Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-12-21
LET'rEs. FROM FLORIDA.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA,
December 9, 1878.

MI. Lultor-Out OF the many reaGerS
OF your valuable paper there are some
who have never visited the Island of
Flowers" 70 those at least, if to none
others, my simple description Of some
OF its beauties may lie interesting.
This city has about twenty thousand
inhabitants, and is situated in the midst
of a large pine forest; it is tavorite
winter resort for Northerners, owing to
its delightful climate and the luxuriance
of its trees, plants and flowers. The
private residences, or at least the most
of them, are very beautiful; they are,
generally speaking, built of wood and
painted white, their wall in lovely con-
trast with the green about them. The
yards are large, and filled with the semi
tropical plants peculiar TO this country.
Orange trees are used for shade, and are
here in every variety. About every
other house is either hotel or board
ing house. The principal hotels are st.
James, Winsor, Carrolton, Grand Ma
tional and the Metropolitan, all run by
Northern men. They are open only
from fall unit! spring, during which
time they are all filled, as well as the
smaller hotels and boarding houses, by
the crowd of Northerners that throng
the city at this season Of the year.
The ST. Johns Upon whose banks
this city stands is river of exceeding
beauty 1t varies from two to five miles
in width for one hundred miles, and
graduating to narrow current two
hundred miles further South. lis banks
are quite beautiful, with large oaks
draped in the native hanging moss, the
greeniSh-gray color of which minGling
with the dark green Of the trees form
quite pretty picture. Orange Groves
are frequently seen-some large, Others
small. We visited one few days since
that is considered one Of the finest in
the State; it is owned 10y Northern
gentlemen the entire grove covers
twen'y-fyc acres Of ground, siyiacres, Oh
which are sprouts from old trees thaV
were frozen down the winter of 1889
All the trees are in good fruitful condi-
ton, some of which bear as high as SIX
thousand oranges in one season. l no.
ticed " hist passing through the grove
tree bearing three different kinds OF
fruit, viz: oranges, lines and lemons, all
fully maturcd also noticed a number
of grape fruit trees; this fruit bears a
striking resemblance to the orange, but
is much larger; the taste is very similar;
! L.
thus we see the bitter miugling always
with tic sweet. This grove was bought
some twelve or fifteen years ago for
ten thousand dollars. The first years
crop OF oranges paid for it since then
it has been greatly improved and many
new varieties added thereto. Col. Hart
Uhe present owreO now values the
/ grove at seventy five thousand dollars.
The soil of this country is very sandy
consequently, poor. Bat iitile cotton
/ is raised in thi, part Of the State, there
fore the peoples whole dependence is
/ upon the orange crop, and the North
ernrrS. | heard whilst passing mp street
/ the either day one old negro man say to
another: "Nebcr MUD hard times now,
but winters nigh, and the Yankees
comm den wen have a feast An
other proof of the inability Of the far
South to thrive without the help OF the
50 mech dcspiscd "IaHkesS.' | must
say, however, that | have yet to meet
more cordial, kind and hospit"6le pee
ple than those OF this section. But With
N 4 IL. ,;l.,', nttrocfi,rS tho charms