Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-21
NAY DOWN SOUTH.

A Trip from Sanford to Tampa-By Rail
Through the Land of Oranges and Lake
Fronts-A Few Notes of a Short Ex-
cursiOn.
QUICK RAILROAD BUILDING.
The writer was one Of party who last
week made quick but pleasant trip over the
south Florida Railroad from Sanford, on the
st. Johns, to Tampa, on the Gulf. The
country through which this well-equipped
narrow gauge road passes was formerly
known as a portion OF the poetic Land OF
FiOwers,' but it has been recently re-
christened, and Is now called by its en-
thusiastic admirers paradise" The original
South Florida Railroad was built by two very
prosperous newspaper gentlemen, Messrs.
Pulsifer and Haskell, of that great New Eng
land daily, the Boston Herdkd. Last year the
managers Of the Plant Investment Company
conceived the happy idea Of securing control
of this road and extending it to Tampa, thus
solving the problem Of rapid ran cOmmunica-
ton and freight facilities with the lower Gulf
coast of Florida. The necessary arrangements
between the owners Of the road and the Plant
syndicate were contaminated IN June OF last
year, and the same month Col. II. =. Haines,
General Manager and Chief Engineer of the
Plant system. went over the line OF the pro-
posed extension from Tampa to Kissimmee
City, the then western terminus of the rail-
road. The route was immediately laid out.
Materials. from q key OF spikes 90 a twenty
five ton locomotive, were sent round the capes
navvies put to work on both ends
of tle road. The rapidity Of the work was
unparalleled IN the history Of railroad build
ing in the South: IN seven months and nine
DAYS from the day that the Chief Engineer
went through the country with his prospect
Ing party the entire extension OF seyenty-lye
miles was finished and trains running through
on schedule time. The total length Of the road
is Us miles. 1t was a wonderful piece Of
work through a wonderful country.
The road was Dpenedin January just passed
Several Of those who are interested in the
Plant Investment Company, however, not
having visited its new possessions, an i'm
promptu excursion party was arranged to
meet al Sanford last week.
THE ExcURsIoNIsTs.
Your correspondent was the last to arrive
at sanford. He found the 'innOcents abroad"
patiently waiting the arrival Of the morning
boat from Jacksonville. As soon as the
steamer "City Of jacksonville had landed
her large crowd Of orange growers and pleas
ure see 6ers the regular tram moved OF and
was soon followed by the Especial for Tampa, -
consisting Of the neat and comfortable private
car OF President Ingraham, Of the South
Florida Railroad, and handsome passenger
coach pulled by the "BOgie" locomotive
ii. ;. Haines. The party consisted Of ii. b.
Plant H. ). Haines. ". ;. Chisholm
r. NJ. Pulsifer, OF Boston; b. +. Newcomer, of
Baltimore: Harry alters, u Baltimore:
samuel O. Plant. of BranfOrd, Conn. NJ. }.
O'Bren, d. j. Jack, J. H Estill, J. Z. Ingra-
ham, VIM. Allan, ID. IL. Elliott.
! had often heard Of the Florida boom. but
never fully realized its true extent until this
visit to Florida Sanford. the initial point of
Of the south Florida, ls0n the western side Of
Lake Monroe.
Before leaving Sanford it will not be out of
place to say a word about this thriving town.
1t was founded ia 1872 and is one of the best
looking places in Florida, 1t has four hotels.
two newspapers, a half dozen churches and
many elegant private residences. Much could
be said about this place, but in a country where
all the new settlements have such healthy
and thrifty ! WOUIl ne IuVIii4Us
TO praise one town and not another. just here
/ will say that if any of those whom met think
1 have not given their respective towns the
need Of praise each deserves, it Is because
could ill up several columns with nothing but
good words. 1t Is not eXaggeratiOn TO say
that thousands Of columns of type have been
set up IA the printing offices OF this land-I
mean the WaOie of 1t. North, South, East and
West-abOut Florida. These descriptions.
however, have been for the most part devoted
to other portions Of the State than that
through which my trip EXTENDED. south
OF the line Of the South Florida Railroad
lies nearly one half of the State, while TO the
north Of it for fifty miles is still sparsely set
tied. This is the land that the Spaniards,
more than three centuries ago, had described
to them by the Indians; q land which, &ht
does not contain the tabled springs, whose
waters restore the aged to youth and give to
all eternal life, and has not mines Of gold, has
lakes and hills which give health to the inya-
lid and q new lease of life to those who are
sinking under the rigors of other climates.
and its land brings forth fruit which Is as
gold TO the producer.
