Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-17
TALLAHASSEE.
Ohio Editors Heard From-A Valuable
OpInion-Kind WOrds-St. Johns
Church - Temperance Progressing
Promising Buds Blighted-D Debate on
the Convention RiII.

Ohio Eo1tors Heard trOm-A Valuable
OpInion-Kind WOrds-St. Johns
Church - Temperance Progressing
Promising Buds Blighted-Debate on
the Convention Bill.
TALLAHASSEE, Jan. l5.-That visit of the
Ohio editors to Florida last month has not
been without its results. They have said
many kind things Of the State and of the peo-
pie, which cannot but prove of great ad-
vantage. 1t was understood that they were
generally very favorably impressed by what
they had seen and heard, and the various
journals controlled by them have had a full
description of their adventures in the Land of
Flowers.
Among the articles that have appeared is
one from the pen of Mr.. W. d. Bickham, of
the Dayton journal. a leading Republican pa
per, Whlch Is so frank and well written that
must ask you to reproduce it for the benefit of
your readers. The attention shown to the
ONO knights of the pencil were thoroughly
appreciated and have been returned a th0us-
and-fold. Florida has been well and cheapIv
advertised, but the visit of the Buckeye men
has been OF the very utmost advantage.
Here is return of some of the bread cast
upon the waters. Mr.. Bickham saws:
upon rejecting upon what | had hitherto
seen OF Florida, its new birth with a new peO-
pie, new IDEAS, increased capital, new produc-
tlons rapidly expanding enterprise, its Won
defful navlgable resources, interiorly and
coastWise, its salubriOus climate and the i'm
mense work of the DisstOn and Okeechobee
companies, was profoundly impressed that
splendid future for Florida is dawning. She
is destined to be the most productive and
richest, If not the most populous State of
the South, the poor mans paradise and
the rich mans eysium | venture this
prediction in the face of all the discounts
l can imagine-the disinclination of
all Northern people to emigrate below the
ilhe5 Oh Ihelr nativity; the large area of swamp
lands that can never be reclaimed; the
liability OF malarial diseases in reclaimed ter
rltOry, and the possibility of impairing the
navigability of the lakes by deep artificial
bitches for the duplex purpose of drainage
and navigation. / have not permitted fancy
to run riot over the peculiar fascinations Of
summer land in winter, embellished
with glltterlng groves of fruits and flowers
which chase each other in unbroken
circles through the year, but have pene-
trated the barren pine lands; run into the ap-
parently hopeless sand lots, or lots of sand;
recOiled from almost bOundless mOrasses, as
dismal as Dantes Inferno; shaken with ague,
wrestled with mosquitoes, and in fancy fed
IN wild dismay from the hideOus Florida hog,
but the general average of advantages so inn
measurably exceeds the Objectionable fea-
lures of Florida that if a future home in the
South was choice l should have to make, /
would greatly prefer Florida to any State in
the great cotton belt-and | have been in all
but the Caroinas.
''It can hardly be questioned that the best
lands of Florida already developed, and to be
redeemed by drainage, will produce three
fold more than those of ordinary Northern
farm land, or Louisiana sugar land. with less
labor and expense. They will produce about
everything cultivated in the temperate
zone excepting wheat; and cOmmunica-
ton with our bread regions is so cheap that
flour is only a trihe more expensive at
Jacksonville than in Dayton. The best re-
claimed lands will naturally be appropriated
to sugar culture; afterwards long fibre cotton
(Sea lsland), the cassava root for starch tapi-
oca, glucose, and to feed stock sweet pota-
toes, arrow root, jute oranges lemons pine
apples, in fact everything useful and 6rna-
mental that men may desire to grow, or that
is likely to prove profitable"
st; Johns (EpiscOpap Church in this city
has had series of misfOrtunes. In 1879 the
building was entirely destroyed by fire. BY
| the active exertions of the congregation, in
! which they were greatly aided by the ladies'
the church was partially rebuilt. During the
equinOctial storm last fall the wall of the edi-
| flee fronting on Monroe street was blown out
by the force of the wind. This has been board
ed up temporarily, and the structure is now
used for the purposes of worship. The build
ing is of very handsome style of church ar
chitecture and the windows are of stained
glass. This congregation is earnest and faith
full.
number of lengthy petitions on the tenn
perance question, from several counties were
introduced in the Senate this morning. They
were accompanied by more than a thousand
signatures. This indicates the rapidly grow
ing interest on this subject throughout the
State. The matter is destined ere long to be-
come factor in politics. A committee from
lAiS 4 AOl NOhACACHCcs Bl6luOuSL CnufCn
South, has been appointed to press the subject
upon the attention of the Legislature,
Some evidences of dissatisfaction cropped
out of the Senate this morning with the ship
canal bill, and it is quite doubtful if charter
can be obtained without frequent and i'm
portant amendments.
In the Assembly there fiuttered down an
extraordinary number of memorials upon va
rlous subjects, which it is supposed will catch
the attention of Congress. The ordinary fate
of these carefully prepared and nicely worded
documents, is to be delicately deposited in the
huge mausOleum provided for such papers in
the city of Washington, where they become
the prey of the mice and moths. 1t is a great
pity that so much genius should be annually
wasted.
The new bills introduced into the two
houses this morning were of no great i'm
pOrtance,
The feature of the day in the Senate was the
debate on the passage of Senate bill No. l9,
known as the shortcut" method of calling a
convention. Senator Baker, of Nassau OPEN
ed in opposition. The discussion will proba-
bly, occupy several hours. W. II. b.