Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-01

A
A luscious. ripe watermelon has lust been
taken from its vine near Jacksonville.
A satchel containing promissOry notes ag-
gregatIng nearly 81 800 has been lost or stolen
at jacksonville.
Three steamers were aground on the shoals
near Palatka at one time Wednesday morn
ing during dense fog.
W. 7. Orman. of Apalachicola. has lust
closed a sale with b. /. Curtis, wherewith he
transfers 1000 acres of land to that gentleman.
This tract of land is situated on ST. James
Island.
The Tampa Gadrdida says: The garrison
Is being deSpOlled of much of Its beauty by
the cutting away Of the trees and shrubbery
growing on the margin Of the water, and we
learn that the wood has been sold for So per
cord. W Whether this money viii find its Wav
into the United States Treasury, where it be-
longs, IS question time alone can solve"
Col. J. NJ. kreamer Chief Engineer Of the
OkeechObee Drainage Company, has returned
from Philadelphia. where he has been to SUI
perlntend the making of certain machinery
for the new and powerful dredge on Lake
T0h0pekaliga. He reports that the machinery
Is about ready for shipment, and that it will
be forwarded as rapidly as possible. He be-
heves the new boat Will perform the labor of
1900 men. and readily handle all classes OF
material met with in these operations.
At the recent session of the La Villa Coun-
ell, Alderman Barr charged City Assessor P.
J. l. Engle with making an erroneous assess
ment and refusing to correct his books and
previous misconduct in office, and preferred
the following charges against him: For fail
ing to make out his books according to law :
Tor collecting taxes as Deputy Collector: for
collecting taxes before his assessment books
were made out and submitted to the Council
for approval. and for collecting cash for taxes
and turning over to the Collector SCRIP These
charges were filed and will be considered at
the regular meeting next Monday evening.
a citizen of LaNilla, the Jacksonville su-
burb, tells the following concerning the man
agement of the towns finances: ''TOwn scriD
Is worth 80 cents ON the dollar; most all the
taxes are paid i'm this scrip. The officers of
the town pay themselves their commissions
out of what cash happens to be collected The
Collectors commissions are 10 per cent.-he
takes his pay in cash; the bulk Of collections
being ln scrip at 80 cents he practically gets
70 per cent. of the par value of the collections
The Treasurer gets per cent, nominallv
winch, paid in cash, is Is per cent. of the de-
preclated scrip, and the Assessor gets , per
cent" which ls practically per cent. This Is
90 per cent. OF the collections, and the balance
being worth only 80 cents on the dollar leaves
the town 10 cents IN cash for each dollar as
sessed and collected
Yesterdays Jacksonville Times Union saws.
Just as soon as the repairs To the steamer IT
B. Pant are completed she will be placed ON
the fast mail route between this city and san
lord ln connection with the steamer CITY Of
Jacksonville, each steamer making three
roltnd tril,s le. --l -a rstlis, sttouIy the
principal points. One or the other Of these
fine steamers Will leave here. every afternoon
immediately upon the arrival of the fast mail
from the North, and arrive at Sanford about
10 O'Clock next morning. Ii is also expected
that the mail trains on the South Florida Road
viii be run TO connect closely with these
steamers. which Will form through fast mail
between here and Tampa, and a letter leaving
here at PAS p. m. viii reach Sanford during
the afternoon Of the next day. The contract
for carrying the fast mails between here and
Palatka has already been awarded this line,
and il Is expected in a few davs to have the
contract extended TO Sanford"
Kirk Monroe wrote the following for the
Fiori3d 1HHUdL- THE TOrtugas consists of
Garden Key, sand Key, Bird Kew, East Kev
and LoGgerhcad key. and of these the next
i'm size and Importance TO Garden Key is Log
gerhead, the most westerly of the group and
the uttermOst point of land. On IL stands a
lgnt house, whose slender white shaft, rising
l52 feet above the few acres of coral reef tha6
"a foundation can ne seen almost as
far 10y day as Its powerful light by night
The fort OCcup eS the entire island. and
within ITS thick casemated walls are enclosed
uiue acres of land. Once the enclosure was
coarse white sand. devoid of blade of grass
or other trace of vegetation; but cargo upon
cargo oil rich earth, brought from incredible
distances. and the patient labor of years have
transformed it into a veritable oasis. Now
the entire inner space is covered with a soft
carpet OF Bermuda grass, COcOanut and date
palms nave attained a stately growth, great
Oleanders blush with pink and crimson bloom
through the year, roses grow in luxuriancc
and many other Towering shrub and climb
ing vine helps make glad this once waste
place of he earth. The building OF the great
fort was begun in 1916, and 1t is
not yet entirely finished Every brick
every bit Of granite, IRON and
Wood helping to form the massive structure
was brought by sea from New York and the
work thus far is said TO have cost SIG, ,00O. COO.
The post Was last garrisOned in 1873, since
which time il has been in charge Of an ord
nance sergeant, and has been gradually dis
mantled. Now, rs one PAGES the vast length
OF the breezy galleries, from which open the
cascmates he notes in the rotting wood. the
crumblug mortar and the occasional aper-
ture from which a brick has fallen, the work
OF decay and ruin, which in those latitudes
are So swift and sure"