The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-04-15
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
yourneying Through La.y Mans Land.
THE GATEWAY.

val pleasures, business interests, or charms
climate, and courteously welcomed as the hon
ored guests Of HIS Majesty Rex, were drop
ping away, east, west and north, to their wide
ly scattered homes, or to other portions Of the
South We were among the number, and the
morning of Feb. % found us with faces turned
not to the cold North, but to a South even
more glowing and tropical than the one which
VIC were leaving. We had read OF 1t IN books
had seen it in our dreams--a land where sum-
mer wore her dladem all the year round and
snow was miracle "a land of cloudless skies,
where the very ait was distilled balm,--a land
of gorgeous vegetation, whose blossoms wove
their hues and their fragrance into It's name
Florida. We had been told that its sands
could by persistent coaxing, be induced to
yield peculiar and precious fruit capable oil
being changed by the alchemy of trade into
literal gold in northern markets, and we had
something more than fancy that such har.
vest would be altogether delightful to the for
tunate reaper One, whose long and intimate
acquaintance with our personality dating from
babyhood gave a tingc of truth to the mall
cious statement, assured us that in that strange
far.off cline we should find what we had long
sought--absUlute rest from labor. III was the
lazy mans Paradise. No sensible citizen OF
Florida ever thought of pulling oil his coat,
rolling up his sleeves and rushing out into the
sunshine for hard days work, unless loudly
called to do so by the present or future needs
Of his orange grove.
So by the threefold cord of tropical scenery,
orange gold and dreamy Incidence, Florida
wooed us from louisiana
But the path from the green shores OF one
state to the pine.crowned forests OF the other
lay across a great gulf. 1t was over-arched by
azure curtains. Its wide, shining floor was
deeply, darkly, beautifully blue" but, alas
for US, not stationary. Gentle winds moved
its smooth surface into little hills and undula-
ting plains, great winds transformed it intol
valleys and mountains. Its moods were fitful,
its temper uncertain as an April breeze. AT
will 1t robed itself in lovely calm, and then
the wooing Caresses OF Its winds was joy
never to be forgotten. AT will Its tenderness
changed into treachery cruel as the grave.
II was whispered that under It's mysterious
noor were secret chambers where ships once
gallant and noble as those Of our Morgan line
lay entoombed. In its bursts of turbulent
anger the hapless human victim, shielded from
Its fury only by Il lfeboat or life-preserver,
gas thrown upon its bosom carrying very lit.
lie more with him than he brought into the
world, or, more ptlable fate, dragged down to|
darkness and the sea weed. Even when most
captions like angels visits, few and far be
tween" it exacted Of every fresh water pilgrim
crossing Its boundaries for the first time oil
most dlssgreeable toll in the shape of nausea,
swimming head and uncertain feet.
Nevertheless, faint heart meier won fair
lady" and our only pathway to the groves
bearing the modern apples of gold lay across
che Gulf of Mexico.
So that Cloudless morning, one only among
th& many of New Orleans perfect days, found
us group OF three seated In the Morgan train
II the foot of the Elysian fields. There were
two trains side by side. They looked exactly
Alike. They were both to be transferred over
the river, but one carried us to the Hutchinson
and stopped; the other swept us on to Texas.
Naturally the question, which was our train,
was a most important one. We had asked the /
depot officials and the conductor, and our gen.
ilemaH friend had asked these personages and
several others, and had received from them
sAe assurance that We were right. SO 1t was
settled and with a mind ut rest we looked our
farewell Chances at New Orleans.
The great city was throwing OF its slumber.
Its long streets and busy wharves were begln.
ming 70 TEEN with myriad life. AS we looked
memory held up her mirror and reproduced
the past Two weeks. We rode again through
The bloom and fragrance of st. Charles street
We watched the silver.gray waters of Lake
Ponchartrain rise anu tall under the cloud.
diinpied sky, aud felt It's sweet breath ON our
Checks; we were down in the French Market,
wandering through the long quaint building
whose many stalls at every step pressed their
ilvilaIons upon LIB to stop and take sample
Of every thing eaIablc under the sun; We gazed
with admlring eyes at the windows OF dry
goods palaces, where silks, satins. velvcts and
the dainty noIhings dear ~ y womsns heart
blended III such an irresistibly bewilching
Nay lhal We were forced to battle bravely with
tic temptation 10 enter and come out with
hauled arms and empty pockelbooks. Once
ahnup ~ ihav Oh |
s,usn,iu oky and magnificent Canal street
f''se iiAc a crowned queen, her forehead biaz.
lus "I'D gems to greet the resurrected past OF
tnv eioit nations. India was there with Its
soiso"uo pictures of life among the gods.
E. p r'sng from the tomb unveiled before
ga g scenes OF festivIty, her halls Of mourn.
a., nei temples OF worship, and her sublimel