The Hartford herald., 1880-04-14
From Florida.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Feb. III.
TALLAHASSEE.

TALLAHASSEE.
Ny Dear IPUc:
| babe adieu 10 Tallahassee and my
many friends there, on the 9TH inst,
reaching this city the next morning for
early breakfast. My stay of about
three weeks i'm that quaint old Capito-
liam city was most agreeable and pleas
ant.
There, as elsewhere, at the Capitol
cities, one finds the most distinguished
men, and the most beautiful women,
types and representatives however, of
the talent and beauty of the State.
regret to say, that during my stay
there, / did not avail myself of the OPP
presented, of visiting St.
Marks, on the Gulf of Mexico and the
famous and wonderful Wakullla spring,
which am told sends off a river from
its single outburst. This spring Is one
hundred and six feet deep, beautifully
and thrillingly transparent; so much
so, indeed, that one can plainly see and
distinguish five-cent piece at its bot
tom. This place and spring is In Wa
kulla county, and only about twenty
miles distant from Tallahassee.
On taking the railway car, Ell route
for this city, it was my good fortune to
have the pleasure of meeting some OF
my lawyer friends, as well as making
some new acquaintances, among whom
and composing one of our little cotorie,
was Gov. Geo. III. Drew. i found the
Governor to be very pleasant and
agreeable gentleman in conversation,
as we in turn, discussed the pros and
cons of the climate and productions OF
the soil of this, as well Us that Of my
own State. He said he was happy to
disabuse my mind of one error that |
had made mention of, i'm a former let
ter, and that was, that wheat did not
do well in that section of the State.
On the contrary, he remarked that
wheat did about as well as oats, ana
that he had known as much as twenty
three or four bushels raised to the acre.
The Governor is every inch Il gentle
man and Statesman, and the ladies,
am satisfied, would call him handsome,
Ia term one gentleman don't use to-
ward another,) as / noticed on the cars
his attentions to them seemed tC be
mutually agreeable and pleasant. He
has beautiful home at Ellaville, on
the Suwannee river, i'm Madison county,
and is largely and extensively engaged
i'm the lumber business, which fOOts up
hundreds of thousands of dollars annu-
ally.
One among the many places of inter-
est after leaving this ancient city, is the
beautiful lake Lafayette, where our
line of railway skirted its borders, and
at times seemed to plunge through its
In ~
miles over its broad eXpanse of sheen
like waters. Lake Lafayette is so
called from its situation on the estate
granted to the Marquis de Lafayette
by the United States. This lake Is sew
eral miles i'm length, and is one out OF
many, in this part of the State,
could mention and refer to, If space
would allow.
PRINCE MURAT, IN FLORIDA.
/ visited during my short stay at this
city, the old homestead of Prince
Achille Murat. The Prince was re-
markable as well IS very eccentric
man, if the many stories are to be be-
lieved, told about him here; among
others, was told that he would eat any
kind of bird, insect or snake, and did
attempt to eat a turkey-buzzard, but 1t
so sickened him that he said "me no
like the buzzard." In looking through
the old records of the County Court,
found that his marriage was one among
the first recorded in that Leon cOun-
ty. | will here insert verbatim that
part of letter of correspondent oi
the Cincinnati Gazette, descriptive oi
the Prince and his residence: "OuI
party has been camping ON historical
ground for q month past--the old Murat
place-a large plantation settled by
Prince Achille Murat, son of Napo-
Icons great General, who came to this
country after the downfall of Napoleon
The Prince died about thirty years ago
his wife surviving him about sixteen
years. After her death, the place
passed into the hands of Mr.. Frank
Rappy, the present owner. There ar,
sill ON the place three old cOlored men
former servants of the Murats. One o
them is eighty-eight years old; another
over eighty, and Uncle VIM. Hughes
aged seventy. He was the Prince
body servant and crossed the oceaI
with him six times. He talks French
fiuently, and has many anecdotes Z
tell of the manner in which his ole
master used to entertain the rich plan
ters of the vicinity. He says it Was IN
unusual thing for seventy-five to on
hundred carriages to be at the place u
once. On such occasions the ground
were always brilliantly illuminated
and champagne flowed from perpetua
fountains. The residence, which !
very old, was built of frame, and still
shows the handiwork of skillful arti
sans. The house has been unOccupie'
for several years-left for spiders {
weave their webs and hornets to bull,
their nests i'm. The style Is old-hal
through the center, parlors on eac
side, connected with back rooms b.
sliding doors. Our party occupied tn
west side of the house. The parlO
still contained several pieces of wha
was once elegant damask furniture, re
les of the reign of the Murats. Til
place has gone to rack very fast for se>
eral years, but the yard still show
evidence of the taste displayed by IN
owners in the arrangement OF III