The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-04-08
For the FLoRIpgAN.l
The Gareas Gareen Oasis of Florida
TALLAHASSEE, FLA, March 80, 1884

DOVrADny oil NllOUte t'ttuA keueTHuy, Out SpC-
cially OF the hill country around Tallahassee and
the sem-mountainous region of western Gads-
den.
| hope your readers will excuse me If have
tailed in making the subject plain. for it is quite
as difficult to describe the contour Of a country
without the assistance of a typographical map,
as to demonstrate a problem in geometry with
out the aid of diagram.
The southern section of Middle Florida is
region of the State. but the northern portion
that strip of country lying west of the Suwan
nee river, in the same latitude as jacksonville
and generally between the F. r. Il n r. X. and
the Georgia border differs so materially in its for
nation and appearance as to be unacceptable
to strangers as part Of what Is popularity
known as Florda-under the same tropical
sun, and blest with the same healthfu atmosphere.
Beginning on the west bank of the Suwannee
river this country gradually ascends westward as
far as the Apalachicola river, where according to
the reports of engineers to date, the hills of
Florida attain their highest elevations. Inter
secting and interrupting this ascending reach are
fat pine lands protruding from the pine woods
on the south, which, as the hills rise higher, be-
come beautiful lowland meadows, rs in the vi
entity OF Tallahassee, and finally rugged vallies
in western Gadsden, through which streams OF
fierce water course. dashing and leaping over
rocks, playing in their haste to the Gulf-power
unstored and wasted.
In ages past this region OF Middle Florida was
doubtless a series Of islands, when all the rest OF
the State was submerged beneath the sea. Two
miles below Tallahassee, at the foot of the hills,
the line of demarcation of the ancient sea beach
may any day be 80 distinctly traced AS to leave
but little doubt as 10 the truth Of this statement
In those ages, as now, the plateau OF Gadsden
doomed over three hundred feet above the sea,
looking nearly one hundred feet over the the isl
and OF Leon which in turn locked over its cas- t.
ern neighbors. The powers of Earth lifted the
bottom of the deep, the waters receded, and in
due time the great monotony OF sand, pine and
wire grass, world without end" dese,t-lke,
appeared the isles as cases. gemmed upon
its bosom.
In using the word desert, do not understand
me casting derision on other portions of the
State All who know Florida thoroughly are
we'll aware it is the most spotted" country ex
tant as to soil, health, and insects-and bumpy
as we'll as fiat and that most of its surface is
ilmitable waste OF sand, on which but little will
grow in the way of vegetation that bears leaves
and foliage wide and profuse enough to shade
and dampen the ground, but on it the pine and
wire-grass alone will flourish, with their leaves
so like lines in geometry-length without breadth
or thickness-made to cast the least possible
shadow, so the sun conld strike through to warm
and dry the vast sandy acres at MONDAY, and
call in the breeZes of ocean and guilt at evening,
to drive away malaria. And thus it is Florida,
like the desert OF Africa, is blessed and redeemed
with climate pure as the breath OF life fresh
from the lungs ofGod where the poor consump-
tive under sentence of death comes, breathes
and lives and this great legacy from the Creator
is FOridas wealth, the truth OF which the
world is fast learning and approaching. But for
this pure atmosphere of the pine woods the
many large tracts of productive hammock lands,
particularly in South Florida, would, under the
tropical sun, prove uninhababe, for in those
damp shades malaria is generated worse by far
than in sandy cypress swamp and in those dis
tricts i'll nature has placed her sign to warn you
dWdN-tHDSC oplNlHu vi iHOSS) CIdpt
with which she robes her trees and nothing but
thorough clearing of the forest, and letting the
pure air OF the so-called desert rush in and
the localities will ever reclaim them from the
scourge of malaria.
If any one is puzzled to know why forty years
ago Tallahassee and the surrounding country
suffered so much from malaria that many OF the
inhabitants fled to the highlands of Gadstlen and
pine woods south of the city, and there founded
the once pleasant and social little village OF Bel
Air. to which there was for years following an
annual summer exodus, and why to-day Talla:
hassee and the surrounding country is almost ex
exempt from malaria and Bel Air deserted and
gone, let him pause but moment and enjoy the
pure air, fresh from the Gulf, coming unob
structed over the tops of the pines loaded with
their heathful eXhalatiOns. Let him look at the
hills now denuded of their primeva forest of
sturdy oaks that once barred out the resinous al
mosphere and let him think of their telling and
years of decay, and the problem is solved.
1t was not until the acquisition OF Florida by
the United States that its territory was settled
by agricultural people, and il was then that rich
planters from all paris of The South focked in
and selected Middle Florida when the whole
public domain open to entry. Here they
built the State Capital, the now beautiful City of
Roses, proudly sitting on her hills, elevated in
The soft summer breezes of the Gulf, and yet this
lovely region has been in obscuriiy for nineteen
years and all its charms and attractions wasted
like sweet flowers all unknown grave, and
why? Simply because it has been switched off
from the regular line OF travel What over
sight it is that capitalists attention has not been
directed here in connecting Tallahassee by rail
way with Thomasville, Georgia. Such loa!
would exhibit to the Traveller the lnvclicsl lax
landscape scenery, and pass over the largc>, art
of fertile soil in the State and right through the
very heart of the early planters paradise, where
thrifty little villages would Immediately sIriu.
up, immigrants flock by the thousands and the
some return. | d" say honestly, with the expo
rience of one who has critically inspected the
country through which every road in the State
passes that this oversight is an annnyanccdo me.
And in making this declaration An appeal To the
Tax Collector will demonstrate the fact that |
am prompted by no personal interest, not own.
eclipse is passed and The country is coming out
in all its varied beauty. And if the people in
debed to one man more than any other for
bringing it TO the notice of strangers is to Capt