National Republican., 1883-03-12
IN SUMMER LAND.
A Great Rush OF Visitors TO Florida
Green Peas and Strawberries, Fans and
Fine wcather-IIow 10 Escape Pncu-
monia.

Green Peas and Strawberries, Fans and
Fine wcather-How 10 Escape Pncu-
monia.
Special Letter.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Mar4.-The New York
papers have recently been giving accounts of
interviews with prominent New York physi-
clans, number of whom agreed that during
the month of February last pneumonia in that
city amounted almost to an epidemic, and that
usually March was the worst month for this
singularly fatal disease.
The result of those statements, or of the
fact of the startling prevalence OF this disease
in many OF the northern cities, may be seen
as soon as you set out from Washington for
this sunny and temperate land of sand,
oranges, and invalids. The rush now hither-
ward is great.
In the first place you fail to secure n berth
in q "sleeper" unless you interview Pull
mans agent several days before you start.
Secondly, unless you are quick of limb, tena-
cious of purpose, and were born deficient of
or have left your stock of modesty at home,
you get nothing to eat on the way. With
twenty minutes for refreshments" inn
pressed upon you as you leave your scat at
| the eating stations, you have no time to wait
| for vacancies, and unless you bring into use
| all the above requisites you find every place
occupied, and they usually so remain till the
| last moment of the allotted time. 1t is aston
| ishing how these invalids do eat when on a
journey. A well man has no possible chance
in competition at table with one Of these
| cadaveTOus looking fellows.
Every day ON the great railway routes be-
| tween the northern cities and this winter
| Mecca the trains ar0now crowded the eating
houses are thronged and the hotels are liter
| ally oyerfowing with those whose destination
is the Land of Flowers" Railway men on
the way say nothing like it has occurred any
| previous season. Persons here who have means
| of knowing estimate that there are over 10000
visitors from various sections of our country
now sojourning at the resorts in this state, the
last week having contributed largely toward
making up this number.
| The arrivals at Jacksonville by the fast
New York train last eveningw were very numer-
Gus, all the hotels being obliged to turn away
travellers by the score. The proprietors OF
these large and well kept hotels had, during
the day, in an enterprising spirit secured
quarters in private houses for many in re-
sponse to kilograms received from persons on
this train, but Notwithstanding this there
were not few turned away who were Obliged
to 90 out on the street and for themselves
seek places of shelter with private families.
They call the weather here now 'cool and
delightful" Gao in the shade at II IN. to-day
but two weeks ago 1t was too warm, the ther
mometer then registering $40 to $50, and al
|
there are visitors it reached 800. We should
call it "delghtfup if it would only rain anC
settle this white sand dust which is every
where deep and all pervading. Apparently i
has not rained here for months; still thing
! manage to grow. We had excellent greer
! peas and bouncing ripe strawberries fo
dinner to-day. And speaking of dinner, th'
hotels here serve bountitul supplies of shad anC
D various other kinds of fine fish as well as ven
. ison and water fowl. And oranges-it would
0 not do to omit them-although late in tn
season they are supplied in abundance an'
a are delicious. Florida. oranges in perfection
should always be eaten fresh from the tree.
We leave here by steamer tomorrow after
3 noon and go up the st, Johns river South I
= Enterprise, and from there by stage TO Net
Smyrna, on the Atlantic coast, at the mout
: of the Indian river, We propose to interview
the black and striped bass and jacksnipe q
New Smyrna and the gators up the India
river before our return. Is,