The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-20
JACKSONVILLE.
The Beautiful Florida City ~ IL
Appsars To-day.

The Beautiful Florida City ~ IL
Appesrs To-day.
A recent letter from Jacksonville,
Fla, has these paragraphs:
The completion Of the gas, water and
sewerage systems will remove the hereto
fore-existing objections to a street pave
ment, and the authorities are, even now,
considering the matter. They have the
finest material in the world for street.
paving, either of shell or pine, cheap and
abundant, and frst-elass road-bed Of
sand to build on.
The residence portion of the city COW
ers very large tract Of ground, as the
houses are generally surrounded by lib
eral-sized lawns and gardens, at once use
full and attractive. The streets and resi-
dence grounds are, with very few excep-
tions, shaded by heavy growth Of water
and live oaks, giving all that portion Of
the city the appearance OF vast park,
very beautiful and romantic, and quite
interesting to a visitor.
1t is a city Of generally quite well-built
homes, and in many instances fine arehi-
tectural taste is displayed, and all appear
to vie with each other inornamenting their
grounds. The proportion Of homes for
the size Of the city is much greater than
usual. This is from the fact that many
families from the North make this their
winter home, sort Of winter Newport
or Long Branch. The city stands on the
north bank of the st. Johns River,
which comes flowing up (seemingly up)
from the south about three hundred
miles, and here makes a decided sharp
turn due east to the ocean, twenty-four
miles distant by the river, or sixteen
miles distant as the bee flies. Along the
river front are numerous well built
wharves, where vessels drawing about
sixteen feet can unload.
At this point the river is Just half a.
mile wide and sixty feet deep in the
channel, and-this is specially for the
disciples of Izaak WaIton-The stream is
full Of choice fish, dozens of varieties be-
ing caught. From my official window in
the river front of the new Astor Block,
where have a grand view nine miles
south up the river and seven miles east
down stream, can now see thirty boats
of ladies and gentlemen, fishing parties,
all intently dropping line Of tempta-
ton, as / am also engaged in task some
what similar. Mentioning the name of
Astor, this refers to VIM. Astor, the
wealthy New York capitalist, who spends
considerable part Of each winter season
here, making his home with Gen
eral BoIly Lewis, Of Cincinnati,
where in company with a generally nu-
merous party of his Gothamite friends,
they pass princely time fishing, hunting,
boating and feasting and enjoying life
with all the combined facilities Of wealth
and this climate. He has invested fully
million dollars in this State; has just
completed very elegant business block
on Bay street that would be creditable to
State street. Floridians are solid for
Astor. The handsome yacht club house
on East Bay street was principally con-
structed by him.
And this reminds your correspondent
that three-mile boat race will take place
here on January 3lst, on the river along
the city front, for purse Of 81, ,000
Frenchy johnson (the we1l-known trainer
Of Courtney Tuttle, Of New York, and
Lee, of New Jersey, will enter, and sport
ing men now here are exhibiting great in
terest.
The annual State Fair will be held on
the ample grounds adjoining this city,
commencing February Doth. The
grounds are very fine, nicely fitted upfor
the purpose, and it promises to be one of
the finest displays Of tropical fruits,
flowers vegetables and Florida products
ever exhibited, and quite worth seeing.
The climate is certainly delightful
hereabouts at this season, and the resi-
dents unanimously assert it is equally as
agreeable all the year around. The
thermometer averages about 70
daily at present, and each
day is repetition Of balmy. breezAs,
clear sky, and June-like mildness. There
are no rain-storms to mention at this
season. To-day the ladies are wearing
summer lawns and straw hats, and carry
ing parasols, children in white dresses
and navy-blue flannel costumes, and the
hotels remind the traveller Of a Northern
summer resort in August.
| This is the busiest period Of the orange
season, that luscious crop being one Of
the principal sources of wealth Of this
State. At the depots, on the wharves,
and on the sidewalks are boxes, barrels,
and uncounted piles of the golden fruit.
The principal topic Of commercial dis
cussion is oranges.