The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-05-20


of water whose dignitied real name, Spr'nI
Garden Spring, has been almost hidden unde
e the cracker nickname Of "The Big Boil" w
r had examined with an admiring interest, min
4 gled with something almost approaching ven
>. Grafton, the massive remains OF an anclen
I Spanlsh sugar mill We had looked INTO thu
g white, fragrant heart OF the orange blossoms
and marveled that birds should ever Outrage
r the glorious original by wearing atawdry lin
, itation. We had gathered the golden apples
from beneath the trees IN southern groves, al
we had at other times gathered the red checked
J ones from the orchards of the north. We had
visited the pretty little infant town which
bears the honored name of It's widely known
founder, HI. De Land, of saleratus fame.
, But all these events were with the past, ans
, Monday, March 18th, found US with faces
, turned from Spring Garden Center to DE Land
Landing. 1t was our last ride after the kind
ly and patient Emma and Dick, the last time
that we should breathe the fragrance of the
pines, and it was certainly almost provoking
that the sky should indulge IN one of its rare
caprlclous moods. One moment 1t was man.
tied in bushes, the next dissolved in tears, and
80 rapidly did the bushes and tears succeed
each other, that 1t was very difficult to tell
whether umbrellas should be up or down and
wraps on or off, At last the bushes conquered
and when the Rosa rounded up to the landing
the usual sunshine was dancing over the waves.
That afternoon, a night, and portion of the
morning of the next day passed partially on
the beautiful river, and partially at Palatka
brought US to that ancient city by the city
around whose gates fingers the romance and
the mystery of centuries-St. Augustine. We
wandered over Fort Marion with Its massive
walls, Its watch towers, its dry moat, inner and
outer barriers, barbican, draw-bridge, port
cullls, and grim, mOss-grown chambers. All,
If those walls could speak, what tales OF man 8
mercIless cruelty to his brother man would be
moaned from their stoney lips. We sat for a
little while IN the solemn silence of the old
cathedral and reverently thought Of the many,
many prayers which three hundred years had
foated up from Its altar to Gods throne.
| ucIC Suu DC hotuihS MoAC CuShhhtihb III shO
form of music than the clear, silvery notes of
the bells OF the old church, as they sweetly
ring out in the twilight dusk
One day at st. Augustine passed all too
quickly away, but 1t is lone OF the few not
born to die" for it is sacredly guarded by
memory
| Our second visit to Jacksonville was very
brief one, marked only by the pleasant memo
ry Of two very nice people-the first the kind.
ly freight agent of the De Barry Line, who is
real gentleman, and the second one OF the
brightest, most winning and gracefully polite
boys 1t has ever been our pleasure to meet
Our ride from Jacksonville to Cedar Keys
was marked by the odd yet pleasant sensation
of retracing our steps over familiar ground
transformed by the hand Of nature into new
and attractive grace. The Cherokee rose, with
its snow white blossoms and dark, glossy
leaves, flung Its fairy mantle over the plain
old fences. The fingers of spring had touched
the hammocks with magical effect, and they
fairly reveled IN leafed plants and running
vines of delicate beauty AT times on the sur.
face of the water we caught tantalizing
gllmpses of glorious white lilies, whose sway
ing motion half revealed their golden hearts.
| The Florida Transit Is modest road, and
makes no pretension to either the purse or the
luxurious style of such roads as the New York
Central, Pennsylvania Central Chicago, Bur
lington Il Quincy, or Rock Island e. Pacific,
but in the matter OF courteous agent and &C.
NAL conductors it yields the palm to none.
Late afternoon brought us to that most un-
attractive and dreary of all towns, Cedar Keys.
It's street was more sandy Its sunshine more
intense than anything we had felt in Florida,
and this glazing light was untempered by any
shade. 1t boasts of two hotels, and long,
straight street, which begins on slight hill,
dips into valley, and ends In an irregular
and mysterious way on another hill. 1t has
one dry goods store, one hardware store, one
jeweer shop and curiosity stand, one drug
store, and so on down through the list of ones
to postofllcc. One hour IS quite sufficient to
do all the town within reach, and it is impos.
sble to ramble along the beach, tor that IS
choked with great piles of lumber from various
saw-mills. Our hotel set an appetizlng table,
but the building itself was fast passing into an
advanced stage of consumptive decay. Not a
book was visible IN the parlors, and the only
obtainable papers were small Sunday school
sheet and an aged Philadelphia daily in the
second week OF Its existence. We frankly
confess that a couple of lonesome and blue
travellers were in no condition to give the town
Its need of justice, and by way OF amends we
know that under its unprepossessing exterior
Cedar Keys, like other homely people, con-
ceals some sterling business qualities. ltcon-
tains 5000 inhabitants; 1t has extensive saw