Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-13
FLORIDA ITEMS.
Gathered at the State CapitaI-About
Railways, Schools and Court-Sum-
mer Resorts.

/
Re0u1aT Correspondence lorzaing Ne,cs.
! TALLAHASSEE, July 10.-To-morrow is
| the day on which it Is reported the route
Of the Thomasville, Tallahassee and Gull
Railroad will be announced. The Board
OF directors will meet tomorrow in New
York and formally decide on the route
chosen-I say formally, because the route
had been decided on some time ago, but
for reasons best known to themselves the
company declined making it known. In
the country between here and Thomas
vile there seems to be no little excite
ment along the proposed lines, and on
tuesday of last week there was quite a
| crowd here from Centreville and Mic
cosukie, anxious to know which was the
favored route. Miccosukie had subscrib-
ed literally, and it was urged if the road
was run through that neighborhood, it
being only eight or ten miles from
Monticello, sufficient subscription for
| a branch road from that point would be
raised. Indeed, Mr.. Page, the Vice Presi-
dent of the road, visited Monticello some
Tune since with view to ascertain the
ieellng of the people on that point. A
! considerable amount was subscribed for.
and it is possible that at no distant dav
Monticello as well as Tallahassee will
have the long desired connection with
Ihomasville. With us at this end of the
line the great desire is to have the road
built, no matter by what route, We are
tired of being left out in the cold, and
VIII not be satisfied until we get our mails
earlier and are nearer to market in point
OF time. Our mails now arrive with
tolerable regularity, and our condition in
this respect is better than it was twelve
months ago, and we have no just cause of
complaint.
The Superior Court, that has been in
session since the early part of June, took
a recess yesterday until November next.
Most Of the cases dOcketed have been SUBJ
mitted and opinions delivered thereon. At
the adjourned term a few weeks session
VIII enable them easily to dispose of the
few cases still on the docket.
Every day or two parties are leaving TO
be gone the entire summer. Quite a num-
Der have gone to the mountain region of
East tennessee, while others prefer West
ern North Carolina. Our Florida Tvbee
st. Teresa on the Gulf has but few visi-
tors this season. 1t is a most delight
tul resort, but the difficulty of access
is the great drawback. Last year
there was regular line of sailing vessels
that connected with the train at St.
Marks, so that visitors could pass down
there three times a week. But even this
facility Is not now afforded, so that regular
communication is impossible. Oh, for a
railroad to James Island! 1t was thought
and believed by many that the Tallahas-
see, ThOmasville and Gulf Railroad would
be completed to Carabelle or some point on
James Island, but 1t is the general opinion
that Tallahassee will be its nearest termi-
nus to the Gulf. 1t may be that the COM
pany contemplate buying the st. Marks
branch OF the Florida Central and West
ern Railroad which will be sold in Sep
tember next. But even should they be-
come the purchasers, it will be of no ben
eft to the st. Teresa settlement, unless a
steamboat should be put on that portion
OF the route.
The last Legislature appropriated $4,000
per annum for the purpose of establishing
normal departments in the State semi
naries and academies at Tallahassee and
Gainesville. The Normal Department of
the Lincoln Academy opened on the first
Monday in this month, and some sixty
colOred teachers are in attendance. In
the West Florida Seminary this depart
ment will be opened on the Both of this
month and continue nine weeks.
Teaching is an art, and the teacher
should not only know what to teach, but
how to teach. In this age of progress
this profession must keep pace with the
spirit of the age, and in order that the
young teacher may be the better prepared
in all the modern methods of his high
calling, the Legislature not only made
appropriations for normal instruction.
but also for teachers institutes-one
thousand dollars per annum having been
appropriated for the latter, which sum.
will be supplemented by an equal amount
from the Peabody fund.
Our merchants are now beginning to
complain of the dull season, and the
streets present quite a contrast to what
they did some weeks ago, and yet there is
much more life than there was at this
time last year. The building boom has
come upon us. So great is the demand
for experienced master mechanics that
the resident ones have been unable to sup
ply the demand. Every one in that line
is as ''busy as a bee in tar bucket"
and this portion of our cOmmu-
nifty Is OF course in fine spirits. There
will have been more buildings erect
ed and old ones repaired during
the present year than for twenty years
previously. Surely this shows a healthy
financial state, and old 'shard times"
seems to have departed. And who have
brought this about? Our young men
who have grown up since the war, and
the few who have since settled among us.
1t is the former class that constitute
mainly our enterprising merchants, and
by their vim and energy infuse new life
into the community. All schemes for
public improvement receive their hearty
approval, and enlist not only their sympa-
thies but their earnest efforts, for they not
only advise but manfully put their shoul-
ders to the wheel. LEON.