Plateau gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Tenn.) 1883-1884, 1883-12-01
Kiss:mnee, Florida.

One rainy day in April we landed in
Kis>immee, Florida. Ii was raining as
1t onl y can rain in Florida, and our
first i'm, ression of the place was tar
from favorable.
KlSsimnnee is situated at the head If
Lake Tohope-kalga. the source of ks
simmee river. The town is v,ry much
scattered, being built on the land OF
tonr rival factions. 1t has hut a small
elevation above the lake, and in former
wet seasons the ground where the town
stands has been submerged Building
is rapidly going ON and business seems
to be- active. 1t would be hard for ii
new conner to tell what was the cause Of
this se' mng prosperity.
Tn ike other Fl rda towns not many
orange groves are seen, and land for
groves is not selling us fast rs town lots.
Like another place that we have in
mind everyone must have IA residence
in the city.
AT present KlsSimmee is the south
terminus of the .uth Florida Railroad
1t has population of about 300, most
ly merchants, doctors. carpenters and
labnrers. Small boats start from herr,
for the Ki,sim nee river and the Ok.e-
chobee country.
The land for n lies around is very
low and thousands of acres are over
flowed every year. Canals are being Gu
Ia ~traishten The Kiss nlnee and let fl
urplu, W.T. r.
AN extensive system of canals ar,
being cut 10y this company who hope 20
reclaim about $4,000. 900 acres # Ianu
OF which they have oie-halt. "A large
portion of this land will be suitable lul
sugar and rice.
Of the climate we cannot say much
as we SAW it only in the summer. F.,
health it is very good but there ar,
many cases Of fever Of mild type. IN
the shade it is quite comfortable rs
there is usual, breeze. From six t,
nine in the nnrii.g it is hot, but about
that tine the breeze raises. Frol,
eleven to two there is another ho
spell. 1t is too hot for a white man t,
work IN the sun, but many Ito 1t b,
csuse obliged t. do 50.
Much has been said about the coo
nights Of Florida. There were ut few
nights during the past summer that :
person could sleep under blanket M
I'll nearly morning. Many night "a
We laid on our Cot overcome with hea
and mos quitoes have We wished for h,
quiet sleep to be obtained ON the noun
lains Of Tennessee. If you sleep viii,
out a mosquito bar the mosquitoes vii
eat yon up, and under~a bar you vii
nearly sntf cate. Between the tw
evils there Is not much choice and TIL
il the most t.lksi Of {, ,uuty Of til
j State. There are sections where MOS NOS
y qultOes are many times worse. Oftel
# nave We taken oar cot into the opel
- air and laid until fatigue overcnme II
before sleep would ease lis from the al
tackS of "urtormentprs CHATS, samd file,
bed bugs, red bugs, reaches, heas aud
= few other insects abound. Sld,r mea,
n uriug from three to four inches acros
e c"nbe found. Scorpinnsareplen'ifulan
b. their sting is exceeding painful. Gen
y, tipedes can be seen by tie thous M
i, bur they are not us had as represe' tee
- Much has been sail about the d, eli
D. results Of contacts with them. We ia,
Pr had them crawl ON our neck and fac
D. and inside of our clothes but stuff re
i no Inconvenience from it except II
natural aversion of mankind to Il
touch Of such things.
Many curious insects and worms al
III to be seen here but space forbids the
mention. Snakes are num,r N
Among the posonou, are the coppr
. head, water mocassin an two kind.
~ lattle snakes. The harmless 81
nd are very numerous.
Nix.