Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-01
POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA.
The Topography OF the County-Its
Elevation Above Ihe Sea - ITS
HeaIthIuIness Good Land-saIu-
brIOus Climate and HOspItable
People.

MEDuLLA, May 2P-Editor Morning Nescs:
am prompted by spirit of heartfelt interest,
mutual with Polk county and those in want and
search for new homes, to write few facts for
the very popular and widely circulated NEWS,
should you find them worthy of space. BY re-
fering to the map of Florida the reader win at
a glance see the geographical situation
of the county now under consideration and the
first thing that we would call particular atten
tion to is that it stands at an altitude OF over
five hundred feet above sea level, showing Polk
county TO be the most elevated county in South
Florida; and not frog-pond, as has been init
mated by some reckless mind. To verify this
assertion or its elevation, you will please take
up all the rivers of this section of country and
follow them from mouth to head, and you win
find their heads or tributary streams in Polk
county. The KiSsimmee river on the east, has
several feeders from Polk; the Withlacoochie,
on the north, heads in Polk; the Alada run
ming through Hillsborough county, heads in
Polk running west; Peace creek, running south,
heads in Polk, and thus you see the waters on
either side seeking their level by leavipg this
county. This we assign as a capital and the
chief reason of our healthfulness. We are
beyond successful contradiction, the healthiest
people In Florida, and this is admitted by all
who know of what they speak For proof we
will n ention here that our esteemed neighbor,
Rev. p r. McCrary. came to this county in the
summer of 1877, from Opelika, Ala with a dread
that coming in the summer would subject him 10
the chiilS and fever, which is much more
spoken about elsewhere than here. He has a
wife and six children, and is past his three
score and ten years, and has not called in q doc
tor since his arrival and has not failad TO eat
at every meal time three times day. could
give other evidences and testimonials, but
enough.
We also assign the same reason for our
exemption from the pests of mosquitoes sand.
flies. etc take privilege here to say that no
part Of the Stata is more exempt from these
~. T. Il. II s. rI.aNI
speak, being a native and having good knowl-
edge of the State. have been in Polk county
five years, and have never slept under a net in
the county.
Polk county has an area of about nineteen
hundred square miles, the surface uDdulating
and composed of hummock and pine lands,
dotted with prairie, on which the cattle busi-
ness is carried on profitably. The larger
portion of the land is first-class orange
land and well adapted to other fruits and vege-
tables, of which latter those Of the tenderest
kind can be raised the year round with an oc-
casional exception by an unusual hard winter.
when some frost il visible. The climate is salu-
brious. the winters are warm and the summer
cool. The soil is fertile, yielding from ten to
twentY-flv bushels OF corn per acre, from four
hundred to one thousand pounds seed cotton
per acre, four TO ten barrels sugar per acre,
while potatoes are never scarce. The orange
trees OF this county are less diseased by scale
bug. die back. etc, than elsewhere.
OF course the county has its disadvantages,
the chief of which is that we have no transpor-
tatlOn, not a steamboat nor railroad in the
county. Another disadvantage is that so
many railroad charters have been granted and
lands drawn from market for the benefit of
said roads as inducements to the builders that
very little land can be bought except by private
purchases from individuals who have bought
speculation and hold at prices sometimes
too high. There is, however, a bright pros
pect that this whole trouble will be removed
during this year, as some of the roads will be
built and their lands put on the market With
first class transportation this country will afford
as many of the good things of life, combined
to make man happy, as any part of the known
world
Politically, Polk county has ever stood as
firm to Democracy as Old Elijah ever stood to
his cause, but are reasonable, sensible people,
bidding welcome to our fellow creatures from
anv State or nation, and willing for them TO
enjoy their political and religious views under
their own vine and fig tree, according to the
dictates of their own conscience. moro hos
pitable people has never been known than in
this country.
The boast of Polk county is three little
towns, which are all prosperous and very fast
increasing in population. Barlow is the coun-
ty site of Polk, and is situated as it should be.
very near the centre of the county. Fort
Meade is twelve miles south Of Barlow, in a
rich land section Medua is ten miles north
west of Barlow, and is situated in fine land
and lake country.
| will close my scattering remarks by refer
ring any one interested to Col John Snoddy or
W. II. Pearce. at Barlow, DIR. @. L Mitchell or
J. E. Robson, at Fort Meade, Rev. +. Tucker
or J. NJ. Ballard, at Medula, or to the editor of
the Barlow Informant CRACKER.