The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-04-20
Frer. Baldwin 20 Cedar Key.

H., between Baldwin and Cedar Key, have
seen and heard much that may be of interest to
some Of the readers of your paper.
To Middle Floridian, visiting for the first
time East Florida, the contrast is almost great
as that between one of the older States of the
Union and the great State Of Texas. The beau
tful hills and fertile valleys of Gadsden, Leon
and Jefferson counties are exchanged for i'm
mense sand plains and ridges covered with seem
ingly endless forests of yellow pine. The lum-
Der resources of East Florida appear almost mex
haustible, aud every few miles the long train of
@ %hcn e Is Saving @ agSs HnRT as
many thousand feet of lumber Indeed, one
hardly loses sight Of the stacks of lum-
Der and piles of saw dust or ceases to hear the
singing of the saws from the time he leaves
Baldwin until he reaches the terminus of the
road. Connected with these mills are factories
engaged in preparing boxes and crates for the
packing and shipping of all kinds of fruits and
vegetables.
From ethe summit of Trail Ridge to Cedar
Key the road is lined on either side with orange
groves, orchards vineyards, and vegetable gar
dens. The orange crop has been already dis
posed of but barrels of potatoes and turnips,
crates and boxes of cucumbers, peas, beans, and
other vegetables are piled up at every depot
awaiting shipment to the markets of the North
The fiOurishing condition of the fruit trees and
the success of vegetable culture are evidences of
what can be accomplished in our benign climate
even upon inferior lands, by patience and indus
try and knowledge of how to save, prepare
and use fertilizers. I did not have the opportu-
nifty of visiting all the points between Baldwin
and Cedar Key, but from the sound of the saw
and hammer judged Starke, Archer and other
places TO be in f1ourishing and growing condi-
ton. Waldo, a town of about five hundred in
habitants, where spent several days in atten-
dance upon the sessions Of the Florida Presby-
terry, is already place of considerable impor-
tance and bids fair at no distant day to rival her
big sister, Gainesville 1t is here that the Santa
Fee Lake Canal and the Orange Lake Railroad
connect with the A. G. & w. /. T. Railroad. Its
population is composed in large part of North
ern and Western people, possessed of a commen-
dable amount Of zeal and activity
The meeting of the Presbytery was very
well attended, there being members present from
Quincy, Tallahassee, Monticello, Madison, Gaines
vile, Cedar Key and other points. In company
with the Presbytery, which was rendered an ex-
cursion over the canal, by the Chief of Engineers
and by the Mayor of Waldo, l visited its term-
nus and saw the great steam dredge at work.
| This canal is designed TO connect Santa Fee
Lake with smaller lake nearer to Waldo and
the smaller lake with the A. G. s. w. l. T. r. r.,
at Waldo. The excavation commenced al Wal
do and has progressed so far as to unite Waldo
xuifh he 10 m loov ov1v holt
of the distance betwee the two lakes yet to be
opened up. The canal proper, when finished,
will not be under fifteen feet in width, five feet
in depth and two miles in length. But this two
miles will open up water navigation for nearly
thirty miles, thus bringing the large tract of land
contiguous to the lakes Immediately into market.
| Ali the work of this canal, except the cutting
down of the trees along the route, has been done
| by the monster steam shovel, whose life-like
| workings must be seen in order TO be fully un-
| derstoOd and appreciated Every day it brings
| the canal twenty feet nearer to Lake Santa Fee
| Sunday and Monday spent in Gainesville. l
was agreeably surprised with the size and ap-
pearance of this place. Instead of town of
| twelve hundred found o town of three thous-
and inhabitants. In place of old and dingy'
looking buildings l saw tastefully built hotels,
neat business houses and many what may be
called elegant residences. With substantial
brick Courthouse TO grace its public square, and
elegant churches to adorn its principal streets.
| Gainesville would compare most favorably in
appearance with any town of Middle Florida.
| l visited on Monday, with Mr.. Matheson, one of
the trustees, the East Florida Seminary, located
at this place. Here are employed six teachers
two gentlemen and four ladies. One hundred
and forty pupils are in attendance. From what
1 saw of it's exercises and heard from its patrons
1 am convinced that this seminary is in most
fourishing condition Especially was pleased
to see that Professors Cater and Sheats, who are
evidently the right men in the right places, are
up to the times in the teaching of the languages,
penmanship and elocution. The latin is pro-
nouned according to the Reman method which
| is now adopted by all frst-class schools
and colleges; writing is taught according
to the Spencerian system, and charts are
provided for the guidance of the pupils
One half hour Of every day is devoted to the
training of pupils in the principles Of elocuton.
| There was an air of neatness, order, system and
| dispatch about the whole institution which made
it pleasant to be there.
Among others, l met in Gainesville o. A.
| Myers, ESQ, brother Of our esteemed townsman,
Mr.. 8. W. Myers, the Rev. NICK F. McCook, as
sociated with Mr.. Myers on the editorial staff Of
the Sun, Colonel ]. B. Brown, and the Rev. J. B.
Johnston, pastor Of the Methodist Church, and
SO well and favorably known in Tallahassee. Mr.
Johnston is very popular in his congregation,
and s calculated to do much good If he is only
heartily supported by his membership.
On Monday afternoon boarded the train for
Cedar Key, and my ride was considerably short
ened by having for my companion part of the
way Judge Vann, of Madison, who was on his
! way to hold court at Bronson, he and Judge
Dawkins having made an exchange Of circuits
was sorry to see that the Judge had not suff-
ciently recovered from bruises received short
time since by being thrown from buggy as to
lay aside his crutch. Otter Greek was the supper
house, and what a supper we hadi Ham and
eggs, fresh pork, beefsteak, venson, biscuit, light
bread, corn bread, hominy, preserves, berries,
fresh turnip greens and many other thinga We
were told that very often bears meat and wild
turkey were added to this bill of fare. The car
was crowded with passengers going from the
North to Havana, and when we reached Cedar
Key we found awaiting them the splendid steam
er, the Admiral, built especially for this transit
route.
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