New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-12
TALK WITH JOSEPH MEDlLL
WHAT HE SAW AND HEARD IN FLORIDA
RESOURCES AND PROSPECTS OF THE srArE-GkN-
FRAL IMPROVEMENT EVIDENT


ERAL IMPROVEMENT EVIDENT
.Josepb Medill. the Editor of The Chicago
Tribune ia returning 10 his home alter month spent
among the orange groves OF Florida. During his so
iourn in that state he visited nearly all the points"
interest usually visited by Northern tourists and last
night at tie Windsor Hotel he gave some OF TIE
results Of his observations 10 a TRIBUNE reror'er
The desirable property IN Florida ne sSIu'
"is rapidly falling into the hands Of Meth
ern men. All the railroad properly WIN
few exceptions scarcely worth mentioning, has Norm
ern owners There is system, with the Southern
standard gauge OF rail. 500 miles In length wiich eA
tends emo north end south. and tranS'erseH
across the State from FernanCna TO Cedar Keys ana
about halfway down that line. An important road IS
now beng constructed Running due south nom "aao
about lsO miles, it will reach deepwaier ha'oor al
Punta Rosa In about O year, and then 1t is pro
posed 10 establish q line ot fast steamers nOn
this port Havana via Key West which VIII make the
voyage in fourteen fifteen hours This road 1t is De
neyed will attract Of the travel between this coun-
try and Cuba. The State during the winter season
swarms with Northern people. and TO casual observer
1t would seem IL he were in Northern community.
Northern white Republicans are furnishing the capital
and Florida black Republicans the labor to develop the
resources Of the The old Confederate white people
appear quite anicable toward Northern people and pro
fess great friendship for them They claim be thor
oughy reconstructed and recOncied TO the new
state OF things and admit generally that the heoehoh
was a blunder or mistake. and say they wouldn't re-
store the previous status they had the power was
strongly impressed with this sentiment oil through the
South from Louisville TO jacksonville and from Jack
sonvlle TO Washington There only one city in which
Noriherner Is likely TO he reminded OF Confederate
sentiment. and that Charleston. It's about the only
place where pictures Of the Confederate leaders
in pubic places, ana even there most OF item
have disappeared except that OF Lee. didn't
see single picture Of Davis Charleston. They main
mill far in 4
OF the citizens what the OBJECT in keeping up mill
tary academies at public expense, but go no sassc-
tory They seemed be reluctant 10 give their
for teaching young men the AT OF
war. STILL they treat Northern people well and seem
quiet aud cheerful, snd business appears to be fairly
good.
CHANGES OF EIGHT or NINE YEARS.
1T is eight nine years since was last
in the South, and was struck oy
the evident improvement all through the country.
There is conjenmenI now than then and greater
number Of white people at work the colored people
appear 10 be all at work aud have improved immensely
in their seventeen eighteen years OF freedom Every
observant Northern Ia kei with hsi noticed the
thing Apparently they In better condition than
ever before; they acquiring property living better
dressing better and their children eOng to school
very generally Il IL my opinion tina, more than orehalf
Of all the eoored children the south years Old
and under twenty. OF both sexes read and write
While was coming down the ST. Johns River bali
dozen little coloFei lads from years to twelve
OF axe were on the lower deck OF the steamboat. An
Enlishman who travelling tutor with a. Italian
Marqu asked them they could read or write on their
replying afarmatiyey. he asked them TO write ther
names ses and where they born In his note book
They al did IL except one, and IN very fair haud
some Of them considerably better than mine.
men haa acquired TIE ART o. reading and many OF the
psIr and sem as ven posted Ss the Whites in iae
current news Of the day and political matters asked
Guns ne al for i,S,nS lin .uTmer. be ssd asa
for o living anu in the winter i've OF the lankS'
PRODUCTS OF FLORIDA
"O-ance culture Is the fu-o- % FLORIDA bat 10 takes
eight zen years 10 bring orange grove 10 tie profit
able bearing stage o. the opinion that 81 would be
far wiser and more profitable FOR NOrsacra settlers 10
devote themselves eAieay 10 Psolacas what they call
truck that Is vegetables nclaas strawberries an
potatOes-:or the SortAera market Vegetables Will
grow al winter IN nearly AL portions Of the state and
saw Early Rose potatoes dug As month that were liner
than those We import from Bermuda l vas told, TOO.
