Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-12
JACKSONVILLE JorTINGs.
transportation Facilitfes-NIethodists in
COuneil-ShoOting a POliceman-WeII
Filled HOtels-Various Notes.

hrst In the year 1888, has been an exceedingly
busy one in jacksonville. Merchants from
many portions of the State have been here. as
well as the frugal farmer, to purchase goods
and supplies for another year, the facilities
for transporting supplies from this city to in
terror towns being much better now than ever
before, and competing lines of boats and rail-
roads have greatly lessened freight rates.
The Waycross Railroad. now being the main
line between this city, Savannah and Charles
ton, has almost monopoly of the transpOrta- :
ton business. Its hundred ears, heavily
laden, enter the city weekly and return equal
ly heavily laden with the products of our gen
erous soil, more particularly that precious
Florida fruit, the orange. There is no other
direct line extending to points outside
OF the state, no not even steam
boat, and of course the Waycross is
Florida's dependence at present, and from all
reports 1t comes as near giving general salts
faction as any road could.
In addition to the merchant and farmer
here many of the members of the Legislature
have spent day or two while en- route to
Tallahassee, and since Wednesday the Sd
inst, many ministers of the gospel have come
TO attend the sessions of the annual confer
ences OF the Southern and Northern Methodist
churches. The former was presided over bv
that great and good man, Bishop Kavanaugh,
Of Kentucky.
Their daily sessions were held in st. Paurs
Church, which was often taxed to its utmost
capacity to afford sitting and standing room
for all who came to see and hear these learned
men talk, preach and pray. But very few of
these dlvlnes are native Floridians, notwith-
standing there are a total of three hundred in
the Conference. They come from different
States-a goodly number from Georgia, One
of the aged who attended is well known in that
State-Rev. Willis NJ. Russell-for many wears
an editor at Bainbridge. He is quite deaf and
nearly blind and in poor health. He came to
FLORIDA about seven years ago and settled in
Orange county, where he is now engaged, with
his young sons, in the publication of the
ApOpka Citizen.
The proceedings of the conferences were in
teresting and harmonious, and the rulings of
the Bishops able and satisfactory. This Con-
ference claims church membership of 10000,
ana that 1t has nearly 5000 children in its
Sabbath schools.
The Conference of the NJ. E. Church North
ern branch) was presided over by Bishop
Merrill, of Minnesota, stranger to this Sec
tion: This Conference has about forty three
ministers, and only about ten of them wear
white faces, In this respect the two religious
bodies were unlike, as the ministers of the
southern Church were all white, and intelli-
gent ana able eXp0undeFS of the gospel. 1t is
well known in the South what amount of in
telligence Is possessed by the average colored
minister, who only few years since emerged
from slavery.
Nearly all the ministers of the Southern
Church are Southern men, while all the
whites of the Northern Church are Northern
men, and some have not been South but o
year or two,
The interest of the religious portion of the
community seem to centre in the Southern
Conference, and this was noticeable especially
by the intelligent portion of the other Confer
ence,
Committees were appointed on temperance,
who are TO go to Tallahassee and obtain the
passage of the local option law by the Legis-
lature,
Notwithstanding this Northern Church Con.
ference was held in q GOldred church., one of
the white brethren introduced a resolution
looking to division of the body by separating
white ma
was not very well received by some of the
delegates; nevertheless, it was adopted.
Many OF the ministers have departed, yet a
number llnger here for few days longer.
Our hotels are now open, the Windsor being
the last to open its spacious doors, and much
inquiry is made as to why it was SO late in
opening this season. Lights are visible at
night in the fourth story apartments of the
st. James, earletOn and Everett, and when
this is the case 1t is certainty that the city is
well populated by the winter Ysitors, who
come TO enjoy the genial sunshine and our de-
lightful climate.
After much inquiry, no positive evidence can
be had of any injury being sustained by the
tree or fruit of the orange from the recent
severe cold, although dealers are very eau
tious in making large purchases. The cold
was not as severe on the st. Johns river as it
was in the extreme southern counties of Polk,
fernando and Manatee. This seems hardly
credible, but is nevertheless a fact. The
cold wave may not again visit that section for
years.
Yesterday your correspondent was shown
TWO blils of ladinG of iron for the jackson
vile and st. Augustine Railroad, and a letter
saying the first locomotive for this road would
reach Atlanta to-day en- route to Jacksonville.
The grading has been finished nearly the
whole length, and crossties put down as far
as graded. Many have been the cOnjectures
as to this road, but now it is believed TO be a
fact and not imagination
The racing between the steamer John Syl-
yester, Captain POST, Of New York, and the
II. I. Baya, Captain Crawford, Of this city,
Monday last is still the theme qf eanVersa-
ton ON the streets. fhe course was from
Jacksonville to Palatka and return, a dis
tance of seventy five miles. Up to this time
no one seems to know which was the Victori-
Gus boat, as they came in on the home stretch
neck and neck. Shareholders are said to still
cling to their trusts until one side or the other
gives in. Some of the fair sex admit that they
were so much interested that they had to
their respective favoTites:
Many travellers are opposed to steamboat
racing, but on this occasion il seems both boats
had quite a number. But it is to be hoped
that this is the last contest on our river of this
kind, as it eXcites and breeds bad blood be-
tween boatmen and citizens. hlezides endan-
gering life and property.
Never have the incoming mails to this city
been 50 irregular as this winter The only
way TO ascertain if mail has arrived is to
keep hanging around the depot and post Office
The post Office in this city is taxed to its ut
most capacity to handle the mails Buw aFI.iy-
ing here. tl.e aItTdhes 0rten labor through
the night to finish before the next days quota
is piled in on them. Postmaster Iedwith has
been compelled to enlarge the distributing
and money order departments cf lis ofnce.
Next week the Grant Masonic bodies of
Florida assemble here in ANNUAL cOnimunica-
ton, and the week following tile Sfafb Medi-
cal Association hald meeting here, and close
on to this comes next month the state Fair.
Much Interest is manifested In these gather
ings.
The DeBary line of steamers is to be in
creased one more steamer to-day or to-mor-
row: 1t IS on its way here from the chip yards
at Wilmington, Del, Gnder command Of W.
A. Shaw. 5the 'iGlty Of Jacksonyiiie'3 and the
I'll. L. BayH"sw will make two new and hand
some steamers added to our river tiCCt ,hs
winter. .tse. -;
Roller skating and variety troupe are fur
nlshlng amusement now for our people, Two
night. d" - y - t..jfN''-t'-.-'i '''H
a g92d theatre company would do well here
for the next two months provided q hall large
enough to contain all could be procured, but
such house ID not 10 be had until Mr. Plant
ereets that much talked of opera house.
The weather has been very gloomy sinoe
Saturday. Tuesday II rained tie .iie entire dav
ana this morning it is windy. clear and col
On Bay street mud s5I9 sIasR predGminates
o,asf,ssa t1sss aisht, ggneidefahle excitement was
iiceman Walter Toole by stranger whom he
had Under arrest.
Hon. Thomas Settle, ,IOdge of the United
Stafea circuit Court, adjourned his court yes
terday, aud will go TO Atlanta to-day to hold a
session Of court for the Judge of that circuit
ana near cases in which he IS disqualified.
Little of interest has trspspired IN his court
this aeseien n tls city and II is the frat ia
stance an record since reconstruction that a
number of Democrats have not been dragged
here under some trumped up charge to an
swer an indictment of violating the election
laws, based on the affidavit of irresponsible
persons. Truly, the skies are brishtening,
even if the ayefage qatkeF itfroF Is disgrun-
"Dimicraek."