Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-14
FACTS FROM THE PENINSULA
Condition of CrOps-Interesting Remi
niscenceS of the Scarborough Family
Con Gardnn's Gpoat RaiIwaY-Ocala
and its Future.

Con Cardnn's Great RaiIway-O caIa
and its Future.
From an Occasional Correspondent.
ORANGE SPRING, FLA, July S.-A
line from our pleasant little village,
Orange Spring, may prove interesting to
some of your readers. A few Of them, per-
haps. knew us in ante-bellum days.
Nature has done a great deal tor us, but
we have been to some extent delinquent
in utilizing our advantages.
The general health, prospects of crops,
and prosperity Ofthe country are fair. The
oat crop has been harvested and is good.
The corn crop is fair. Cotton is largely
abandoned, farmers only planting small
patches. Every farmer has a few oranges.
Many of the young groves are just coming
into bearing. The income from them are
mainly instrumental in causing cotton to
be neglected. The orange crop is about
30 per cent. above last years crop. EX-
cessiye dry weather Immediately after the
blooming season and during the early,
tender stage of the young fruit, caused
the shedding Of the young fruit, thereby
curtailing one of the largest fruit crops
ever promised in our State.
We are perfecting plans to overcome
the disadvantages resulting from our
think we can find decided benefits from
irrigation. If any of your numerous read
ers are familiar with the process and adj
vantages resulting from irrigation to
orange groves, a communication giving
practical facts would certainly be read
with great interest by your many Florida
patrons. California has adopted artificial
irrigation and, as your paper goes from
the Atlantic to the Pacific I'VE almost
coi1 IN
Californian can give us the desired in
formation.
We read with interest not long since an
article in your paper giving some items
about one of Sayannah's first steamship
projectors, Mr.. William Scarborough. 1t
was claimed that he was a Georgian.
This was a mistake. He was a South
CarOlinian.
William Scarborough, ST., was an Eng
lishman, and, it is said, was related to
Lord Scarborough.
In colonial days William Scarborough,
Sr., and DR.. Elijah Gillette, who was Sur
geOn General of the army South, settled
on the lower Three Runs, in then GrenOil
county. afterwards Barnwell district,
South Carolina. They were among the
first settlers, selecting much of the most
valuable lands of that beautiful country.
Here they built splendid villas. Some of
Inequalities of Belfast, Richmond Hill,
Ashton and Beldock.
Belfast was the home of William Scar
borough. Here he amassed a great for
tune, and Belfast had all the ohorms
which an enlightened English taste and
wealth could give it. Perhaps the Lows,
Understands. Smiths and many others Te-
member some of the beauties of this South
ern home. One of the beautiful things
Ixr arflar N m
his large mansion.
| William Scarborough had three chill
Sen-a son and two daughters-W William,
/ Lev and Elizabeth. They were edu-
! cad in Europe, and William there re-
celNd the foundation of that education
! that so we'll fitted him to build up
schem that has made your city the COM
mercIanmpOrium of the Southern Allan
| tic ports
His fatler was merchant aGd import
ed his Merchandise. His trade was i'm
mense.
During avisit to him of some OF his
English friends, one asked him how MANY
hands he worked. Laughingly he replied.
Il work the whole of Barnwell."
In those days all freight up the Savan-
nan river was transported by pole boats,
wagons and carts. Travel was either by
private conyeyances or stages.
Mr.. William Scarborough, ST.. lived a
bachelor for many years. He married late
In life beautiful mountain girl. She was
a North CarOlinian. He usually spent his
summer months in the mountains of Viz
glnia. 1t was his custom to visit Virginia
in his coach drawn by six horses. On one
OF these journeys he stopped for water on
the roadside, adjacent to mountain farm.
AT the we'll he met the beautiful country
lassle who eventually became his wife.
she was the mother of William Scarbor-
ough, Jr., the first protector of the steam
snip to savannah. Elizabeth married DR..
Gillette, and Lucy Mr.. Isaac. of Liver
pool, who is commercially connected with
your city.
We are watching with pride and deer
interest the operation of your great de-
yeloper, General Gordon, in the grand
scheme of his International Railroad. 1t
IS among the great enterprises of the age.
When completed it will develop the re-
sources of Florida by giving transporta-
ion TO much country yet idle. Its route,
4 from Palatka, through Marion, on the
vest side of the Ochlawaha river, dividing /
he angle formed by Orange Lake, Orange /
;reek and Ochlawaha river onward to /
)cala, instead of crossing the river, TAX /
ng course nearer the st. Johns, which 4
Ilready has transit for all freights it can 4
'ver produce by its magnificent river, 1t
Will develop a country possessing a
apacity that figures can scarcely COM
ute. After entering Marion it will
trike the margin of an excellent country.
One Of the great merits Of this particu-