The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-05-06

houses, but making up IN quality wha'
IS lacking In quantity these three were impos
Ing in form, spacious IN dimensions, ana en-
circled by grounds in first class exhioiuon
order as BELTS residences guarding the en-
trance to some of the finest groves ON the 81
John. Magnolia is simply hotel, but 1t IL
the largest building of ITS kind between
j Jacksonville and Enterprise, and might with
out very much pInching take In the average
Florida town. With its immense wings anC
gay flag huttering from the tower, 1t is II
truth a very gorgeous magnolia, warranted
not TO fade while the ST. John is q fashionable
thoroughfare for the tourist seeking health
The long pier of Green Cove running far ou
into the river brought back yesterdays mem
DRY OF the sprghtly, attractlvely clean little
city and the beautiful waters of It's healing
spring. Had not the knowledge of the cura
tive powers of these waters in rheumatic dis
eases come to the ears Of the public 1t IL
probable that Green Cove would never have
existed, hence as a delicate and appropriate
compliment to the real founder, the town has
built the center of her business and social
interest around the spring. Rising from
depression in the center of a park, where tall
old trees, heavily draped IN the never'faling
moss, stand like sentinels on guard, the
fountain is really "a thing Of beauty" and
therefore joy forever. AS you look down
into its clear depths and see the rift tar into
the rock, as If some giant hand had torn It's
pathway through the solid stone. Look again
and as the sunlight falls on the still surface II
lights up the fairy chambers below and they
glow with changing glory of silvery gray
and deep sparkling blue, and flashing gold
1t Is said that the fairies of this mysterious
chamber have a magical art in banishine
twinges OF pain In muscles and JOINTS, and in
setting the lame and halt on their feet again
In proof of this we were told OF lady sc
crippled by rheumatism that she was born &c
the spring on her bed. but left it after some
months of diligent bathing an erect, happy,
and vigorous walker. If you doubt, you may
try the efficacy of the invisible physicians by
paying their manager twenty-five cents each
time that you enter the bathing pool.
Landing after landing floated by, the after
noon shadows deepened into twilight, and
again at the tea table we gathered to test and
and approve OF the bill of fare and left 1t to
torn a social group around the cabin table.
The mighty river was wlerdcly grand under
the pure light of the brilliant stars, but its
banks were so far away and dim that they
unpleasantly suggested ghosty presences, and
we all accepted the unspoken but hospitable
invitation of the brightly lit cabin with Its easy
chairs The captain formed one of the circle
and the conversation flowed on with ANNA
ton, while st. John, orange land, and the pro
ductive qualities OF the fruit bearing trees
passed in view. Captain M. believed that he
had indirectly formed the acquaintance of the
prince of orange trees, the identical tree thai
led the world in the matter OF its finished pro
auctions lie had been assured by a German
gentleman that somewhere, possibly near
Enterprise and possibly in the ncbulous land
of the Indian river, he had seen in tree which
laid in the boxes of its proud and happy owner
1900 oranges. From orange culture We
arlitcd into the rather doleiul subject of the
possibility of n steamboat explosion or de
struction by flame. We little thought that
night that scarcely two months later group
of human beings, like ourselves, carelessly Sc
cure of the future and unconscious of lmpcnd
ing danger, would awake to find the flames
around them and springing from the burning
CITY Of Sanford find beneath the placid waters
over which we were floating the cruel fate
from which we shrank With IL vague dread OF
Its remote possibility. Captain M. comtorted
us with certain facts showing us how slight
were the grounds for our tears. Steam
boats do not blow up nor burn as often as
trains run off the track or collide, making
kindlngs of their couches and charred corpses
OF their passengers. In proportion to the vast
tide of human travel on the ocean and our
great rivers and lakes, the proportion of accl
dents resulting IN fatal loss of life was very
small. Nor did it necessarily follow that be.
cause our boat took fire we must be lost. He
was prepared for emergencies and his officers
were sklllful men who understood their duties.
In three minutes the pilot could land us sc.
curely on shore, and unless we lost our self
possession it was very improbable that any
loss of life could occur He knew whereof he
spoke for he had passed through the pcrlls OF
shipwrcck and lived to tell us the tale. He
had seen his noble shin 20 down under the
mad ocean off the coast of North Carolina, and
with all his crew he had been dragged through
the breakers to the shore. One remarkable
incident of that memorable hour stamped
itself upon his memory. Among the humble
passengers, not registered on the book, were a
duck and hen. When the storm broke IN its
fury on the doomed vessel they were left to
their fate. The duck was not afraid of water,
n una h,a natural alempnt and he did not