The daily gazette., 1881-03-21
BY RIVER TO PALATKA.

vt 1IlE 1oN M w n AMI
LAND ATTRACTIONS - FRUITS,
FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES
FINE FIsH-oRANGE GROVE Gull
TURE-PUBLIC LANDS RAILROAD
PROGRESS -PoLITICs-wHIT IN
DUSTRY, ETC.
PALATKA, Fla, Mar. Id, 1881.
oorres pondence of the Bait. sun.
From Jacksonville to Palatka the
distance is rs miles by the st. Johns
river, where steamboats, ply regular
ly, stopping at various landings,
where tourists put in their time dur
ing the winter, sojourning here and
there, making trips to st. Augustine
via Tocol, or Wishing orange groves
and various quiet retreats in one
picturesque spot or another. The St..
Johns river aows sup" south from
the north. 1t is a broad and beauti-
lul body of water, more like lake
than river, and having a stronger
resemblance to the Chesapeake bay
and its Maryland shores than any
thing else that i have seen. Palat-
ka is very near the centre of the
peninsula of Florida. 1t is de-
lightful little town, regularly laid
off and policed carefully. 1t has
plank sidewalks and streets on which
the grass grows. Orange trees are
planted regularly on the sidewalks,
with the fruit yet hanging and my
riads of blossoms at the same time.
1t was night when | arrived, and |
could hardly believe the evidence of
my sense of smell that this was the
case, and so attempted to make a
closer inspection by drawing down
a branch upon which there were
blossoms and plucking one. A rag
ged little colored boy, seeing the
act, said "Boss, dere is a fine of
five dollars for pulling dat flower,
but / won't tell Oh you dis time"
Afterwards | saw a colored police
man, and concluded that perhaps
the generous lad was son to the
guardian Of the night and felt privi-
legged to grant curious stranger the
favor of street orange blossom.
For quiet and elegance Palatka is
preferable to Jacksonville. Its ho-
tells are delightfully."- kept. Not even
a speck OF dirt or dust is allowed TO
remain on anything about them and
there is an air of comfort and r5s
tinement which are both fully real
lied on testing the genuineness of
the appearance they present to the
new conner. They are surrounded
with tropical vegetation; their
grounds have not only orange trees
bearing and blossoming, but stately
palmettos, beautiful shrubbery and
fragrant flowers. | have seen here
the prlckly pear cactus growing in
the air fifteen feet high, and so
weighty that half of it fell to the
ground, unable 10 support its own
growth. Col. Ii. L. Hart, one OF
the most energetic residents, owner
of one of the lines of Ocklawana
steamships, has delightful resi-
dence and much other valuable
property in the place, and one of
the oldest and largest orange groves
opposite the town to be found in
Florida.
Among the attractions of this locality
Is the opportunity for excursions across
the river TO this grove, which all strangers
desire to see. Many other points Of in.
telest are within reach by steam or rail,
and fishing is first-rate. A few days age
a gentleman in one day caught FIVE dozen
black bass, each over foot in length,
and killed an alligator whose jaws would
stretch open IA inches. In one of the
shops for curosities are two hamingoes
and whole rows of allgators' skulls, up.
per and lower jaws ranged on shelves
like pairs of huge wooden shoes.
Vegetation this far cup South" Is per-
ceptibly in advance of Jacksonville,
Shad, black bass aud 9th er fish come to
market in large quantities, and the truck
raisers bring IN loads of cabbages, hard
headed Early Yorks, lettuce, turnlps, on
ions, green peas, tomatoes, straw berries
potatoes, and in fact all the vegetables
which we have in Maryland in mid
summer. Strawberries sell fer 90 cents
a quart and eabbages for 10 cents head
al the house door. Irish potatoes are
planted in November, and the new crop
is now getting rather old. The sweet
potatoes are yams, and have alm lost as
much sugar in them as cane aud more
than the sweetest beets. AS many crops
of green peas may be raised in the course
of The year as one would desire. They
have been in the market here for two
months.
Before the election of 1875 the me-
groes firmly believed that democratic
success would mean reinstatement ;
but as they have gone through four
years since Drew was declared Governor
their eyes have been opened to gross
deception which had been practsed
upon them, but it makes but small diff
ference. The continue to form the solid
strength of the republican party, along
with few white men, who are their
leaders. You hear very much said in
the South about white men being unable
to cultivate cetton and corntields. ]
met German gardener, who is most
skillful and industrious man at his bus.
mess, and asked him how that was. lie
repudiated the idea Indignantly. lie
said he came here six years ago and bad
remained all the summer, and could do
more work IN the field any day than any
of the colored men he had ever had to
work with hun. He said it was not
NECESSARY to work in the field in the hot
nart of Ihe day. He could work from
o'clock a. III. until 10 a. M, and from
D. IN. till 7 p. m. This was his regular
habit, aud in nine hours could do twice
as much work as negro. introduce
this man for the reason that he IS a la
porer under hire, and has been so for
g. ,,,ars yat ba has in that time ap