The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-04-29
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
Journeying Through Lazy Mans Land.
THE CHIEF CITY.

THE CHIEF CITY.
The breakfast table presented an animated
scene. AS the time to land was drawing
near invitations to take seats were accepted
with alacrity. There were no regrets sent in,
and hence no vacant seats. The ladies had
reappeared, smiles beamed down the line OF
faces at the board, sympathetic words OF con-
dolence over past sufferings and CHEEKY con-
graduation at present dellverance were ex'
changed. Seasickness had vanished with the
wild dash of the waves over which it reigned
supreme, and while we placidly floated over
the gentle waters to the landing the very
thought of yesterdays denial made the sub.
stantlal and inviting meal doubly enjoyable.
As We rose from the table and passed out on
deck glance showed us that the ship had
nearly completed her slow and cauti Gus
journey to the landing and hastily assuming
); our wrappings and gathering up valise and
shawl strap with last lingering glance at
the coy stateroom and mute farewell to the
social cabin, we joined the procession of ex-
:, pectant and anxious passengers.
The.gentleman who was our vis-a-vis at the
dinner table on the preceding day had said
with very rueful air, that he never wished to
hear the question, "What are the wild waves
saying?" again. He knew what they were
saying to his sorrow and needed no other In
q formation. We agreed with him then, but as
! the bell rang and the plank was thrown out
and the first of the line began to step over It,,
the wild waves doomed up enchantingly in the
distance seasckness lost Its terrors since its
worst was passed, and half longlngly we
looked back into the cabin thinking after all
it might be pleasant to leave the Hutchinson
at Havana instead of Cedar Keys.
The freight room into which we were ush-
cred was for time scene of busy though
orderly haste, tor while time, tide and train
wait tor no man, the many trunks, great and
small, were to be resurrected from their igno-
minious graves IN the hold, identified by their
various owners aud rechecked tor Jackson
vile. This accomplished, parting sketch of
the noble ship, taken for our album of memo
ry, last good.byes exchanged between our
friends Of the HutchinsOn and those on shore,
little walk down the platform to the waiting
train, some difficulty in finding vacant seats,
glance from the open window at the insig-
nificant town of Cedar Keys, and the bell
rang and the train rolled, first slowly then
swiftly, onward. The Gateway had vanished
and we were en- transit for the chief city of
the 'azy mans land
The Florida Transit railroad sweeps Its
passengers from Cedar Keys to Jacksonville,
distance of $50 miles, but the ride, extending
from quarter before eight In the morning to
nearly four in the afternoon, is not one hour
eyes and observant memory.
1t was February, but even February had
forgotten to be disagreeable, for through the
open doors and windows came breeze where
warmth and GOODNESS blended deliclously.
The sky was cloudlessly blue and smiling as
the first dreams of ambitious youth, ard air
and sky together promised health and hspi-
ness IN our future rambles. We rushed over
open spaces where the low palmettos, scarcely
knee high, were grouped IN dense clusters
and the white sand thlnly yelled by the coarse,
sparse grass, lay beneath them, we passed
beneath pine woods whose green crowns rose
far above us, we flew through hammocks
where the watersoaked, spongy soil sustained
wealth of tropical vegetation whose
glory was however but halt revealed by
this winter month, we halted for few mo-
ments at various little towns, which in spite
of the guide books have not outrrown their
baby Clothes we examined as carefully as the
rapid motion would permit, the construction
of the houses evidently built for summer
land and altogether too fraIl to resist anything
as rough as "nOrthwester," and, lastly, gave
our serious attention 10 the dignlfied OK which
with a slow and stately step drew the heavy
two-wheeled cart known as Florida carriage.
Our passengers were not moved to envy by the
palmettos and hammocks, nor did the noble
Florida steed inspire in them the respect
he deserved. They contrasted the rich, black
pralries of Illinois, Missouri and Iowa with
the sandy stretches or the Cracker state, greatly
to the disadvantage of the latter. With a
grave earnestness altogether appropriate to
the stupendous sale, the gentleman from Iowa
bought from the gentleman from Missouri, his
"right, title and interest" in the state of Flor
ida, from Cedar Keys to Bunson- for the i'm
mense sum of fifty cents At the next station
the Iowa gentleman proceeded to inquire con-
corning the value of a stalwart yoke of oxen
standing near the track and finding that they
could be purchased for S175 began to build
orange castles on financial basis of $17550.
What was his chagrin to find on reaching
GAINESVILLE that the flourishing orange groves
around that thrifty town had enthused the old
gentleman to the extent of rise of $3.50 from