Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
THE FLORIDA SEASON.
A Boom for Grant, sherman, Hayes.
COnOver, and the Land Of Flowers.
ICOtTFSIUltuPhcV OF TIE SdF.J
JACKSONVILLE EIdRInA Dec 81 1870

Boom for Grant, sherman, Hayes.
COnOver, and the Land Of Flowers.
Correspondence Of The Sdr.l
| JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, Dec. 81, 1879.
Your correspondent arrived last evening in
| this beautiful city on the majestic st. Johns,
and on this fair and lovely morning is baskfug
| in the brilliant sunshine of this semi-tropical
region. Umbrellas are unfurled in the streets
and fans are freely used in the parlors. The
hotels are fast filling up with streams of fash
ionable visitors from the north and west, and
the prospect now is that forty or fifty thousand
strangers will resort to Florida this season for
purposes of health and pleasure. The orange
groves are rich with golden clusters, the gar
deDS are green with every variety of vegetables
and the 6anks OF the river are gay and gorgeous
on every hand is perfectly brilliant and enchant-
Ing, and the luminous atmosphere possesses all
the softness and sweetness OF bright May
morning. The Utopia of the poet IS at least
partially realized here, and the fountain Of per-
petual youth which the Spanish adventurer so
ardently sought Is found in the Gland of
flowers" On! that the good people who are
shivering amid the SHOWS and storms of the
north could emerge for few months into this
paradise OF brightness and beauty-could luyu-
rate for time amid the balmy Influences of
this young Italy of the United States. This
state is destined to be heavily populated in a
few years. The orange culture is growing very
profitable, the finest timbers are found in
superabundance in these vast forests, and
as a saDitar1um Florida challenges COM
pariSon with the civilized world.
The people here of all classes are on 2i,i rirp
expectancy OF the arrival OF Gen. Grant and
party. The hotels are rivaiing each other in
elaborate and brilliant preparations for his re-
ception and entertainment. His passage through
the state will be one grand ovation. Many OF
its leading citizens are clamorous for his nomi-
nation for the Presidency in 80. He is uni
versally conceded to be the strongest man that
could be nominated by the republican party.
We had the pleasure to-day Of meeting eX-Sena-
tor Conover in town. The Senator, who I'M
0Oubtp0lv rpDreSpntS and has the confidence 0f
the greater portion of the republican party in
thfsstate, came here to try and effect unity in
the party with view to its success next year.
In this the Senator has been eminently success
full and the republican party of Florida may now
be said to be better united and will soon be bet
ter organized than at any time since the first
election after reconstruction. We have also
had the pleasure Of meeting some excellent gen.
tlemen of the democratic party; they also eX-
press themselves hopeful OF carrying the next
election. We understand, however, they are
not yet altogether in harmony as to candidates
or measures of policy. In one section of the
state the members of this party are demanding
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION,
while in another they are decidedly opposed to
it. The question will probably be brought
before the different conventions for embodiment
In their platforms. The republicans are under
stood to pretty generally oppose convention,
but will not be likely to commit themselves in
their platform.
Senator Conover says that he is sure that,
next to Grant Secretary Sherman Is the
strongest man In the party, and that he would
be supported for the presidency with great una
nimity and enthusiasm by the republicans Of
Florida.
The Jacksonville Breeze independently, of the
goth instant, in speaking OF the recent efforts
to harmonic the differences in that party says
that "SenatOr COnover is the ShreWdeSt poll
tician OF all the Florida republicans" Whether
this be true or not, it is well known that the
Senator has at all times been an earnest advo-
cate OF the Presidents southern policy and 1t is
gratifying TO know that either through this OF
some other influence President Hayes is warmly
regarded by all classes OF the people here as one
OF the most honest, faithful, pure and patriotic
of American Presidents. w.
