The daily gazette., 1880-05-01
From the Reading Eagle.
A Berks Countian In Florida,

RENTS-LIFE IN THE SOUTHERN
BACKwoODs.
Rev. G. Fl. Mutschier, of Mt.
Aetna, Berks county, but who is
now in Florida has just written the
following letter from Bronson, that
State, to I. j. Bordner of Mt.
Aetna: "Our railroad fare from Phil
adelphia here was $3l.96 apiece.
Since my arrival have preached at
Cedar Keys and other points in this
section. Cedar Keys is a very busy
place and large quantity of oysters,
fish, oranges, fruits and vegetables
are shipped from that point. Many
of the houses are built of concrete
that is the walls are solid mass of
mortar, made of sand, lime and sea-
shells. They look real pretty, and
l think, will last long. Albion is about
four miles from here on the Transit
Railroad, it is a small settlement
mostly from Philadelphia. john
sons Lake or "Chunkey Pond' as
it is sometimes called, extends from
our town, about four miles in a
southern direction, and it was a mile
beyond where preached. / have
another appointment there for two
weeks from next Sunday. Benson
is the County seat of Levy county
and is only quite small town, con-
tanning four stores, bar-room, Rail-
road depot, hotel, blacksmith-shop,
watchmaker's shop, drug store,
coi,rf bn,oa iail ato oloD n CO.
mill and two cotton-gins, but there
is pretty thick settlement around.
There is only one church here
which belongs to the Methodists.
but they have allowed us to preach
in it once a month, or on any
other vacant Sunday. The weather
has been very pleasant since we are
here. We have had a few white
frosts and some cold rains, but gar
den vegetables have been growing
right along. suppose it will seem
increditable to you if l tell you what
we have seen in the way of garden
vegetables and fruits, but it is true
nevertheless.
When we came 1t was just in the
midst of the orange season, and many
trees could be seen with thousands of
ripe oranges on their boughs. Some
were very large and so sweet and juicy.
They could be bought at from IS cents
to So per hundred according to size and
quality. In the Christmas week, while
at Starke, basket Of ripe strawberries
was brought to town. Peach, blackberry
and elderberry blossoms could also be
seen here on Christmas. Strawberries
have bloomed and ripened until now,
and will do so for u few monts TO come.
ALI kinds of garden vegetables are
growing. About three weeks ago Mrs.
Mutschler and l went on visit where
we were treated to cabbage, green peas,
and ripe tomatoes, fresh from the gar
den, for dinner. / said we got house
at a cheap rent. 1t is not Pennsylva-
mia, bat Florida house. There was
not a window in it-only holes with
shutters at, but have now put some
windows in. The house stands, how |
ever, on beautiful place, near a lake,
and about 80 feet above the level of it,
about one-fourth of mile from the de- |
pot. The yard looks more inviting than |
the house, for it is green with grange
trees, some of which will bear this year,
-pomegranites, peaches, plums, large
oleanders, rose, myrtles, china trees,
and in the lot are about 100 young Or
ange trees. We have planted cabbage,
cucumbers, raddishes, beans, peas, pota-
toes, Irish and sweet, onions, melons,
corn, millet, &c, Radishes we have
used for more than two weeks. We
hs We also cooked beans, and will soon
have new potatoes. Our corn is over a
foot high. The nights have so far been
cool enough to make couple Of blan-
kets feel comfortable, but we have had
some pretty warm days. l will let
you know some Of our market prices:
Flour, SO to $3.50 per barrel sugar
cured hams, Is cents per pound; bacon,
Ia cents; saltej pork, 10 cents fresh,
To-, cents; fresh beef, s to 8 cents;
10 cents fresh fish, 4 to cents;
oysters, $1.26 per bushel; eggs, 12A to 15
ents per doz.; chickens, 25 cents a
'iece; white sugar, from 12a to Is cents;
,rown, from 8 to 10 cents; syrup, 80 to
10 cents q gallon; corn, 81 per bushel;
'ats, the same; sweet potatoes, 40 cents
'er bushel; Irish, old, from $1.60 to So;
utter, 40 to 90 cents per pound. There
I've few new potatoes in market, also
ONE new beans and cucumbers, bat
ave not learned the price except that
he cucumbers bring from $40 to $12 per
rate in Philadelphia, and beans from
8 to 81. There are many farms, some
Vith and others without orange groves,
Or sale here, and some can be brought
cry cheap. There is a piece of eighty
cres adjoining us, with new two story
ouse nicely painted, kitchen, stable, I
&C.; also a good well and large number
orange trees of choice varieties, besides
caches, plums, bananas, Strawberries,
nd some other fruits. The price is 49,
90. The man who owns | is in busi-
ess with liquor dealer In Louisville,
~, and does the travelling in the more
orthern states, thus keeping him from
ONE most ofthe time; therefore he wants
} move to Kentucky. The place is !
eautifully located, and the land mostly
bling. Florida is fine country, and
lany things in it are very pleasant, but
lere are also many drawbacks. Some
the land is very good, whilst some is
cry poor; but before we can tell what
will or will not produce we must have
different class of people to manure and
me the land. There is plenty of lime
one, but no one to burn it.