1t is not my intention to write a letter for
the purpose, to use that explosive and eX
presslye mOnO5yllable, OF booming this cOun-
try. IL is on boom now, and nothing that
can be written can turn the tide Of immigra-
ton from il. 1T IS a country where people are
investing their money-n0t ia land, but in
lake fronts and climate" with orange groves
and hiilsIdcs thrown in.
THROUGH ORANGE GROVES.
However, we have left Sanford and are speed
ing through the country on our way south
ward and westward. The country is some
what Hat, the soil is light and sandy, the
growth small pines. There IS good deal of
the saw palmetto to be seen. Such land is not
as valuable as the pine barren. as it is eXpen-
siyc to get out the large roots Of the palmetto.
An occasional lake is to be seen and large
groves OF orange trees loom up in every direC-
tiOn. There are but few colOred people to be
seen, the labor all being done by white people.
Towns of varying sizes dot the line of road.
general appearance neat and tasty.
They resemble New England villages IN spring
time. There Is an elasticity in the step Of the
inhabitants that DetOkeE an energetic people
and a good climate. II may be said that they
are people from cold climate. who have not
yet lost The energy born of a country, where
people have to scrabble hard" for a living.
This may be true to certain extent but if the
climate were enerYating a single summer
would change the normal condition Of the in
habitants. While many of the settlers are
the people going to Florida are from the
Southern States, and that one seventh of the
population Is from Georgia. / was
told that there were more stop
ping places on this railroad than any other
in the Union, but as ours was a special
train we only stopped for wood or water, or
at eligible unimproyed lake fronts, some Of
the parties having an eye to future homes,
not ''ln cottage by the sea-" but on the sand
hills by the water.
There are number of lumber mills along
flta
formed that they could not supply the local
demand for their products The timber how
ever, is small and the growth not very heavy,
There will be.llttle if anyumber exported
from this region.
The first place of any considerable note is
Winter Park. The railroad passes through
the centre Of this embryo city. and the site is
prolific in lakes. one of which, Lake Maitland,
covers 500 acres. Nearly every inhabitant
can have a lake-front. If judiciOus adver-
Using and a really beautiful location can Sc
cureit-and do not see why they should not
Winter Park is destined in the near future TO
have several thousand citizens.
Orlando is the largest city on the line Of
road, having population OF about 100. 1t
is y miles south of Sanford, and is not only
favOTite resort for the tourists. who have their
choice Of three good hotels and many board
ing houses but Is the seat of a large trade in
oranges. vegetables. fruits, lumber, ice and
of, and its buildings, both public and private,
are q credit TO any city. There Is an Ice fac
tory In this town. amt also one at Winter
Park and another al Minnehaha. Ice is sold
here at IS cents per hundred, and as it is said
to cost only 81 a ton TO manufacture it, these
investments pay well.
KIssIMNEF CIsY.
From Sanford to this point is a continuation
OF orange groves. The distance Is twenty-five
miles, and within an area of three miles Of the
railroad there are over 100000 cg orange
trees. After leaving Orlando the line Of the
road Is not so thlckly settled and when we
orr a. IL faa 1pfn q G
in new country. Our party took dinner at
the Tropical Hotel-a large hosiery built in
modern style, with turrets and s;eeples. IL
Is handsome house, and its inside arrange
ments and ITS arrangements for the inside Of
hungry tourists, were fullyup to our eXpecta-
tions. Lake Tohopekallga Is directly in front
of the hotel, and from the wide piazzas there
Is water view somewhat like that TO be
seen on the sea shore. This is one Of the lakes
which is being improved by the
Disston Company. Most water i'm
provements contemplate increasing the
depth of rivers and harbors, but this improve
ment is to decrease the depth CT space of water.
and thus reclaim the land for agricultural
purposes. large Mississippi steamer, the
Bertha Lee, was mOOred abreast the railroad
depot. She had come from the Gulf through
the CalOosahatchie river and the Okeechobee
canal to Okeechobee lake. thence up the kis-
slmmee river TO the lake OF that name. Here
another canal connects with Lake TohOpeka-
liga, Ii was something wonderful to see such
a steamer in the heart of the State.
PRESIDENT PLANT.
The improvement company are busily at
work. a dredge has just begun digg ng a
navigable canal into East T9hopekaliga Lake,
where the Earl OF Huntingdon has recently
made large purchases of land. 1t was in this
neighb0rhood that President Arthur did his
fishing last spring. President Plant stated
that the President, a short time since, speak
ing about his visit, said he had the
finest fishing IN Florida that he
ever had in his life, Speaking
of Mr.. Plant reminds us that he Is becoming the
best known man IN the Southeast. do not