Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-01
Three Months in Florida.

QULxAAN, ia. M&rcn xo.-Hnlt6T Morning
NssCs: Ihave Just gotten out Of the Peninsula
State after sojourn there Of about three
months. With your permission win give &
series Of letters noting something Of what
saw in Florida. Except a brief trip from
Mobile last summer to Pensacola, thence
through Western Florida en- route to Mont
gomery, never saw the Land of Flowers
until last December. OF course, / had heard
Of it often-who has not? The history OF the
adventures of the Spanish cavaliers reads ike
q romance, especially those made into this
State. But must not recount them here.
must skip over more than three hun
dred years, and speak of a0hat /
sGU. Going to Tallahassee, / spent
about seven weeks in the Capital City. Twas
there during Christmas week, and experienced
the unusual cold weather for that latitude.
saw the yards ami gardens bedecked with
flowers just before the ''coId snap - and with
sleet and icicles just after. II was a sudden
change, and presented a marked contrast Tt
was trying on orange trees as well as sbiverinp
humanity. As for myse +, l had not antici-
pated such frigid weather IN the anny South.
Christmas, with lis usual fe -tivities passed
on. and New Year succeeded. But the great
events OF the season We're the convening Of the
Legislature and the Inauguration of Governor
Bloxham, on the 4th of January. From a
indeed capital full of visitors full of officers
elect, and full of office seekers The hotels.
boarding houses, private dwellings all were
soon crowded with guests from every
ball, notwithst ndipg the incessant rains.
was well attended By parties from the Atlantic
seaboard. from the Gulf coast, and from the
Georgia border, as well as from thu interior
It was indeed an enjoyable occasion. given in
honor of the new Executive, llorida's first ma
tive born GoYernJ3 There were fair women
and brave men, who kept step to the music
until the small hours of the morning. I shall
never see that brilliant throng again hut Is
will not soon fade from memory
The next most Important event of the season
was the election of a United States Senator
There were two canddates-General w w
Loring and Hon. Chas. w. Jones, the former
being native of Florida, and the latter Of
ireland. Both are Democrats. Loring is a
military man, having when but a youth en-
gagged in battle against the Indians for the de-
Tense or his native state; subsequently he was
10 the Mexican war where he lost an arm.
more r Gently he was conspicuous in the war
served for period of ten years i'm Esvnf
Jones was carpenter, having showed the risne
IN Mobile and Pensacola until he could
OBTAIN license to practice law This he 1id n
1901, when he gave away his tools diyi linz,
them among his brother mechanics It wss oTs
tnls occasion that one of his friends remarked.
these tools 10 make bread with YETI" Never
SAID Jones, III sink or swim on the law"
And SO he cid. He soon gained a lucrative
psactice, was since the war elected a member
OF Ine Legislature from EScamhia county and
stlll later TO the United States Senate He yvnS
now candidate for reelection His record
was good In Congress, and he was favorite
OF the people of Florida This candidacv FOR
the Senate presented two aspects-tbe ci,,;l
versus the military service, and the lnff,,e es
against foreign born candidate In this in
stance, the civil triumphed over the military
consideration, and Knownothingisn was kiIIa5
outright. Senator Jones was nominated FOR
reelection by the Democratic caucus on first
pallot, and on the 18th of January both
orancnes OF the Legislature In session com
jority. N00''eU ma
The bill introduced by Senator Dell. Of
Aachua, and which became law, for the re-
moval or the seat of government from TallahaE-
see 10 Gainesville, or such place as the neopla
shall by vote at the next general election def.r-
mine, VIII perhaps attract more general atten-
ton than any other measure of that hodv Tyba
discussion of this question win bring into v;au
the merits and demeritS, ADVANTAGE and disad-
Yantages. eligibility and ineligfbility of the
present capital of Florida. Having never seen
Gainesville your correspondent cannot s,sest
of the relative advantages of the one
over the other town In q geogranhieaI
point OF view, Gainesville is certainly
ens more oeslrabie locality but to health,
suitable site for the capitol and general sur
roundings, am not prepared TO say. Doubt
iess all this will be brought to light when dis
cussed before the people. OF Tallahassee.
AS"S'Sis a NoIi say II A1S bile best site for a
town or city of any place I saw in the State.
IL Is situated ON number of hills and ridges.
is naturally well drained, is well shaded nv
nooie oid oak ana other forest trees, as well as
oy many exotlcs, and has an excellent agricuI-
tural country extending out in every direetion
Tor miles, sufficient to sustain it, The town
though nearly fifty years old mas a Nomination
OF only ABOUT three thousand inhabitants,
some or the streets present a cheerful appear-
ance, being nicely shaded, and lined with hand
some residences. II has only q local trade.
but might be very much improved in
this respect by constructing a abroad ~
Thomasvile. thus giving direct Communicates
from the last named place to st Marks Such
a road would afford the Georgia system of raiI-
ROADS an outlet to the Gulf, and thus enable II
TO connect and cooperate with line OF staar,
ers TO Cuba and other ports on the Gulf az Me-
leo. The Jacksonville, Pensacola and Mobile
Raliroad should be finished to Pensacola. Tins
glving CIV ulrect communication between this city
ana the capital. The agitation of the ouestioy,
OF the removal of the capital will, or ought TO-
stir up he citizens OF Tallahassee and Centrai
Florida TO build not only these railroads. but to
nit.s lliaSe 1snsF improvements in and about the
city. They have ample time to accomplish
bhese them, II they will but go to work and
push things Through By such a course thew
! may yet retain the capital, and thus make Tai
lanassee the pc snanent seat of government
The ttveSt Institution il. .Ta1ahassee is the
EtoTfdao1l printing office, in which is published
me BtoradSG7t, weekly newspaper Cantain
Charles X. Dyke editor and proprietor II a.
Democratic sheet of wide circulation and in
rulI rarmony with the Bloxham administra
tlon; Tallahassee is perhaps the only capital in
me Union without daily newspaper, but this
deficiency is in great measure supplied by the,
Savannah MORNING NEWS
MY stay in the capital was both pleasant and
instructive. l made the acquaintance Of a
number OF people, whom should be glad
20 meet again. My trip to the
insane Asylum at Chattahoochee, on the oc-
casion OF the excursion to that institution by
the Legislature in a body. was enjoyable then.
and Is q pleasant memory now. I gathered
much information concerning the present
status OF Florida by listening to the discus
slonS OF general ead local questions which came
before the Legislature 81 often did hear the
roil called that the names and faces OF members
became quite familiar to me- It was more than
an average body of men, and shall carry with
me kindly feelings toward a number of them.
whoSe acquaintance made. might say more
about Tallahassee and her people, but this
will suffice for the present. wish them abund-
ant prosperity and abiding good health.
J.VD,