Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-10
OUR JACKsONVILLE LETTER.

OUR JACKSONVILLE LETTER.
Then and NOVA Sandy FOunda.
ItOn-What He Was-What He Is
what He rs DOing-CaPt. Dick
Stuart-The Horse Carson She
Goes-FIOrida at the FrOnt-The
Trsnsit Road Moving Forward
Good for South FIOrIda-LIght
Breaking Florida COffees Try
CInchOna-Sflk versus COLIOn-Try
the Experiment..
JACKSONVILLE, May 7.-An interesting sketch
of the career of the Rev. % w. W. Hicks,
while he was a citizen of Georgia, is furnished
in recent letter of the Washington cores
pondent Of the Atlanta Constitution The
writer speaks in glowing terms of the furore
created by Mr.. Hicks when he occupied the
pulpits of the leading Methodist churches in Ma
con and Augusta, and of the effect produced by
his sermons. He was for while an acknowI.
edged power in that denomination. and many
of its coed old sisters and brethren still speak
of him with regret as of fallen angel. The
most of them are honored and welcomed
guests beneath thousands of roofs whose
doors are now closed against him forever
His lecture upon the life and character of
General Lee had won him free entrance to the
hearts and hospitality of Southern people, and
given him great popularity. By the way many
of the most fervid and pathetic passages of
that production. are said to have been taken,
Uerbdtim ct literdtinl, from a lecture de-
livered by him to Northern audiences upon
President Lincoln. I first saw him some ten
years ago in the old capitol at Milledgeville,
upon the occasion Of convention called to
nominate candidate for Congress from that
district. He was then editing political paper
in Macon, and seemed to be on the best posi-
BILE terms with the Democratic delegates as
Sembed in council. From Macon he went to
Augusta. which city he took by storm. Thence
to this State, where he threw himself into the
Republican ranks and became as ultra Radi-
cal as he had been extreme free lter, when
in charge Of the Nineteenth Century in
Charleston.
Among his po' itical associates here, he bears
very much the position occupied by Friar
Tuck among the bold rangers of Robin Hoods
band in Sherwood Forest, an excellent Jester
and a jolly, boon companion. He has pretty
effectually lost all pretension TO clerical digni-
would apply to him, even if an eTtrenliS for
spiritual aid or consolation. To them he is
simply Billy Hicks" and quite on par in
every respect with themselves.
For many long weeE he has been dancing
attendance upon "the powers that be'' in
Washington, among tbs herd of office seekers
there congregated, willing to take a loaf or
crumb as the case may be- in the shape of a
fat consuShip or cast off pair of the Presi
dents breeches. Mr.. Hicks, to use slang but
expressive phrase, 'played out" in South
Carolina, was sp5wed out of Georgia. and is
about rubbed out In Florida. He has been
unable to deceive anybody by his well-rounded
periods aud smooth easy verbiage.
Capt Richard H. Stuart, who recently died
in TITfN VynG ioI1fo 80
the Confederate privateer jeff Davis, which
ran the blockade out of Charleston, during the
night of June 23th, 1861 and which, under
command of Capt Louis NJ Coxetter, render
ed very efficient service. Capt Stuart was
bold, fear ess and efficient officer, and possess
ed many excellent and sterling traits of char
acter. Peace to the memory of an old COM
rade.
Judge Baker having dissolved the Injunction
granted against the street railroad, work has
been resumed and the rails are being rapidly
laid upon the StringerS. AS the cars intended
to be used have been here for several weeks,
we may expect soon this Improvement in ope-
ration. Different opinions are expires Sed as to
the probable remuneration of the stockholders.
all admit the convenience to the community
while many think the present population too
small to render the enterprise profitable.
