Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-07
Florida Affairs

horrible deed OF murder and arson was
accomplished in volusia county on the even
/ ing Of Tuesday last. About O'Clock that even
ing the house Of Mr.. Neff, situated four miles
west Of De Land, was discovered on fire. and
before assistance could arrive was reduced to
ashes. The occupants. Mr.. and Mrs. Neff. an
aged couple, were subsequently found among
the embers. This aged couple we're from the
North, and had settled in the county two or
three years ago on account of the genial eli
mate. An examination Of the bodies revealed
the fact that they had been murdered and
robbed and the building fired to blot out the
traces Of the crime. A bullet hole was found
in Mr. Neff's right shoulder. while his wife's
body was found to be terribly mutiIated: in
/ fact, it was cut almost to pieces Warrants
had been issued for four or five suspected par
/ ties.
colOred man in Jacksonville named An
drew Pompey, 10 cutting open large block of
/ inn rOrted ice, found a silver dollar imbedded
in the block, bearing date isS1.
The report of the laundering of the steam ar
/ SunfiOwer turns out to be without foundation
| The steamer put into Sarasota Bay two weeks
ago last Thursday, cleaned her boilers and
made other necessary repairs and left on Sat
urisY, July 25th.
| The county site of Sumter county was estab-
lished at Leesburg in 1865 By an election held
/ in 1859 it was declared removed to Sumterville
but for infOrmaities in the election the site re-
mained fixed at Leesburg Last year another
election was held and the county site was again
declared changed to Sumtervlle. This election
was set aside by the Supreme Court. The case
has been formally determined by the Supreme
| Court on a writ of mandamus, and has been
decided in favor Of Leesburg as the county
seat.
The municipal election recently held in Or
landO resulted in the choice of the following
ticket: Mayor, @. A Boone; Clerk, George {. .
Munger; Marshal. T. B. Jaudon; Aldermen, L.
P. Wescott, J. P. Hughey, o. w. Prince, James
/ K. Duk and T. J. Shine.
| The surveying party of the Leesburg and
Indian River Branch of the Florida Transit
Railroad, are now running the ''feeler," or
preliminary line, from Tavares to Sanford
The Tavares Herald says: "Mr. M. B
/ Given has completed MS surveys of the la kes
| in this section, and Is now engaged making the
| map of the Lake Region The map will show
| the entire Lake Region of this portion of
/ Orange and sumter counties, and will en-
1 brace Lakes Griffin, Harris Eustis Dora
/ Beauclair, Saunders, Yale, Sam, Ola, Apopka
i a
i nine miles from Tavares. The map is seven feet
/ square, and when completed will be reduced
/ Oy Photographic process, and several thousand
i printed for distribution
The mystery connected with the fndin. ~
the dead body OF a man in the river at AT3eIe-
/ chicOla, the fact OF which has been noticad 10
| this column, has been cleared away His boj,-
| was exhumed, and an examination of his SS;ryt
sleeve disclosed his name to be Henry PeaTson
/ IL was then ascertained that he and his VIE
/ had not been on the best of terms on acco,,nt
i OF her intimacy with two other men one b,y
| the name of Silvey, and the other a sailor
| whose name could not be ascsrtained or
Gums stances then led to the suspicion that The
/ two men and the wife had secretly murdereJ
/ the unfortunate man, and they have Mean or
rested. The preliminary trial has NOT vet
| taken place.
The Farmers Co operative Union of Florida
completed its organization on Thursday last
/ by the adoption OF bylaws and the election of
/ the following officers: E. 7. Paine, Cocoi, St.
| Johns county, President; J j. Harris, Sanford
/ Orange county; f. L. Dancy, Orange Mills
/ riOn county, Directors. The object Of the
association is to secure quick transportation for
/ fruits and vegetables, and appointing reliable
| agents in the Northern and Western cities for
| selling the same. One of the principal objects
will be to procure reliable labor, and money
/ for those who need it at low rates of iaterest.
| A resolution was passed inviting the farmers
Of Georgia to cooperate with them.
