The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1878-03-26


sable curtains rolled slowly and sui.
leRly away, and the stars peepsd out
brightly, and exchanged twinklinf
glances as if in Joy at their escap,
from a seclusion that was repugnanI
and distasteful At Eufala, Ala, or
the succeeding morning the sun rose
resplendent in gorgeous golden beauty
and the thin ice covering pools oi
standing water, and heavy coating oi
frost that lay cleaning white over
ground, roof, fence. shrub, and walk,
soon succumbed to his ardent glances
and as the day wore on we were
marching through Georgia" in one oi
the loveliest of all days that could in
all truth be called lovely. The warm,
genial sunshine covered Geld and for
est, town and country with q food OF
beauty, life and warmth, accompanied
by that peculiar blue, misty haze SO
common 10 what is known as our In
dian summer.
"Here, In full light. the russet plains extend;
There, wrapt In clouds. The blush hills
ascend"
This is a fine section Of country, and
only needs developing to cause its gen.
erous soil to TEEN with products OF
quality and quantity that "the inhabi-
tant" naver dreamad of
Passing the flourishing towns OF
Cuthbert, Smithville, Albany and Ca
milla the shades OF evening find us at
Thomasville which has a population OF
$500, is situated in the midst OF the
high rolling pine region, and is becom-
ing n great resort for those suffering
with bronchial aud pulmonary disease.
As / am one OF the healthy invalids, "
and by the way they are exceedingly
common in this country, / pass on
southwark in search Of the fountain
OF youth" in the land OF sunshine and
flowers-chattiDg socially and pleas
antly with a Georgian planter during
the day. AS we passed along prepare
tions were being made TO plant the
crop; logs and stalks and other rub
bish, and in some fields they were
ploughing. or rather scratching the
ground. / asked the planter why they
did not use larger plows aud plow
deeper furrows. "Oh," said he, 1--WE
have always done il in this way" He
had spoken OF the last seasons drouth
affecting the crops, and said TO him
that in our State we considered deep
blowing, loosening and mellowing the
soil, great safeguard and preventa-
tive against drouth, and remarked that
/ thought it would have the same ef-
feet here. well, said he, "it might,
but the farming is all left to the mig
gers and they go on in the same way
thrt they have always done" IL struck
me that until more intelligent labor
is applied, and energies are better di-
rected in cultivatinauthe soil, that the
new South would develope but slowly,
and until the present system Of too
much land, poorly cultivated, is dis
carded this section is wasting her op.
portunities, and remains a lAggard in
the march Of progress. There, / did
not mean TO occupy so much space on
this subject, but after / struck into il
and got along so we'll could not resist
the opportunity TO let your readers see
"vhat / knew about farming"
Ny first view Of Florida was in the
grey .. - misty morning and near
Olustee, the scene OF fierce battle in
the late war, and made up my mind
that it was a poor place TO Sight in, and
a poor country TO fight for so far as III
possession was concerned. IL any one
can conceive OF anything more worth
less for an occupancy and living, his
imaeinations must be as red hot and
fervid as the hereafter that is now
causing 50 much agitation in the minds
OF some people. A level plain, or ris-
ing IN long slopes so gradually that
the eye can hardly perceive or realize
that the land is not as fiat as a floor
aud this covered with dead grass, scrut
palm fnom two 10 four feet in height
clumps Of low bushes, and q thin
sparse growth Of pine. The soil j,
sand, and the surface OF the country
| Just above water, the inhabitants hav,
perpetual >reminder that the world
was once drowned, by excavating &
foot or two. Innumerable Cypress
swamps, with here a cabin OF the ru
dest description, the abodes OF th,
men employed upon the line Of the
railway and in cutting ties along th,
road. This feeble description conveys
the idea but poorly OF the utter power
" OF this section, and il was as rude
shock 10 the imagination OF a land o
perpetual bloom and beauty as though
had been deceived by truste,
| friend.
Forward. and in the immediate vi
cinity Of this place the land rises, an'
the face OF the country is broken int,
gentle undulations rising back from
the st. Johns River, and IL is upoI
these the city OF Jacksonville is reareC
on her sandy foundations A popula
tion is claimed for the cityof Is, ,000
but should Judge IL, 900 10 be neare
the mark. A large proportion j
made up OF the blacks who are here i
every conceivable stage OF growth an,
condition. Numerous large and wei
kept hotels, and an innumerable thron.
OF clearinghouse accomm 3date tn
great host Of pleasure-seekers and in
valids that pour down from the Mort
| III Auc WluttT nOnturs Day street, IN
principal thoroughfare, is lined for
half mile with brick blocks containin
commodious and roomy stores wit
large aud attractive stocks OF goods
all kept and displayed in a name
that more pretentious towns Nigh
envy. These, however, do not consti
tute the beauty Of this town, as the
are every day scenes in the more poru
lous North. IL is the wide spaciou
streets upon which the private resider
ces are situated, varying from the nea
snug cottage 90 the elegant mansion
ell surrounded 10y we'll kept ground,
tastefully ornamented with plan
shrub and flowers, and the orange tro
laden with its golden fruit set in foliae
Of the darkest emerald. the statel
lines Of live oaks with strong sturd
trunk and widespread Of branch an
limb IN full foliage; these and hume
Gus other surroundings constitute th
beauty, charm aud novelty that enve
ops aud surrounds everything here.
Coming from the wintry North inf
this climate Of June where the eye
greeted with nothing that reminds