AT PRESIDENT CREWS RECEPTION to the di-
plOmatic representatives on New Years Day,
Prince HOhenlohe, the German ambassador at
Paris, addressing M. de Freycinet, the new
president of the council and minister of foreign
affairs, in a loud tone said:-''I am charged by
Prince Bismarck to tell you, in the name OF my
government, that, Notwithstanding the regret
we feel at the departure Of Count de st. Waller
from Berlin, we see no reason why our relations
with the present cabinet should not bear the
impress Of the same sentiments of cordially
and peace we felt and manifested with regard
to the preceding cabinet. may add, for my
own part, that l rejoice to be the bearer of
these words, which exactly harmonic with the
feelings Of esteem | cherish towards yourself,
and to enter into official relations with you, thus
performing an agreeable and reassuring mis-
siop." The Papal Nuncio, addressing NJ. de
Freycinet, said-. l rejoice TO see placed at the
head of the cabinet man whose broad and c1n-
cfliatory views. lofty CT aracter and sentiments
of liberation are well known; on whom we can
rely to WELD power in the most equitable and
certain to find strictly impartial support NJ.
de Freycinet, in the course OF his reply, said
that he cherished no hostility to the Catholic
religion, that he profoundly respected 1t. He
only wished to remove 1t from too close contact
with political affairs, so to rescue it from con-
fusion, which might paralyZe its efforts and
cause regrets. Ut may be proper to remark
that NJ. de Freycinet is Protestant.l
FEATURE OF THE TRIAL OF REV. MIR. HAY
DEN. for the murder Of Mary Stannard, was the
testimony yesterday OF Benjamin Stevens, of
Rockland, whose health has been in very pre-
cariouS condition for several months. An im-
| mense crowd was present. Mr.. Stevens teSti-
fled that on the day OF the murder he was at
StannardS till in the afternoon. Hayden came
to the house in the morning. Was sitting in the
front room: Hayden and Mr. Stannard came into
| the house together. Hayden was in the house,
and did not go out OF doors While he was there.
| The statement that Mary and were leaning on
| the fence in front Of the house when Hayden
| left, made by Hayden, was utterly false. Hay
den was at the house, and before he came Mary
| was very uneasy and restless. Maly said she
| was going to the woods after Dime" to gather
| blackberries; told her where to CO. up at Fox
| Ledge Rock; she said she knew where she was
| going; the last saw of her was when she left
| the house, after dinner, to go for the berries:
| l then went home; did not hear of Mary's death
| until some time next morning. on croSs-eXam-
| nation the witness stated that when he went
| to STANDARDS on Wednesday he first saw the
! dead body of Mary; he did not examine it close
| ly, as there was no one present to show him the
| remains; saw a cut in the head that afternoon.
! He deried that when he first went there he Il Id
| private talk with Susan Hawley In the pantry:
| had no knowledge of the instrument that killed
! her. and never said to George Atwell or John
| Talmadge that he had a black oak stick q foot
| or foot ard a-half long that made the wound
| on the head, or that he possessed club OF that
| kind which fitted the wounds in her head. He
] denied emphatically the story told by Hayden
, about purchasing lumber on the day Oh the
| homicide, as Smith. of North Guilford, for whom
| he was trying to buy the lumber OF James Hill,
| jr., had bought 1t on Monday.
THE WIDOW OF YOUNG MILLIONAIRE MAR
RIES A FORMER SUIToR.-A fashionable wedding
was celebrated in Baltimore on Tuesday last,
| around which cluster some romantic incidents
illustrative OF the old proverb about the course
| OF true love. feWyears ago Mr.. Frank Brown,
| of Carroll county, whose estate joins that OF his
| cousin, the late Miss Florence Patterson =
| Madam BOnaparteS niece-waS engaged to Miss
| Mamie Il. Ridgely, wealthy society belle The
| engagement was, however, broken, and Miss
| Ridgely, while travelling in Europe, met Mr..
| Preston wealthy young Boston merchant.
| He became infatuated with her, and they re-
| turned to Baltimore a few months later. After
| brief engagement they were married, and
went to Europe On wedding tour. About
| fiftet II months after the marriage, however, MI
Preston, who had been in delicate health, died
of consumption. Besides her legal DOVER Mr..
Preston left her nearly 81 900 600 in cash. Mrs.
| Preston removed the remains OF her husband TO
Baltimore, and for the past two years has been