St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-03-19
A Trip to the South.


Dear CaledOnian Your usual Flor
ida correspondent suggests that the
South might make a new and different
impression upon one who for the first
time sees it, and asks me, in his stead,
to write some account of scenes that to
me are novel and strange, though per-
haps familiar to many of your readers.
Accordingly purpose, in this and fol-
towing letters, to note such matters as
might interest these whose health or
fortune requires a change of locality, as
well as these who remain TO face our
rugged Vermont winters.
On the Odd of January our party of
eleven persons left St. Johnsbury, near
ly all sick or partly so, and going to
seek the fountain of youth and health
which Ponce de Leon declared to ex-
list in Florida nearly four hundred years
ago. Some of us go to check the raw
ages of incipient consumption, some to
ease the pangs of neuralgia, some to
escape the torture of asthma, and some
for needed rest and change of scene for
weary body and aching heart. 1t is
not formidable looking company,
but one that would probably feel insult
ed if called the Skeleton Brigade" !"
Poor Ponce de Leon returned without
finding his fountain of youth, not day
younger than when he started, wound
ed by the savage inhabitants, and
art-broken at his failure. 1t is de-
voutly to be hoped that our expedition
may prove more fortunate than that of
the ancient Spaniard.
The tiresome ride to New York by
rail convinces all that it is better to go
by steamer from New York to Florida
than to take the all-rail route. The
steamer leaves at three o'clock on the
afternoon of the Oath, and there is time
before that hour to see much, thanks to
the wonderful facilities for rapid tran
sit that money and brains have provid-
ed. A little cab stands at the street
corner ready to take one, for a
fare of five cents, from the Grand Un-
ion Hotel to a station upon the elevat-
ed railroad. In an instant more we are
whirling along through the air, twenty
or more feet above the street and its
throngs of busy people. The track runs
just high enough to give the passengers
good view of the proceedings in the
second and third story bed rooms along
the line. The great engineer, M. de
Lesseps, says "The elevated railroads
are audaciOus. Brave thoughts were
required to build them" The real es-
tate owners whose bed rooms are thus
invaded, are in a condition to agree
with NJ. de Lesseps as to the audacity
of these roads, meanwhile their right to
recover damages from the roads for the
ruin of their property is still uncertain,
with the chances in favor of the reads.
In few minutes Central Park is
| reached. Here are seen a multitude of
bridges of wood, iron, stone, and brick,
no two alike, many of them very grace
full and picturesque, and. taken all to-
gether, illustrating nearly every style
of bridge-building known to engineer
ing science. These bridges in them
selves afford abundant models for the
students in the technical schools, as
well as graceful and pleasing objects
for any eye to rest upon. The children
are delighted with the museums and
cabinets, the well fed and well kept
animals from every part of the world,
and the hundreds of birds of every hue
The "boys about the monkeys cager
never will learn that they chad better
keep away"
On one part of the park and another.
nearly every variety of foreign and do
mestic tree, shrub, and flower can he
found. The Park is one of the great
factors in the educational facilities of
New York. Its beautiful walks, lawns.
drives, grOttos, waterfalls, ponds, and
shades, educate the taste and sense of
beauty of all who visit it, while its
special features of cabinets, museums.
collections. trees and plants, give to
students the best opportunities for pur-
suing their special studies 1t is
great free public school, that is able to
attract the multitude, and teaches all
who come for pleasure.
But there is little time for US to see