flemings Island. A
104 we entered the mouth of the creek
twelve miles from home and twenty -fiv
miles from our. destination, which wa
Middleburgh. Black is very appro
pirate name for this creek Its water
are dark and inhabited by various kind
of fish, snakes and aligators. 1t is mar
row, long and deep; navigable over 3
miles. Occasionally log huts can be see
along its banks, but mostly covered wit
forest trees. Shrubs and some flowers
oaks, pines, ash, cypress, cedar and mas
nolia grow ON its banks, and overhan
q its dismal waters. These forest trees al
t intermingled with mistletoe, palmetto
: dogwood. honeysuckles and red bell
v The creek is by no means straight.
J many places, as you look ahead, the oN
erhanging trees seem to mingle thei
: branches from both sides of the creel
giving the appearance of an end to on
Y voyage. Flooding along with the san
e suspense between the borders of lily boz
n nets for two hours or more, we brougl
n up safely at rather an ancient lookir
wharf, and more ancient and dilapidate
% looking village called Middleburgh.
few rods from the wharf was nice PHI
. grove, on dry land, and carpeted wit
. pine straw, which seemed to be prepare
for us and awaiting our arrival A vel
y nice repast was Immediately prepared |
the ladies Ito whom much credit is du
e which all seemed to relish and very muC
! enjoy. After our delicious dinner '
took stroll of fourth of a mile up i
to the desolate village which, before Il
jacksonville and Mobile railroad W
a built, supported twelve stores and thr
+ churches, schools, de-, and was full
n life and prosperity. Then its transit W
:, all up and down Black creek and seem
to be the business center of large 81
- ton Of back country. Now large nu
Der of buildings stand there unoccupi
a and dilapidated, about ready to tumt
:, down. Nothing like business, except
- very poor specimen of one horse sto
p that some sick man might tend that
o not wish anything to do. We passed
T. till we come to an old Roman Catho
70 Church, having the appearance of bel
forsaken by human beings long ii
ago. Its walls and windows were de
= rated with cobwebs which to appearal
air had many years out lived their buildt
n. When We were assembled in that
No and man-forsaken looking place, one