Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-25
FLORIDA.

ELOhl ia.
Correction OF Some Northern NIisap-
prehensIons-A state that is Des-
tined TO Become n Great Common
vvealth-COmfOrtab Weather even
In the Summer Time.
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune
The Northern man who is a close OBJ
server may find much of interest in this
far Southern cline, even during the
summer months, to occupy his time and
attention, for there is no part of our
common country of which so little is
known as the Florida peninsula in July
and August Nor is there any locality
so generally misrepresented. The writer
came to Florida early in July last, and
what he has seen and learned may be
of interest to the readers of the Tribune.
One of the first questions asked of
the SOutherner at the North is, ''Do you
have it very hot at the South?" Of
course, if he says, mo hotter than it is
here" you look at him with pity and
charitably attribute his statement to the
mans prejudice in favor of his own
cline, to which he has been thoroughly
Injured by lifetime of patient endur
ance However, when a Northern
man who has resided a decade
in Chicago and nearly as long in
New York says, II have suffered
less from heat in Florida during the
summer of 1882 than ever in my life be-
fore during the same months" you must
Ioi - NC ne: VI @o'nIls I!at .ne
G.L oo1Pa0u Ioo'' Conceltns me
oou :.II "o%.nol @lo Iu l''l i1 Ane
nv, MIitel Can .Iuiy say &c naS sIneIeu 'eIy
titeio ll ILoin Ino HeaC; IoI
~ IoelNJn on"T M su0io eIe ~ eu"u 4I7
Inansoo noIe, n9 ~, VA l@.lone ~ ~ Vn5
"a e.e5u1cnleCGI alS usually DGC"een 30 anu
% uuIInS Ine u as anu ,. nlsnt' anu mere 95
&c peon e. $500 49,. ol0o11 oveiy uay
= asas ss ssNs saslsAss oonleIiIleS ~
80 S. fssss.s. ~ d
~ HAS ~ ~ 4is S
never been az hoCas tne sss.sss'sI Pc" ~ ~ y
June last IN New 1Qrk: j o
Another misconcep- 4, thai noti4
ing Will grow IN FLORIDA save COW peas
and oranges; While IN fact nearly al the
fruits and flowers OF the Northern States
are, IN one form or another, successfully
cultlVateu mere. Wherever thoroughly
competent man has turned his attention
10 pracucal gardening here, he has not
only Deen successful, but IN most IN
stances has grown rich on the products
OF the soil. Within stones throw ba-
napas are rlpenlng IN the sun, more lus-
clHus to the taste than the Northern man
eV"r dreamed OF who has not plucked
them ripe from the stalk. Grapes of great
SIZE anu excellent variety, which grow IN
abundance, and OF which one may
eat until satlsned without the least
oanger, may be nad IN TWO years from
the planting OF the vine. They sell here
now tCr ABOUT what II costs to pick
them. oranges have been written OF so
frequently that their culture and growth
are fairly understood; still there are
many who Go rot know that, by budding
on the sour orange STOCK, fruit may be
had IN two or three years, though the
sweet seedlings, which commence to
bear in SIX to eight years from the
ground, are considered by some longer
lived and better trees. The products OF
the garden grow here the year round,
though they flourish best in winter.
Roses bloom here the year through, and
some of them are more fragrant than
any ever met with at the North:
The impression also prevails at the
North that 1t is positively unsafe for one
to come South IN summer; but the
writer knows OF three families which
have come here during the hot wealth
er, and every individual member has
improved IN health. In fact, statistics
show that the death rate per thousand is
very low, Notwithstanding the thousands
who come here too late to receive any
benefit and die. The inhabitants live to
a great age. though, as a rule, they are
not exceedingly temperate. Only last
week an old darkey died In this place
aged ITO years, and others are still living
who bid fair to live equally as long. In
the North we hear the deadly miasma
OF the Florida swamps" spoken of
as fixed fact; but in reality railroad
hands work in these swamps from
choice, wherever they can keep dry;
and white men who have resided long
in the State will build their houses on
their very borders. Then, too, the
awful beasts and serpents and insects
which are supposed to abound in such
profusiOn, are mythical to a great de-
gree. 1t is doubtful II they ever had an
existence, save in the brain of some
imaginative writer. There is some
game in Florida; occasionally a deer or
bear is shot; and the writer was fortu
nate enough week ago to shoot snake
that was six feet long and had thirteen
rattles but that was twenty miles back
in the country.
The State of Florida possesses advan-
tages which are certain to make it in the
near future a great commonwealth; and
the writer does not hesitate to predict
that, when the prejudice that exists in
the Northern mind shall have been dissi-
pated, a tide of immigration will set in
this direction which will be astonishing.
If half the truth were known, men would
not wander off into the wilderness of
the far West to find homes, when they
could find much that is pleasant here at
so little cost. Already the dawn her
aids the coming day. Railroads are pro-
jected in every direction-some with
capital, some withOut-but all tending
to develop the resources Of the State.
One of these roads, which is rapidly
approaching completion, is the Jackson
VliIe, OL. Augustine ana ddllIdX t1IVeT