Connecticut western news., 1881-03-23
HDe1ectus,s i'm Florida. |.

stDe1ectus,, i'm Florida.
 E0. NEws:-Once more, before setting my face northward, will sepd you letter from the land of orange blossoms and palmettoes, where Spring is reigning ID full splendor now. The orange trees are laden with flowers, vel. low jessamine runs rampant, covering trees and shrubs with mass of dark green leaves, and fragrant bell-shaped blossoms. Wild flowers are appearing in the woods. and the dltches are full of all sorts of delicate, beautiful growths.
 The birds are singing now as they have not done all winter; sweet voiced little martins in their home on the barn top, where they are the busiest of housekeepers, meadow larks, clear toned as silver bells, butcher birds. mocking birds, red birds and killaers. As the summer comes, the mocking birds slug all night long continual serenade.
 The chief event of interest of the past few weeks was the "orange County Far" held at Sanford for four days, beginning February 22d. l wish some of our good Connecticut farmers could have beheld this winter display. A prize of one hundred dollars had been of. fered by Gen Sanford for the greatest variety raised and exhibited by one person, and Mir Holden Of Orlando who won the prize, amply | deserved it. Ills exhibit was most beaut- l ful one. including oranges, lemons, lines, grape fruit, Japan plums, straw berries, sugar syrup, and the cane from which it is manu- factured, cassava starch, meal, vinegar, ba- con, lard, beets, turnips, leeks, caulifower cabbagas, citrons, guavas, bananas, pine-ap ples, carrots, radishes, corn, sweet potatoes and millet. One can have the necessities, and many of the luxuries of life here, of his ] own raising, you see. The display of oranges { was very fine, many large fruit-laden branch. es being suspended in the hall, on ono of
 which I counted fifty luscious golden balls. l Beautiful flowers were in sheltered, palmet-
 to shaded piazza, which surrounded the
 building, and many fancy articles were in the
 hall above. The Southern ladies are famed
 for their skill in decorative needlework, and
 amply sustained this reputation. There were
 fine chickens, geese and ducks in cages and
 out of doors, and what perhaps attracted more
 attention than anything else in the long row,
 a rattlesnake under glass case, beastine 1 thirteen rattles and button, Notwithstand-
 ing the'snake stories had heard, this is the
 first rattlesnake have seen In Florida, so
 you need not think them common things in
 civilized places here The last day of the fair
 was devoted to baby show. which I failed
 to see, aud tournament. after the custom of
 the old days of southern chivalry. Ten
 knights, gaily sttred with floating plumes
 and laces and sashes, and mounted on gallant
 steeds, rode at fuil speed to take on their
 lanees rings suspended along the line. The
 victor bore of seven in a possible nine, and
 won the right to crown at the tournament bali
 that night, the queen of love and beauty. This ball was held at the sanford House, and | there the queen aud three maids ot honor were duly crowned, and danced royal quadrllle. Perhaps this is too purely southern custom to bear transplanting, but I think it would lend variety and zest to Litchfeld County fairs as well.
 A few weeks ago made most delightful trip up the Ocklawaha to Silver Spring, which no one visiting Florida should miss It is ut. terly unlike any other river, this narrow, wind ing stream through the forest primeval, Dor. dered by palmettoes. bays, gum, and sombre, moss draped cypress trees. There are mossv logs where lie alligators, basking in the sun, and forming good targets for the omnipresent man with gun, who fires at each living thing by the way, generally missing, am glad to say. However. we brought back one scaly, eight feet long fellow with us, as tro. phy Tall, white curlews stand in the water in picturesque attitudes, or fly slowly over the trees, and blue heroDs, buzzards and hawks are many. The river is so winding that the little steamboat can rarely go more than twice it's length without turning, and so narrow that we were wakened at night by the tapping of branches against our windows, and sometimes would run up among the bushes, pushing off again with long poles. At night fire off pine knots is made on the boats top, throw ing it's yellow, gleaming light on either side | and making still more weird and strange this "ouucIlul. uuIquo IlNSE 4ue cOlOreQ waters | grouped themselves on the lower deck, and sang quaint darkey melodies to the monot- onous drumming of banjo Silver Spring is so wonderfully clear that gleaming shells and green mosses are plainly seen sixty feet below There we turned and came back down the river seeing all that we had missed at night ID the brightness of morning.
 Florida has never been so over.run by tray. elers as this winter, probably owing to the SC, were cold at home, and every hotel is full, I heard of gentleman who accepted bed in ! bath tub as the only alternative, and many ( Ire turned away because there absolutely is ( 10 room. Florida is the great resort of inva- ids. and pleasure tourists and hunters come [ n great numbers also, There is excellent lunting and fishing all about, but game is II riven yearly farther into the backwoods 1 Tow allgators are rarely seen upon the St. n ohn's, owing to the constant f rirg kept up y the ubiquitous shooter aforesaid What , an be the satisfaction ot wounding or killing wing creatures which cannot be reached even shot, and why tree wouldn't serve equally A ell as a mark, if one needs must fire at )methng, it would be hard to tell There nothing which so interferes with ones en- yment of the beautiful southern rivers az
 is constant, aggressive shooting Isn't 1t ; suhiect for Bergh2 DFLRcTUs. A Or occ. Fort Reid, Florida, March II, 1881.