Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-05
TALLAHASSEE'S SCHOOLS,
THE ATTENDANCE VERY LARGE
LY INCREASED.
Cotton Factory Which Does a Thri-
wing Business in Very Quiet Way
Cigar Manufacturing on the Increase
The FIorIdian Excursion to Louis


wing Business in a Very Quiet Way-
Cigar Manufacturing on the Increase
The FlorIdian Excursion to LOuis
Vile
Corr ea1,ondence Of tie Aoraiag Neaos.
TALLAHASSEE, Oct. yesterday our
schools, public and private, were opened.
The attendance was much better than
when they were opened last fall. In the
West Florida Seminary, the attendance
was double what it was last year. AS
the weather is still very warm and quite
a number of families from various parts
of the State are still absent, it is very
probable that this favorite institution.
the pride of Tallahassee, will ere the
close of the present term number
more students than at any time for
score Of years. | have setn let
terS from Madison, Jefferson and Jack
son counties, announcing that stu
dents are coming from those counties. A
number of those who have been teaching
too, in various parts of the State, even
from South Florida, are expected after
the 1st of January. Though there are
several professors already engaged, the
trustees intend to spare no expense
in procuring the services of others,
if necessary. The seminary now con-
stitutes the literary department of the
Florida University, and in this, it's
first year III this connection, it opens un-
der bright auspices, with the prospect of
enlarged usefulness. The medical de-
partment of the university, known as the
Tallahassee College Of Medicine and Sur
gerry, will open on the 20th of next month.
Though a newly chartered institution
there is every prospect of its being a sue
cess, both III the number of its students
and the character Of it's faculty. The
Dean of the faculty has already shipped
part of the anatomical and pathological
museum, which is said to be one of the
most valuable collections in the South.
In former letters mentioned the building
boom, but Tallahassee is progressing in
other respects. Like other parts of the
South, some Of her citizens are devoting
their attention tOmanufactures. 1t is not
generally known outside of the county
that for eight or ten years past
we have had cotton factory. Or
lginally it belonged to a Joint stock
company, but was subsequently, pur-
chased by the brothers McDougaI,
who are managing it very successfully.
1t runs 2l6 SpindleS, consumes 400 bales
of cotton annually, and employs 80 hands.
1t does not manufacture cloth, though
prepared to supply the entire county, but
the Messrs. McDOugal inform me that
blGN uuNl IL DlOIG pIOuldDIt W SPIN yarns.
and find ready sale for all they can turn
out, at remunerative prices, in the Phila-
delphia market. We have had in other
parts of the State, at different times. cot
ton factories, but after few wears they
We're abandoned. 1t is to the credit of the
brothers McDOugal that, where others
failed. they have succeeded, as theirs is
now the oldest factory in the State. They
often purchase cotton in the seed, though
not rejecting it baled. Adjoining the fac
tory is their ginhouse, where there is a
separate engine for running the gins.
whose capacity is ten bales per day.
THE MANUFACTURERS OF CIGARS,
too, are increasing. Passing thefactOrv of
Willis & Demitt this morning, | was sur
prised on looking in to see so many work
men where but tWelvemOnth ago there
were but two or three. The senior mem
Der of the firm informs me that his great
trouble now is the difficulty of obtaining
more workmen. Orders are coming in
so fast that he finds il difficult, even with
his present force, of filling them promptly.
He has received orders from Chicago and
other large cities for over a million of
cigars. What particularly recommends
this industry to FlOridians is the new
departure taken by the proprietorS. The
factories at Key West and other points
cOnfine themselves almost entirely to the
manufacture of cigars from imported
Havana tobacco. Messrs. Willis & Demitt
restrict themselves exclusively to the
FlOrida-Cuba tobacco, thereby stimulat-
ing the culture of the fragrant weed on our
own soil. His choice brands have been
tested by experts and pronounced equal
to the best Havana, Thus the heavy duty
is saved and he is able to put them down
nearly 90 per cent. cheaper than the i'm
ported article. This enterprising firm are
now reaping their deserved reward, and
in the no distant future will have the
largest cigar factory in the State.
UNTIL WITHIN A VERY FEW YEARS PAST
not much attention was paid to the ship
ment of moss from this section. 1t
abOunds in our hummOcks and can be had
for the gathering. Occasionally there
were spasmodic efforts made, and few
bales would be packed and shipped. But
Col. A. p. Demltt, late of New York, be-
ing compelled to spend his winter here,
saw in this industry very profitable
business, When it was found that the
moss gatherers were paid promptly he
had no difficulty in procuring supplies.
At first a couple of hands suticed for the
packing, but now the business has In
creased to such an extent that fifteen
hands are kept busy every day packing
and shipping.
Accounts from Louisville represent the
Florida exhibit as being the wonder and
admiration of visitors, both as to extent !
and variety. The space originally allotted |
the Land of Flowers does not suffice,
and her commissioners have been COM
PEELED to beg for little more room from
other States whose space has not been en-
tirely filled. To those who have watched |
the course of things this is not surprising, !
for though at first the paucity of our |
exhibits at the opening of the exhibition |
was source of regret to many, yet, at |
made in different parts of the State to have |
Florida credItably illustrated. 1t was
impossible to have them there in the early |
part of August, and we could well afford |
to bide our time.
The Governor and Cabinet and many of |
our leading citizens will be at the Expo |
sition on the 1Sth-FlOrida day-and it is |
hoped that there will be Exposition edi-
tiOns of every newspaper in the State sent |
there. The press could not do a better |
work than deyOting one number Ofeach pa
per to the climate, soil and resources of |
the particular locality where published, |
and sending several hundred copies to our
Commissioners at Louisville. These, with
the exhibits, would advertise our State
and afford much useful information.
ONE WEEK AGO IT WAS QUITE COOL,
and we were cOngratulating ourselves
that the hot weather was over: but now
il is like midsummer, and the thermOme-
ter ranges up to S9' in the shade.
To-day being the Jewish New Year all
the stores ofOur Israelitish fellow citizens
are closed, and the religious services pc
culiar to that race are being held in the
Odd Fellows Hall. Though never strictly
observing their Sabbaths, no matter how
great the press of business, they never
neglect to observe with due sOlemnity the
different days in the year that mark an
epoch in their history as nation, whether
they be fast or feast days.
On yesterday the new law providing for
2-cent letter stamps going into opera
ton, our post office officials were kept
pretty busy the entire day, and if one
would judge from the number sold there
must have been an unusually large num-
her of letters mailed LEON.
A Railroads Bonds.
LITTLE Rock, Oct. 4.-To-day Justice
Miller, of the Supreme Court, decided