Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-04-10
Letter from Florida.

coumns1
BRAINARp's SYLVAN GLEN PARK, |
lRAlLRlDGE FLORIDA, March 10, 1873 ! |
Your letter dated March ID is at hand; in re-
ply will proceed at once to answer yonr in |
quiries
"FTsi-The country. particularly about here
is not generally wet, but Is fine, dry, high nm
dulating country. know Of no land around here
subject to overflow, this being what is termed in
this country the sand-hl region This land is
higher and warmer, and so better suited for vege-
tables and fruit, bnt not so well for general crops
The fiat pine wood lands which you speak Of are
more level, and are interspersed with boys which
in the rainy reason have water in them all the way
from six inches to six feet in depth And az we
have had an abundance Of rain this winter the
roads over the latwoods are very wet and bad
These boys are mostly dry in the summer season
"Second-1here are suitably dry building sites
and land to cultivate all over the country, par
ticuarly on the ridge We have n very healthy,
equable climate and first-rate water. with the
only disadvantage that 1t gets warm in summer
" 7h'd-As to the adyisabty Of poor man
putting his stake here, it will depend entirely
upon circumstances II poor man has good
home with prospect Of lettering his crcum-
stance where he is, and is free from pulmonary
complaints, let him stay whore he is. II you have
not much prospects of lettering your condition
where you are and can raise money enough to
put you over the first year say three hundred
dollars, come here You can make little or no
dependence upon any mechanical or mandatory
employment in this section Of Florida. The main
resource Of the state is agriculture, and unless u
man intends to begin for himself he had better
not come, for farm help is plenty and cheap.
"Fourh-The social condition of Florida is very
backward Churches and schools are nearly un-
known at present, whatever they may be when
we get filled up more. Consequently the religious
and educational aspect may be said to have
wide field for Improvement
"The political element is entirely safe, and so
are snakes, alligators, etc But mosquitoes and
feas are rather heavy on us Yankees There are
not many manufactures here, but plenty of me-
chanics who can find but little to do at their
trades. am n mechanic myself but IL had to
depend upon my trade builder, should leave
| this place on the next train North This is new
| country as far settlement is concerned and we
have all the disadvantages, excepta hard climate
attendant upon the settling up ot a new country
| Consequently no should come to Florida, or
any other new country, who does not expect to
rough it. go four miles to eleven for all have
To eat on foot and carry it on my back at that
most of the time. after having nretty dear for il
II is no fun tn clear mn an acre of This nine land
and your prodnct the first wear will he corn meas
and few sweet potatoes. consequently men and
women that come here must have ministry nor.
severance nlnck and a will tn overcome everv
obstacle-such men ~ left their Now ENGLAND
homes forty vear ago and went into the Wills nf
the West and bnilt that mn We have two advan.
taees over them. we have a fine climate with no
rigorous winters to contend with. and No Indians
to fight Our worst enemy is the eneryatinr in
auence of the climate II will he n LONG time he
fore we shall see along the line Of this road the
neat. prettv homes that we see travelling through
the Eastern. Middle or Western states. But
hone to live to see the day when this ridge shall
be moderately settled no with industrious, God
fearing people. settled ON five and ten acre gar
dens raising fruit and vegetables for the Northern
market We shall have store here soon. school
and a church Then our social condition will be
greatly improved There is no more healthy place
in the world than this ridge. and for fruit and veg
etables il is very productive Ihave vegetables of
MANY kinds growing and looking well at this date
| don't know of any reliable works ON Florida
life: they are all highly colored shall publish
nv observations and experience in the fall. which
will be a true state of affairs and n reliable guide
'In order to reach jacksonville from here VIC
have to take two roads. ride thirty-five miles and
nav fare. one dollar and ninety-five cents II i,
thirty miles in direct line across the country ove
rather bad roads We are on the A. q. Il W. |
Transit COMPANY railroad. running from Fernan
dena on the Atlantic Ocean to Cedar KEYS ON tn,
Gulf of Mexico The whole length of the ront,
il one hundred and thirtv.fve miles We are In
Gated at the sixtietb mile most from the Atlanti,
mort Mt Fernandena which ia orr nearest seanort
and the host in FIorid, IN the Atlanta, side
steo,ners RIM IN Nav York in fonr DAYS f,om tb,
mort once nor wool, Tho rannted host and ,nos
accnrate man of Florida il / think Athrons, man
nrice I believe ono dollar and n ,uartar nnh
lisbed nv Drew at 1acssonville we arc inst n,
tho sorthwestern mart of CLAW couptv The bi,,l
sand.biu ro,i,n an which we ara located yyas to
mary brndrea vears ,robab,y tho ola India,
Trail Hence its name Trail RIDGE, Itisals,
tho location of tho N,chna WAGON road r,nr;r,
from, r,rabassoo,,, 81 Aut,ns,ire and ,,as hof,r,
tho corstrnctior Of this railroad tho nrircino
travelled road in Florida oyor II ,yos .a,ried h,
mia, NJ, ,,, ,,a,,an and o,hor ,I,oa .i.oa +,
flaa ~
h,r,, an p,aol, Crool, a ,rih,tocv ~ tho :, Iobn
river or nm IN tho - u,ry,s rivar in cooroia
rbis locol;t,, ,vas ono 81 tho erst and tor lon,
time after tho construction NJ the railroad IN,
nrincinaI sao,ion for lo,,,,in, and TIM, entin,
cam,s Rrt ,ovvi, IL lilo a banopat ba deserted
While the lo,ging camns saw mills and turnen
tina works ware ,here a ropgb class of black
and whites congreeates that had no interest /,
home or agricnlture Rnt they have NOW scattered
I fonnd last October when | arrived here land
prospecting a wild. weird-looking country. Blu
nersevered went into the woods and soon foun,
had ouite a number of peghbors all around me
and onite fair shrinking from Boston. left il
however. TO look for something more desirable
travelled on foot extensively through the centra
mart of the state; then wended NV way back
took the second look: left again for anothe
search; took all the bearings and finally cam
the third time to the Ridge. and. taking a goo,
look sent word bac, to Mr. Brainard that wa
Ridge He bought the land. and have since bee,
very busy clearing and cultivatipg it, You cal
Judge of what success when tell YOU have corr
one foot high. peas and snar-beans in bloom. Irisl
potatoes nearly one foot high. cucnmbers an,
tomatoes nearly in bloom. This is simpe truth
Ihaye no interest in telling ANYTHING else. hay,
no land tn sell: no axe TO grind shall compil
INV exnerience nj the end of the vear loan IA,