Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1878-09-07
Middle Florida Appreciated.

Middle Florida Appreciated.
Not long since prominent citizen
| of Chicago who had been attracted to-
wards Florida sufficiently to make up
his mind to visit the state met re-
turned tourist. By him he waa told
| that + orida was the most God d-forsaken
country in the Union, consisting of
nothing but pine barrens and sandy
soil, This was the impression in the
minds Of a party who visited the State
the past winter. Like the vast ma
jority Of visitors, they went to Jack
sonyille, up The st. Johns and out on
the Transit Railroad. The appear
ance of the country indicated at a su-
perlicial glance that the impression
was correct and in despair the party
was ready to return TO a homo where
the rigorous winters were surely
lurrying several members to their
graves. Fortunately the new mana
ger Of the Jacksonville, Pensacola &
Mobile Railroad, had carried out the
avowed design of the former superin-
tendent, and changed the timetable
SO that passengers could travel from
Jacksonville to this point without be-
ing compelled to lie over five hours in
the middle of the night, as had been
the arrangement. Then sleeping
car had been put on the road and
the fact made known in the columns
Of the press of Jacksonville. The re-
suit was trip here was taken. On
arising in the morning after refresh
ing sleep the first view was broad green
fields, and in the distance a rolling
country for miles and miles. A COM
Portable carriage was in waiting to
carry passengers up town. 1t had
been reported that there were no de-
cent hotel accommodations for visitors.
The City Hotel was rather ancient in
its exterior appearance, but its rooms
were found well furnished and its
bill of fare compared favorably with
that Of many more pretentious hostel
ries charging much higher prices.
From its broad balcony toward the
west is as magnificent landscape view
as can be found in the valley Of the
Mohawk in New York, or of the sus-
quehanna in Pennsylvania. "This
does not look like pine barren coun-
try" remarked one,
"WE'LL STAY IN FLORIDA"
In the door yards Of elegant man
sions were beautiful flowers. The
decorations of the church on Easter
Sunday cost nothing but the willing
labor of fair hands. At home two
hundred dollars would not have pro-
cured such floral decoration.
A kind hearted people are ready to
open their doors to the stranger.
There is little business done here save
the local trade. Nor is this city a
commercial centre. To the agricul-
turalist ride or walk among the old
plantations that environ the town will
prove interesting. The red clay soil
reminds one Of Maryland between
Baltimore aud Washington. In for
mer days the cotton croTs Of this land
| yielded revenues sufficient to main.
tain the owners luxuriously in their
, elegant town mansions in winter, and
to enjoy summer tours to the North.
By the way, hotel man from Chica-
90, formerly OF the Grand Pacific, has
opened a resort known as the Ocean
House, at st. ThIesa on the Gulf, for
the citizens who wish a change of scene
and to enjoy sojourn on the seashore
during the summer. jacksonville has
its Long Branch at Mayport, at the
mouth of the St. Johns. On the Gulf
coast the prevailing southerly winds
| guarantee perpe ual breeze.
THE RAILROAD CoMPANYs $ APPREoIA-
| TON
of Middle Florida was shown last
week by the putting on Of day train
from Jacksonville. Before the week
was out the hotels and boarding house
tables that had been empty were sur
rounded with strangers. The beauti.
full view that bursts before the travel
er's eye this side of the Suwannee riv-
, er proved at glance to many that