Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-09-25
Midsummer In Florida.


DEAR SIR Seeing a copy Of your
interesting paper in the reading room
Of the Park View House in this place,
and having friends in your locality
who are interested in this much
talked-of land, l thought l would
give you q few items about Florida
in midsummer. If you see fit to give
them place in your columns, some
may be interested in reading them
and if not, they will help to fill up the
waste basket.
have been in the State since last
March; my father came down in Jan.
and spent some time in visiting the
country along the line of the Transit
r. II. and some Of the towns in the
interior of the State, but at last deci-
ded on visiting and settling at Orange
Park. This place lie situated on the
st. Johns river, IL miles up from
Jacksonville. This is the first land
ing for boats going up the river.
Ten months ago there was only one
family here, now there are from Ito
to 120 Northern people settled here.
The best pier ever built in Fla, Gao
the river captains say is here. 1t is
1876 feet long. There is fine new
Hotel open the year round factory
running, manufacturing Benedicts
patent Florida Palm, a material now
being largely used for mattresses and
upholstering purposes; Post Office,
daily mails, and school, by compe-
tent teacher. We have also resident
physician and very fine gentleman
in the person of DR.. L. T. Garrett, of
Philadelphia. We have religious SER
vices every Sunday, besides the dar-
keys, when they get tuned up, they
have music and preaching enough to
do for two or three ordinary commu-
mites. Take it altogether for ten
month-old town, we feel quite proud
Lof Orange Park. So much for achere
l live.
Now how do we live in the Semi
Tropics This summer we have
spent good share Of the time during
the past month plying our friends
at the North for the hot weather they
have had. All that time the Their
mometer ranged from 80 degrees to
ITO degrees all over the North, while
the highest point reached here has
been 81 degrees, and that only for
two days. The average midday heat
for the past 30 days has been 81 de-
grees, which corresponds to about II
degrees at the North. In this most
peculiar atmosphere one does not feel
the heat near so much as in more
Northern climate. There is one de-
|lightful feature of q Florida summer,
ii is the almost constant breeze that
blows by night and by day. 1t is a
rare thing to lock out on the grand
old st. Johns and see it perfectly
smooth. This breeze bic VS. from the
Atlantic or the Gulf and fans this
part of the peninsula, 30 that sum-
mer in Florida is made even more
than pleasant. The prevailing winds
from May tc Oct. are either east,
southeast or northeast. This gives
us an ocean breeze coming over five
miles OF the st. Johns, that being its
width at this point. The distance
from the river to the ocean IL l3 miles
: We can get on q steamer here at
o'clock in the morning, 60 down to
the mouth Of the river or the bar, as
1t is called, spend four hours picnic
ing, surf bathing, ETC., and return to
the Park for supper.
The fruits of Florida at this season
consist OF peaches, apricots, grapes
pomegranates, plums, figs, lemons
and berries. The orange crop does
not ripen till Dec. away down in Tho
Southern counties in this State the
. pineapple natures and is now ripe
, vegetables can be had at any tim,
If you will plant and care for them
To show the wonderful resources o
the soil and climate, l copy from thu
Orange Park paper of May II, lis
|, of articles grown there. Corn, suga
\ cane, cotton, sweet potatoes, irish pc
\ tatoes, arrowroot, popcorn, COW peas
4 india-jute, teaplants peaches, oranges
\ lemons, figs, bananas, grapes, per
\ simmons, blackberries, whortleber
\ ries, peas, beans, strawberries, lettuce
. radishes, watermelons, muskmelOns
. squashes, carrots, pumpkins, toma
I toes, csbbages, onions, beets, turnips
: cucumbers, celery, Japan plums, pc
can nuts, black walnuts, hickory nuts
. English walnuts, sage, rice, swee
corn, tobacco, castor beans, yellow
plums, mulberries, pomegranates ant
n shaddocks. With such list tG draw
from does 1t not look as if VIC coul'
. live, even In midsummer? And / SIS
e sure you we do, with as much, If no
: more comfort than experienced dur
r ing the midsummer months at tn
North. The principal reason is, W
have always cool nights, SO that mos
= Cf the time it is necessary to hav
b wooden covering on the bed. Ofte
I have received letters from friend
: North during the heated term, tellin
of the intense heat, lO2 degrees o
thereabout, and fearing that we dow
: here must be in q furnace of fire
3 Not SO, my friends, the influence O
g the Gulf Stream combined with III
e trade winds, is what gives us comfor
t even in midsummer. One more sum
: mer such as this has been at tn
x North, ana we shall have to write 4
9 our friends to come to Florida to coo
o off. 1t does not seem possible TO
Q the most remote Southern State I,
= possess this wonderful climate, bot
t for summer as well as winter res
3 idence, but as Northern lady spend
] ing the first summer in Florida, cal
> only say, it is truly delightful, ant
t we are most happily disappointed
D Now do not let any one get an impress
: sion that the sun is not more thai
r warm, it is hot at midday, out in tn
3 shade, or walking under sun um
, brella, it is not oppressive. Resi-
/, dents here have 3l2 days for out doc
: work in the year they do not expec
= to do much during July and August
t it is not necessary.
8 About yellow fever I'VE have no fea
7 of il, and do not think of il excep
: when we read the Associated Pres
r reports, and physici ans agree in say
. ing that 1t could not exist here. II
} this letter have endeavored to stat,
> facts In relation to this section as
have found them. What has hur
: Florida more than anything else i
, the flowing, gushing descriptions sen
North by travelling correspondent
} during the winter season. and l an
pleased to say that we have found
one place not overdrawn by printer
ink.
Mr. Benedict, the proprietor, pub
. licly says that if all that is claimed il
any of his publications, concerning
Orange Park, is not fully realized BY
his visitors, and more too, he viii
give them free ticket to the North
We found everything as represent
ed, and for that reason all the settler
seem to be contented and work to
gether in building up the place.
All the towns ON the river art
growing very fast, and the time il
not far distant, when the banks Of thu
st. Johns will be dotted with orange
groves and villas, to its mouth.
have already inflicted too long {
letter upon your readers, but there il
40 much to write about that it Seems
difficult to abridge. If this finds 6
place in your columns, and l see
more Of the state, the spirit may
move me to again direct a Florids
letter to the address of your interest
ing paper. LILY o. PERKINS,.
n -