Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-07
TALLAHASSEE IN SEPTEMBER
buliding BOOms, Shipping and Other
Notes of Interest on Various Topics.

alIuslOn was made to the various build-
lngs, consisting Of stores and dwellings,
now being erected in our city. Since then
learn that architects have furnished de-
! signs for four more handsome residences.
on which work will be very soon COM
menced. The aggregate cost of these new
/ dwellings will be about $2O, 900, and if the
cost of those now being constructed and
those erected within the last twelve
months is included, the total amount of
! investments for building purposes will
| be about $4,000. This includes the new
| court house at $22, 900, leaving SOS. 600 in
vested Dy private enterprise. Verify,
Tallahassee is on boom, and old . hard
times" has taken his departure. We
| nave TWO lumber yards, but so great is
| the demand that, in one instance, all the
lumber for a $1,000 dwelling was ordered
from jacksonville. The one or two
saw mills located some eight or ten miles
near here are entirely insufficient to meet
| the demand. So great and so increasing
Is thls demand that it would pay a mill
! man 10 nave another mill near the edge of
the city and the logs transported here by
rail- We have thousands of acres of fine
tlmbered lands within twenty miles of the
city, and one or two more mills would do
good business, thus saving the enecessity of
sOnyllle, as is often done. Nearly all of the
brick used for building purposes are made
mere The good, stiff clay of Middle Flor
lda is admirably adapted to this purpose.
Some years ago there was not a kiln in
this county. All of this important build
ing material was imported from else
where. This is another sign of our in
creaslng prosperity. Formerly, too, all
OF our lime was imported, but now much
OF It Is made between here and St. Marks.
The prairies of South Florida may boast
OF tnelr large herds of cattle, but Middle
FlOrlda mas OF late obtained quite a repu-
tatlon for improved breeds.
RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN SHIP
MENTS
OF fine milch cows from Tallahassee and
quincy to East and South Florida. The
butter OF Middle Florida is equal to the
best Goshen, and has attained a premium
az eUery State far. A gentleman from
kentucky, who tested some of our golden
butter inquired of his host how he man
aged 10 get fresh butter like that from
New l ork. His surprise was great when
told IL was Leon county butter The
white WIre-graSs stuff that soured in two
or three days is rapidly disappearing.
much to our relief. The butter from the
nne Alderneys, if properly put up, will
keep 1Or weeks perfectly sweet during the
AOOOCob VI SNUlLlGI. 30 MANY are the
grades of the improved breeds here that
half or three-quarter Alderneys can be
bought at from $50 to $50. But so great has
been the demand from other sections OF
the State that prices are advancing.
The caterpillar, that lifelong enemy of
the planter, is committing havoc in the
cotton fields all through the county. At
first its ravages were confined to a small
belt, but the area has been steadily en-
larged until there are but few, if any.
fields that are exempt. Some say that the
crop Will be cut short about One-half.
while others assert that the damage will
be still greater. But among the most
hopeful it is generally conceded that the
caterpillar will not inflict greater dam
age than did the storm of the 10th of
September last year, and that the crop
will equal that of last year. But, say
some, 1--WE are ruined if we have storm
this MONTH" Oh, yes, ''if the heavens
fall we should catch larks." Cotton, how
ever, is no longer king, though still an
important staple. A failure in the crop
may entail disaster, but would no longer
have that desOlatIng effect that would
have followed years ago. Our people are
no longer entirely dependent on it, for
nearly every cotton planter is to some ex-
tent trucker. His vegetables sold in
Northern markets enable HIM to get
through the year without heavy advances
from his merchant.
| have heretofore alluded to the uniform
success that has always attended the eff
forts of Mr.. Thos. 7. Roberts, one of our
best truckers.
IN CONVERSATION WITH HIM
yesterday he said the secret of his success
was in getting his produce off to market
as speedily as possible. He had twenty
acres in potatoes last spring, in which he
netted about 81, 800. In one week from
the time he commenced digging every
marketable bushel of his crop was on
the way to market. He did not.
and could not, rely on his usual
force in working the crop, but
the country was secured, and every man.
woman and child that could be procured
was engaged at good wages to gather in
the crop. Nor was this all. AS his own
transportation was insufficient other |
wagons and teams were hired, and thus /
it was that from day to day his wagon
train of from seven to eleven wagons |
passed through our streets, while others /
shipped slowly, thinking there was plenty |
of time, and lost. Mr.. Roberts, remem- |
bering that it is 1.-The early bird that gath |
ers the wOrm,'' was gamer. He informed |
me that he expected to have fifty acres i'm |
potatoes another year.
The Leon comfy exhibit for the Louis
Vile Exposition is making cOmmendable /
progress. a number Ofarticles have been |
sent in, and are at the store OF Mr.. B. A. !
Meginniss, who informs me that there
will be from seventy-five to hundred
specimens. Among them are some Jars
of strained honey, put UP by Mr.. George
IL. MegiDniss. This gentleman has for
years past devoted considerable attention
to bee culture, though an amateur. and
his apiary is equal to any in this section.
His strained honey commands the best
prices, and he can afford to sell it almost
as low as sugar cane syrup. Considering
the little capital that is necessary,
the small amount of labor required, and
the adaptability of our climate to this
industry, it is a matter of surprise that it
is not more generally engagedin. Iknow
of few industries that are more profitable
and in which there is less risk. In some
portions of the State, particularly in
South Florida, there are Northern settlers
who have engaged largely in it. If profit
able there it should be equally so here.
where the industrious little insect can Law
up honey nearly throughout the entire
year.
THE MAMMOTH EDITION
of the MORNING NEWS of September 1st
gives evidence of the prosperity of that
sheet and the indOmitable energy of its
sTrfr f1..,., L