Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-09
Price Four Cents.

after all the passengers had concluded that in this part of Uncle Sam's territory it was the rule to start when ready. 4 start being made, the trip proceeded twelve miles to the hour
 At the junction with the road to Cedar Keys, an opportunity was offered to purchase 8
 doughnut, @ boiled egg, ham sandwich, and we were of again for Jacksonville. Jacksonville is reached and there the steamer Hancox, bound up the St. John is taken Think of up towards the equator
 Palatka is reached The Larkins Hou, fronts the dock The Putnam is kept byR
 Orvis of the Windsor at Jacksonville, and the
 Manchester of Vermont. The Putnam is 6
 first-class house, the keeper born landlord, and nothing is wanting in kthe Putnam that
 can be procured for the benefit of guests.
 The hotels are all crowded to excess and cot
 tages are extemporized. Mr. Orvis last
 that no rooms were to be had, and yet they
 did come. Palatka in itself has no special
 attractions It is city probably of two
 thousand people. But the climate is delight
 full. The buildings are all old, excepting the
 hotels and few stores. The streets are
 lined with wild orange trees for shade, which
 have not grown to large size. These trees
 have oranges hanging on them and are also
 full of buds and blossoms. The private
 grounds all have more or less grafted or
 anges and bananas. Oranges are to be seen
 lying on the ground everywhere. The frost
 of this season has damaged very many,
 yet many are left in plenty. The
 bananas are all sending out new sprouts. The soil is white sand and nothing else, ex-
 cept where 1t has been enriched. The entire
 soil of Florida, it is plain to be seen, is the
 heaving up of the ocean's bottom-shells
 ground into white sand. How anything can
 grow in it is wonder, and yet &sanges ba-
 nanas, live oaks of the largest kind and i'm
 mense pine forests are to be seen all about.
 Orange groves are scattered in all parts of
 the peninsula. They are natives, but need
 grating, pruning and attention. Too much
 wet kills the fruit. If planted too low they
 will not bear. Yet 8 small amount of labor, comparatively, after few years, say ten to fifteen, is sure to produce crop if planted in the right kind of place. The low, wet grounds will not at all answer and in Flori- da, as in all the southern States the low, damp regions predominate. One block in the city is splendidly adapted to the uses of public park. It is filled with live oaks which are covered with moss. The trees are informed it is private property. At the pres ent writing there is pitched upon it gospel tent from New York. Notices are issued for afternoon and evening meetings. I will throw no cold water. hope it will do good. In all observe four hotels, all appearing as If built within few years: Palatka will eventually become one of the places of resort, even much more than it is now, for persons who wish to escape the northern winter cli- mate. It will be for the North in winter what the shore resorts are in summer. A dozen or more have already sprung up on the banks of the St. Johns river, and all first class places appear to prosper. About dozen squares are owned and occupied by parties raising fruits in small way com pared with those who make business of 1t. Such places are tastefully laid out, but it ap- pears to the writer that much more could be raised upon them than there is.
 The orange groves are over the river from one to four miles away. Hart's and Layiers are famous. They are reached by rowboats at forty cents head. Hart's grove is the oldest There are 700 bearing trees, and g. 900 in all. Most of the bearing ones have seen their forty y-sN years. The tops today are covered with blossoms and buds, the branches more or less with luscious oranges, and not in accordance with my former SUD- position of ripening all the time but they did ripen on the first of November last, re- maining on the trees till p1ucked to fill or ders to sale, the frost in the meantime having destroyed great numbers The blossoms now on the trees will be oranges next November, and large crop is anticipated, which will remain till plucked to fill orders far and near, for Hart's oranges have reputation estab- lished. Though perhaps really no better than others, they bring in this market from three and half to four dollars hundred sucn as you can purchase anywhere North at four, five or six cents at retail The agent is from New Hampshire and has been in the grove twenty two years. He is polite, will ing and communicative as to everything per- taining to the cultivation.
 Now how to return is the question. The two boatmen suggest large boat or yawl, having had hard work to land us as they wished. The yawl arrived from the other side of the river, the third hand came also, and with rowing against the winds up stream then down again with the wind, all arrived safely, though well wet.
 Sunday last a new church, the memorial gift of MT. Robert Lenox Kennedy, of New York, for his deceased wife of former years was dedicated. It is beautiful neat brick structure built upon the spot where Mrs. Kennedy for the last time in her life attended The church lot cost $2, 500; the building cost S1O,000. The services were historical and interesting. The old building is now in use by the engine com pany. Florida curiosities, such alligators of all sizes stuffed birds shells, etc, are on exhibition and sold at the stores Quite trade is done in selling them to the hotel guests. Perhaps the guests number 500 at present. Many are very sickly looking peo- pie, and very many make the tropical trip to pet away from cooler attitudes NJ.