Thus we progress, and Jacksonville. with her
gas and water works, sewerage system and
street railways is far in advance of many a
city her senior in years, and her superior in
population. Already the terminus of three diff
have another avenue to growth opened in the
shape of the road projected between this city
and St Augustine, which scheme is fast assum-
ing definite shape and substance. Such great
arteries must bring in trade, the life.blood of
commerce. and the happiest results must ne
cesSarily follow. Our real estate dealers re-
port a good dEmand for property at stiff |
prices, and speak hopefully of the future If
our present rate Of growth continues, it will |
become necessary for one or more of our crack
hotels to remain open during the summer to
Nlxz flYay ants Cf G ran
Point me to any State doing more Ia the |
way of internal improvements than Floridal |
Imprimis, two new railroads have been COM
ple'ed since the first of January-the Way |
cross and the Fernandina and Jacksonville. In |
another month, the Peninsula Road will be |
finished to Ocala, opening up that rich and |
splendid country. During the summer the |
smart and thriving towns of Gainesville and |
Palatka will be linked together by |
iron Hgaments Tampa has got the |
contaeion in a virulent FORM and VOWS that J
She will not be far behind her sisters, while !
Pensacola is rolling up her sleeves in readiness |
to break the earth on the line intended to bring |
her in days run from Jacksonville. Fernan- |
dina's supply of oysters is deficient, so she is
mtditating a road to Brunswick, Ca where |
these luscious bivalves abound. Last, but not |
least are those big projects, the drainage of
Lake Okeechobee, and the canal connecting
the St Johns and Indian rivers
In addition to those mentioned, there are
several other schemes now in incubation
that bid fair to develop into works of value |
and utility. There is big boom in Florida.
and all portions of the State are keeping step
to the march or progress. When the next |
National census is taken in 1890. there will be |
some astoniSEment over the statistics coming
from this direction.
was more than pleased to learn day or
two since from Mr.. Walter G. Coleman, the
active and efficient Travelling Agent of the |
Transit Railroad, that the Peninsular branch |
would reach Ocala about the middle of next
week. Better still was the information obtain
ed from the same source, that corps of en-
Cyin
south of that town en- route to Charlotte
Harbor This IS spendid Intelligence
for the. people OF the entire State, and
especially for those in the section to be reach
ed They have been praying and hoping for
this outlet for many, many weary years, and
congratulate them with my whole heart upon
this probable early realization of their yearn-
ing anticipations. Mar on, fernando, Hills
borough, Polk Sumter and Manatee counties
are now young Titans whose limbs are bound
and whose muscular powers are enfeebled by
disuse Strike off their gives, open their mag,
nificent lands to the tramp of the expectant
immigrant, let the peering glance of capital
fall upon their noble advantages, and you
would witness a rush of mind, muscle and
money from every direction.
Heartily rejoiced am to hear OF the bright
prospects opening to the people on the Gulf
coast. transportation VIII effect transforma-
tions as great and wondrous as those produced
by the wand Of q magician, and that goodly
land will grow and flourish without let or him
d rance. Put the machinery once fairly in mo-
tlon ana IL y Ill continue 90 run without jar or
stoppage.
send you in this letter few grains of cof-
fee grown in Florida. The berries iHciosed
were raised at Manatee by Madame Joe Atz-
roth, who is fairly entitled to the distinction
of having produced he first AID only coffee
ever matured in the United S'ates outside OF
hot house.
You will observe that tAe grains are still
contained in the outer husk or covering. Ma
dame Joe is still adding to the number of her
bearing plants They were not in the slightest
degree injured by the extreme cold of last
winter.
Who Will dare to say that the time will never
come when, In addition to the qualities of |
ties of coffee now known to commerce, the
fragrant berries from Florida will not be con-
spicuous?
Tea, of superior flavor, is nOw grown in
several portions of the State.
There is one plant. most valuable Cor medici- |
nal properties, which has not yet bsen tested
in Florida, although since its introduction into
some parts of ASIA it has succeeded most ad-
mirably. Why is it that some of our enter
priSing men have not tried the cinchona, from
whose bark is extracted that almost indispen-
S BILE chemical. quinine2 Commissioner LIE
Due would doubtless be only too glad to pro-
cure plants for those who desired to make an
experiment, from which such glorious results
might follow.
The recent articles in the MORNING NEWS
upon silk culture have attracted some interest,
and should arouse some attention to the
subject The nlO71tS nttGlttcGnIts, upon which
the worm feeds. grows here most luxuriously,
and is propagated without the slightest diff
Guilty. Indeed it is only necessary to thrust a
into the crrnllnd n have SDaadilV q !