The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-10-15
TALLAHASSEE. October 4. 1880.


TALLAHASSEE, October 4, 1880.
To the Editor Of the Democrat:
To leave the town in which you lived
through your boyhood at twenty, and to
return to it again for the first time when
you were grsy-haired man of fifty, and
find SO little change that each locality
and almost every building we're perfectly
familiar, is remarkable experience in
America, and one which very few can
say they have met with. But such has
been the experience of your correspond
ent. 1t is marvellous, hut nevertheless
it is absolutely true. The Tallahassee
which he left in 1s49 differs in so little
from the Tallahassee OF 1880 that it is
difficult for him to realize, while prone.
nading the streets, that so great length
of time has elapsed and that he is not in
reality only dreaming of the scenes which
constantly met his eye during childhood
and not those which exist to-day when he
is gray-haired and middle-aged man.
Rip VanWinkle when be revisited the vii
lage Of his previous residence found it so
changed that he could remember no spot
as familiar, and could only find the de-
scendants of his old companions and play
mates, and all after the lapse of only
twenty years, while /, after thirty years,
find all that left seemingly untouched by
time and at every turn am greeted by
some one whom / called friend In DAYS
long past. And the strange part of it
all is that during those thirty years have
happened events which were the most ire
mendous of the nations history. In a
word, the Tallahassee of to-day is SO lit
tie changed from the Tallahassee of le49
that the difference is almost impercepti-
BILE.
1t is true that numbers of her noblest
citizens have, during the intervening
period, gone to their eternal rest, and
have been buried under the oaks on that
western hillside near by; that others have
shed their blood on the battle-fields of
Virginia, and now lie where they fell SO
nobly and bravely battling for the cause
of their State; that others, again, have
strayed away TO far distant localities,
where they have formed closer ties and
endearing connections. But, after all,
enough are left to still give to the old
town an appearance of home to the re-
turning wanderer.
TUE REASON.
One may well ask why, amid all the
changes which have taken place during
the last quarter of century, has Talla-
hassee remained just as she was? Why
she was not In line with the rest of the
country when the general advance was
ordered by Providence? The reason is
apparent. Her people listened to the
voice OF the tempter and followed false
gods. They abandoned their natural
allies and submitted themselves to the
domination of communities which had
nothing in common with them, and only
sought their alliance with the intention
of more easily making slaves of them.
They abandoned their old friends in New
Orleans for new ones in Savannah, and
they soon saw those ungrateful people
enticing away from them the local trade
upon which they had subsisted. Thomas,
LOwndes and Decatur counties, in
Georgia, and Gadsden, Jefferson and
Madison counties, in Florida, formerly
did all their business with the merchants
Of Tallahassee But Savannah has tapped
those rich regions by rail and drained
their wealth into her treasures, leaving
to tallahassee only . poor part Of Wa
kulla county and the little retail local
trade, swelled in small way bi-annually
by the meeting of the General Assembly
Talk to . TallahaReean of the present
day Of renewing the old relations with
New Orleans, and be will shake his head
in. hopeless manner and humble ont
something about Savannah. Tell him
that he loses half cent . pound on all
the cotton he ships to that port, and he
will tell you that there is great differ
ence between the cottons of the up
lands of Florida and those of the Missis-
sippi valley, and that Glow ordinary" "
in Savannah and in New Orleans are two
different grades, and that the Savannah
brokers throw the dust IN che eyes of all
the world for their benefit The result of
all this il that Tallahassee is in the scar
and yellow leafs living, like DR.. Tan
ner, upon the accommodations of former
and more prosperops days When these
are exhausted she win begin to fall to
pieces, and judging from present appear
ances thaE fimeis not far n the future.
THE xnMxDr RoR HKR HIS.
It would not be difficult matter to
iRnd remedy for the lila which ahlict
this eesamnniGy. The merchants Of New
Orleans haye Il in their power 60 make
the thing straight and altogether lovely
for this finest district Of the Land Of
EIOweks.s All tha1 h required = - PIT
coutle of lines o. faat Iight draft stealn-
,ers hetwean New 0fieans, 81. Marks and
sApalaehiceIa, and b aand sthsir dxun-
.mers "a oyex the State and teaeh the peo-
rls tkeir ri interests Tie Trade of tke
oounkSY S1aa n,aks Ills sdfafprise pa3,
- lth - inaa use1ion - psaazlt
go IN wiek tha hn1anoe " ths
qeI1 Nox ito 1G6dIe
4 = 60 eZ llIe 80 kesI.Ikii-