Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-21
LIFE ON JAMES ISLAND.
A PRETTY PICTURE OF A FLO
RIDIAN SUMMERING PLACE.
Inc Slow Trip by Land and Water-A
Reminder of Long Branch-The At
fractions and the Amusements-The
ThOmasville and Tallahassee Railroad
to Run to the Island

ThOmasville and Tallahassee Railroad
to Run to the Island
Correspondence ofthe Morning Neacs.
ST. TERESA, JAMES ISLAND, FLA. Au
gust III have occasionally alluded t.
this delightful summer resort. and now
Ike many others, have shaken the dust
of our Floral City off my feet, and am en-
Joylng the inyigorating pure breeze of the
0uH. There are two routes hither: one
overland about torty-eight miles; the other
by train to st. Marks and thence by sail
boat to this point. Neither route
IS very expeditions, and neither
can be made with much com
fort. But the journey once being
made the traveller feels amply repaid foI
the discomforts experienced. The latter
! route was the one I chose. Leaving Tai.
lahassee at $3.50 a. IN. we reached St
Marks at IL a. m, and getting aboard The
! trlm little slOOp John Edwards, CAPTAIN
Iauts, master, were soon ON our way
But in these days of steam sailboat. so
! very uncertain as to the time made, is moi
! very pleasant to those accustomed to a
more rapid mode of conveyance. The
narrow quarters and the light battling
landsmen accustomed to travel in steam.
| boats.
With head wind and tide against us.
and at times a dead calm, our progress
was slow, and it was not until a. m,
of the next day that we reached our desti-
nation. The distance from here to St.
Marks is forty miles, and with a good.
| stun, tayoring wind the run has been
! made in three hours. This place, in some
| T9SnpptG nf
| the location of its cottages. A fine bluff
but few yards from the beach eX-
| tends for about a mile and on this,
| In a line with one another, are built
the various cottages of the summer resi-
| dents. They are all of wood. one story i'm
height, with broad piazza in front. Op-
! poslte nearly every one of these cottages
| is path, and, in some instances. steps
| leading down to the beach. Here the
sojourner can indulge to his hearts CON
tent In good salt water bath. st. Teresa
is situated IN cove on the south side of
James Island, and, as no land intervenes.
is directly on the Gulf. From the piazzas
nne view is obtained, and vessels can be
seen almost every day on their
way to ApalachicOla and other
Gulf ports. Residents here inform
He that they never suffer from heat. n
constant breeze modifying it and making
a summer sojOurn delightful. Those usual
pests OF the seacOast, the mosquitoes and
| gnats, are seldom seen and felt here The
residents use nets, it is true, but these are
to shelter them from flies during their
noon tide siesta, for, as most of those who
| come mere come tor recreation, leisure
and salt air have their usual effects.
| droWslneSs and maps in the daV time
are often mdulged in Fish abound.
| and 1t is common thing to
! sit down to breakfast on some of
! the fnny tribe that but an hour before
\ were sporting in their native element.
! When served up fresh this way they are
! dellclous, and can be appreciated more
| by those who have been accustomed to
| nave them prepared long after they have
! been caught. | find the few families who
! came hlther in the early summer free
| from the malaria incident to the interior
| ana ENJOYING new lease of life. The
! water here IS cool and pure, and springs
| abound, so that artificial cooling through
| ice is not needed. There are also quite A
number of mineral springs in the
| vicinity. Yesterday | visited one
! only few yards from the beach.
that seemed to be strongly impregnated
| with sulphuretted hydrogen. A fisherman
| informs me that some twelve miles from
! here there is another sulphur spring with
| a How OF water sufficient to furnish the
motive power for a mill. There are also
/ some chalybeate springs. With conye-
| nlence OF access, no better spot could be
| selected for winter or summer SANTA
rum than this island. Fish and game
abound, and the invalid can indulge in
| aquatic sport to his hearts content. while
the great number of deer about here makes
1t a Nimrod's paradise. l find quite
| a number OF cottages without tenants, the
! owners OF some being among the noun
talns OF tennessee and North Carolina.
! while lew others have cOntented them
! selves to remain at home this season, be-
| ing deferred from coming on account of
! the inconvenience experienced in get
| ting here. In another year a strong
! effort Will be made to put a steamer on
the route between here and st. Marks. If
! this is done, many will resort here both
| from Middle Florida and lower GeOrgia.
| Atpresent most of the visitors here are in
Vallds who seek to build up shattered
! constitutions, but with regular and
rapid communication many will come
| iof pleasure and recreation as we'll as for
| health. Until this summer. there was a
! tri-weekly mail here from 1st Nav to 1st
| November, but this season the visitors
| get their mail either from ST. Marks or
| Carrabelle, some fifteen miles distant This
| is a great inconvenience, but better ar
rangement will be made another wear.
| For the information Of such of your read
ers as may desire to visit this spot, | will
| state that there is a sail boat that leaves
st. Marks every Tuesday and Saturday
on the arrival of the tram from Tallahas-
see. The John Edwards is a staunch little
| craft, built expressly for the carriage
OF passengers. She has a neat little cabin.
and her master, Capt. Tauts. is an able
! and experienced sailor. With such a
one, the timid landsman need have no
! fears, for, with experience and an intimate
knowledge of every landmark and bar. he
/ combines WatchfulneSS and care The
fare from Tallahassee here and return is
| W 80, which, considering the time Occu-
| pied, is certainly reasonable. Those
who came here in the early summer
appear to be very well satisfied, and as a
| residence here is so delightful. affirm that
! they will not leave until the middle of
! october. This week the number of sum-
mer residents will be increased bv three
other families from Tallahassee. Add to
! these the transient visitors who come over
every week, and we will have quite a
lively little village. This is also a
favorite resort for NARROWING parties from
| lower Georgia and Middle Florida, They
make this their headquarters, and from
| mere go of to the grOuper banks and en-
| JOY fine days sport in hauling up these
fine large fish, or with gun and dogs take
a deer hunt in the interior, returning
/ DIOnZP0.
| robust and healthy. The lands along orr
Atlantic and Gulf coast are usually very
poor and unfit for cultivation, but on this
| island have seen as fine timber as any-
where in the interior. The soil, too. is
very fertile in some places, and there are
| several tracts of fine hummock
The charter of the Thomasville, Talla-
hassee and Gulf Railway provides for a
terminus on this island, and If that road
should ever be built, it will materially af-
/ feet this place and the lands adjoining
here. Alligator Harbor, which is on the
northern part of this island. is of fine ca
! paclty, having good anchorage. It is
SAID the British fleet rendezvoused here
after the battle of New Orleans. At the
entrance there is a depth of. ten feet of
| water over the bar, and should there be
railroad terminus here. this
depth might be increased bv Sc
! curing the necessary appropriations by
! Congress. 1t is a better harbor than
| Cedar Keys, st. Marks and other places
| on the Gulf, which the high bluffs along
| the coast prevent the usual inundatlons
! during the equinOXial storms. But if the
| present company do not build their road
to this point some other will. Though a
| terra incOgHitd to the business world. its
| advantages will soon be known. and oani,
tallsts Will yet be found who will be will.
ing TO make an investment Of this nature
that Will be sure 10 pay. With good tim
Dered land, good soil, and excel
lent places for summer resorts. some
| point on James Island must
| eventually be the Gulf terminus Of a rail-
road from Tallahassee or some point in
| Georgia. Carrebelle, Oh the western part
| OF this Island, is thriving little place of
I : v fnho