that where s0 Is favorable, sni By moderate use
Of fertilizers crops o: from 80 20 $50 bushels per sore
can easily Dc raised. which readily sell for - per
hushel on the 81 johns River Be ow the 29h degree o.
isfiuse which Is supposed 20 b. the fsi line. lemons
Arr grvvu mach more probably than oranxcs Ot'as
ana iasects. Bananas and pinespPirs. boEever, a.
bound 70 become tao populAr iius o. oenira oia ~
maze II 900 al acre lsS2 on the Indian River with
taeir puesppe nsIdS FneaPP,eo are pah.el .'e ,so
az az. 20 md - esrea. brosea and paa.ed VITA 50 outs
r. 1s-Sn, ! ,iv ,or market In ess than three years
While oranges take from seven ioe'S4L
FLORIDA A REPUBLICAN STATE.
-Politicauy | belieye Florda = q Republican state
today. under anything IKE god lesder,hlp The col
ord population numbers three cat OF seven. and = IL
e-easiu< a. las, a. the whites About ouehaI o.
tie white immigration IS from tie North
aui TIE Oiher hall las been attracted from the o.her
southern by tie P-Ofuse disroanoa o. Nortaera
capital one OF tie Coasressoaa districts u uo~ rci
abs Republican ard aaoi4er might have been carried
a, the last cleo ion Il there had not been t~o
opposition candidates In the fed. Tie Beplo-
lc4ns taink iAey can e.'EX. re ei'ie .,
popular tlds-e ald .i'ie eaeoursSemeni alt -
sistaute by Tie Republicans o. ne Nort: 4ltr- ar
oontro tie popular sentiment o. ;hes commun.es sat
tn backs raly under taeF direction AM pro,ectsa 30
eoorsd ~ ls.krd With Florda tod nc De Glta',
believe thai Ter eei 81 Tie eoeI,1 Vo-e.s n sle sac
sentiments ana yC.o them.
A SCHEME To RECLAIM BARREN LAND
Tsre l. one mater Related 10 TIE Geyecg me1t OF tie
south wicA th.ak ~ some importance A. AoaS tie
Gu. and Atlantic coasts from Louisiana Up 20 Virginia
there i an almost sterile strip O.: country from sevcly
70 l2O niles VIE. fully I2j1 miles loug. aa1 apparently
u0l uore than twenty-five o. tA4sy te-. above tie ocean
levrl and much O. t les& II Il a. sa1A cx-ep.
where the rivers tAA' come down from tie A.L
country Gov t-roasa f. Nine teatss o,
II Il poor tam soil covered with yellow pine Taere
= 70 er except near the creeks and river aad Taere
Il sc1srse Why swamp gas alDos; utterly uI1i ~
pfs;ursEe Tie cattle STOW tbs lack q gr=ss they
small lean snd poor. The PIGS are % Tie tain. long
posed kind and tac people poo- Au9 t-sPoucenL
The OILY business ihat yields any money
hslug TIE yne lgmher projection II places
cVeued by TIE railroads. formed tEo IMPRESSIONS IN
recara 10 how tlai immense ara q sandy bAgTcns
nehi be improved. ~ uui they can nae something
quivscni u S-ss fodder Tor cafte th-re cant b.
.sg.y IN taaI 'plucF voois' country. A-y colu-rV
TAI nr-iuces no ang bat cotton cfop> lIs-lt
oct WhAg shey oaEhs % 10 a - saw srSsum or corn
f,r fooder Go out In kails1s and NearAskA
ocn know whether thew have tn enierrise - saCly
% try .ae eXV~-1ef but uut fAcy do toey net have
sny lk batter neat NJ 10 ca NJ Sound iholEaf
fr tlc Improvement o. tsai ssl1y trlct ! . rE-Ae
il frOn the f-csAeLs % the rivers thai \