Work on the Green Cove Spring and Melrose
Railroad is progressing satisfacto lily. Nearly
ten miles have now been graded and will soon
be ready for the iron. The final location has
been completed to Melrose. So far eighteen
/ miles of the right of way has been cut In the
first section Of six miles, no less than six tres
/ ties have been put up; in the second section
/ but two will be required, but Of greater length
/ than in any other section, the one at Tyrell's
creek, says the Green Cove Spring being
nearly nine hundred feet in length, and the one
at Green's creek nearly five hundred feet.
| after the first ten miles are finished tine work
will progress more rapidly, as there IS very
/ little pile work or trestling to do. The road
will be finished to Melrose by December.
Boston Commercial Bulletin: THE cultiva-
/ tiOn of pineapples is extending rapidly IN
Florida, and largely increased product is
| grown only in South Florida, but Middle
| Florida is equally well adaped for this pur
pose, and considerable planting is now being
| done in that section as well as in the southern
part. The pineapple mostly grown in Florida
| is the strawberry or red variety, and it IS a
curious fact that many Of the pineapples
which have been received ln TINS market were
| grown from shoots originally sent from this
| city Very few, if any, OF the sugar loaf or
/ green pineappleS are grown in Florida, but
| the gentlemen who sent the other shoots
/ there intend to send some shoots Of this
variety also. The shoots which he in
| tends to use will be taken from the
Cat Island pinespples, superior
| kind OF the sugar loaf variety, but one which
is rarely seen in this city. The average life of
| the strawberry pine is about three years, and
that of the sugar loaf about FIVE The plants
are set out about two feet apart, and it is then
| only necessary TO keep the weeds down. The
| fru { will mature in eight or nine months, and
then the main stalk dies, leaving number of
| Young shoots, which in turn spr1ng up and
| besr fruir The plant grows to about thirty
| inches in height. and each plant bears one
apple An acre Of good land Will easily bear
| six thousand plants of the sugar loaf variety
and about five thOus and of the strawberry,
ana with cultivation this number may be in
creasei ;. The strawberry pine ripens about
month earlier than the sugar loaf. The drst
| in April, aud the crops last until
| july, The sugar loaf is cut during
July and August The plants furnish one regu-
| lar crop in a year. There are very large tracts
of good land suitable for tn cultivation of the
| pineapple yet available in Middle and South
/ ern Florida at cheap prices. The best ana
/ dearest land is OF course that in proximity TO
h4rbOr or a railroad. Last year was the first
/ in which these pineapples came upon the mar
/ ket in any considerable quantity. IN year
| the amount received was aoout three times as
| large as last year. About 200 loridas were
| received here the present sea on, and
/ a7out $1,000 dozen Of them were
mated that Boston will receive next yeaI
| Gonble the number received this season The
| truit is brought mainly in sailing vessels co
| New York, though considerable numper
comes direct TO Boston by steamer from ga
| vannah 10 which they are brought by RAN
| from Florida. These pineappies ind ready
| ssIe az higher prices than the Iorelgn Farle-
| 5ias as thev are of superior quality. The for
ign varieties come from the Bahamas ana the i,s
| West Indies. and the Porto Ricos are prooaoly
| the hest The FIoridas. however, surpaSs
tbern ali as they are what might be termed
closer. grsiued and much sweetsri 10 Iact' out
vsrv little sugar is required for them Inc
| Fioridas come to market more nearly ripe
| and in a better condition than the oth-
erS as they are allowed TO remain on
the stock until more nearly ripe. as
| thew can be brought to market quicker, put
very few are lost, while large quantities OF Ihe
| foreign rot on the voyage. IL IS claimed AlsO
| mat fhe Floridas are tougher than the others.
! and will therefore keep better when on al Lne
market The size OF these plneapples varies
from to 10 pounds and they sold during the
| last season at from 20 to SO cents each. while
the foreign varieties sold from 70 ~ cents.
| Ar present there is q good home demand ZOE
theIn and they sell In Florida at from 10 70 90 90
cents but as their cultivation extends we VIII
GET Them much cheaper There Is no doubt
ssiSo that the quality will be improved by care
SnI cultivation as the growers become setler
a-ansinted with the business. 1t is then only
= cI1eStiou of a few years when Flor "a VIII
@,'55,-,Iv fl1e Northern markets with better ana
obiaosr pineapple than can at present De Oo-
tanned"