The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-11-29
from Florida.
FMPoRIA, VoLrslA Co, FLA, |

W.. Slater, Winchester;
DEAR SIR:-Thinking perhaps you
would like II few "dots' from the So
called "Land Of Flowers" | take the
present opportunity to try to give You
my opinion Of what have seen Of it.
First, | think "A great many persons who
spend their time in writing and trying
to show up Florida as being the Para
disc on earth are only land agents in
the employ Of land owners, and in many
cases only putting on paper to catch the
unWary from our northern country who
may happen to have few hard.earned
dollars laid by-induce them to bay
lana here with the expectation Of get
ting rich pretty soon from the proceeds
OF iine orange and banana grove But
alas, he must have enough money to
feed and cIoihc himself and family until
his grove does come in, which requires
SIX 10 eight years; and he must have
the patience Of Job and the courage Of
Alexander to win here; he must take
hold and work, and work hard early
AID late, unles, he has plenty Of money.
Good, 'r,t.class pine land commands
from $40 To slOO per acre, owing to the
ncarnc, to transportation. Then it
costs from $50 to SIS per acre 10 get II
grove started. You must then attend
the Young trees well and closely for six
or eight Years, and if no mishaps, in the
shape Of freezes, insects, DE strike the
grove, YOU wiI! have Il nice thing.
\ full bearing orange grove is Il
beautiful sight. have seen over two
hundred groves from one to twelve
years old since landed in Nolusia coun-
~, the 18th Of October. lam handling
oranges every day now, counting, wrap
ping, packing, and shipping North !
am running Il store here for a man from
Nashville. He handle. great many
which be takes in exchange for
goods Shippers are getting good re-
turns so far.
Inc people here say they can raise
tiuc vegetables, but have seen NO win.
ter gardens yet.
! am in new scttlcmcnt-ouly about
eighteen months since the people began
to settle here. We have fine pine sec.
tJn, about four miles east Of IT Johns
river. We have lakes too numerous to
and all well stocked with
trout, black bass, war-mouth perch, cat,
aud soit-she!l turtles. am living on
the bank Of Lake Hester, beautiful,
clear lake covering over 200 acres Of
Ian!, and having trout in it weighing
u. much rs twelve pounds. We can sit
on our little porch at the cook-room and
catch fish for our breakfast or supper.
! have done 50 for two mornings and
evenings. If you were here with troll
and bob, You would enjoyit. There are
deer III the scrubs, turkeys in the ham.
mocES, and bear in the ncighborhood.
We have a school in session, taught bv
4 young lady. \ church house is be.
ng built. The prospects are that En-
poria will soon be II big town. am
told by man from Mississippi, who
anne here one year ago, that he had not
been unwcl! since he arrived here,
%hiIc in Mississippi there was not ten
lays at Il time through the year, but
some of his family were sick. We are
having fine weather now-childrcn bare
footed, men in shirt-slccvcs and ladies
dressed in light dressing, carrying fans
and parasols to church. Yes, we have
and preaching here, too, but
no chickens for the Methodist man, no
'ggai no milk,
PETER WILLIAMS.