Smyrna times., 1883-12-19

State in the South is receiving more at
tentiOn and none more brilliant out
look for the future either financially or
commercially.
SEEKERS AFTFR HEALTH.
The fountains of health open for the
masses in Yellow Stone Park and in
the land of Ponce De Leon. Health is
the primary cause of many persons
seeking an asylum in this State that
turns its face to the sun; and many re-
celVe permanent benefit while there
are many cases that the climate of
Florida will not suit. But the number
arriving here for sanitary motives must
De accommodated and that number is
legion; and for that cause hotel keen
ing IS lucrative pursuit. A gentle
man OF that calling said if he thought
OF advertising ut all it would be to re-
verse the usual order and advertise for
not SO many to come. A we'll built
mousse In any good and accessible locali-
" seems sure to be filled with guests
Those who come here into middle
Florida find they have passed the frost
line on the 2Sth parallel, and tomatoes
rlpening in the open air. saw them
offered in the market to-day at $3.50
ana 50 per bushel. The Winter gar
dens of vegetables are looking well in
all OF the usual varieties. Strawberries
are not in bloom as yet, but they will
frult in the last Of January continuing
to bear for four months. We have
seen the last pickings in jacksonville
on the first of June. We have not
heard of this unusual length of fruitape
applied to anything else except by sue
cesslOns of paintings, and as the first is
always the most valuable the second
may be continued only for domestic
use.
THE RUSH OF SETTLERS.
The charmed circle of orange grow.
ers is still enlarging, accessions from
the Northwest, fleeing from the cyclone
and the biting frosts as late as the 9th
OF May and taking a short recess re-
turned on the 29th of August. Broad
fields of ruined industry and the ex-
pected visit at the door of the wolf of
want in cold climate, are causes that
will setthe tide of humanity ebbing and
flowing, and the spontaniety of thought.
would suggest the remembrance of
the fact, that public prints say the Old
Sand Reef is settling up where naught
but balmy breezes are said to abide.
where the golden fruit in luxuriant
clusters lures the eye, we will join the
throng and invest in the speculation.
To-day in Florida the ancient pines
draped in moss are falling before the
axemen and the ever recurring saw
mill is preparing them for dwellings for
the orangemen, the agriculturist and
the citizen, and immense demands are
made for railroad purposes. Pine is
King OF the forest, and he is the Flori-
dams servant for every woody demand
but his prestige and power are fast Civ.
ing way before the accommodating
army of settlers. The theory now
held is that the climate is worth vast
ly more than the soil, and as long as
there is nothing worse than sand. in
terspersed with occasional plateaus of
clay and hammock, failure will not be
entertained while New Jerseys success
is remembered. There is an eastern
and western column of immigration
pushing their way down below the 2Sth
parallel, but as compared with settle
ment in Western States, there is a
notable absence of foreigners. Mime
sofa and Dakota Territory have one in
foreign born, while Florida has one in
A. The railroads are going with the
columns, and the canal diggers are not
far behind them.
DRAINING THE EVERGLADES.
Hamilton Disston's contract for
draining the Everglades has succeeded
in cutting from the gulf side so as that
he has lowered Lake OkeechObee one
foot. A canal is being cut on the
Atlantic slope below Mosquito inlet to
unite Hazard and Indian Rivers, giving
an additional river navigation of 300
miles. An Ohio river steam boat last
month went from Cincinnati down
through the Gulf of Mexico to the
mouth of the river Caloosahatchee,
(which Mr.. Diston cut deeper ascend
ed to Lake Okeechobee and then I'D
the Kissimmee river to Lake Tohope-
koliga and on Thanksgiving day en-
gagged in the profitable business of CIV
ing excursions to the citizens of the
city of Kissimmee which poses on its
northern shore. The enterprise of
draining, above alluded to, is still in
progress and will not be completed for
another year.
ORANGE CULTURE.
In a former letter to the TIMES I
enumerated the list of Florida products
in which there was not much bread
and meat, but exchangable commodi-