The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-04-10
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Notes BY the Way - PeRefI0G ~ an
EmDoE1aa N Ri0F1dA.
6uAAEkLM HOUSE, ORLANDO. FLA,
March IS, 1884.
EDITORS NRWs:-I have just returned
from 6 horseback tour Of what IL called
the mountains If Florida, and was de-
lighted to receive one letter from home,
and that was dated February 10th. Z
had written repeatedly TO the postmaster
at Jacksonville and at last autographed
to him to forward my mall and this was
the first response. Have my friends in
Kansas forgotten me or Is the postal
department OF this state TO blame! At
least am inclined to Join in the hue
and cry against the postal department.
You probably wonder what the
mountains of Florida consist Of. Well,
briefly, they are not much to brsg OF.
Seven miles west of this is lake Opopks,
the second largest In the state, and i'm
mediately west of that lake the hills
(mountains) begin to rise to the west
and reach an altitude Of about I'VE hun
dred feet above the level of the ses. and
about one hundred and hftS feet above
the level of the system Of lakes in their
midst. Taken together, the hills and the
lakes, nothing more beautiful can be
imagined.
To the north IL lake Mineola, three
and half miles long by two and half
across; then south Of this IL lake Min
nehAha, four miles long by three across,
and still further south is lake Louisa, as
large Is both the others. They are the
finest and most beautiful lakes / have
ever seen.
But no one section Of the country can
have all the advantages, 30 these gems
are surrounded by comparatively poor
land. Still the land is settling up and
they are holding lake fronts at from fifty
to one hundred dollars per acre, but that
Is discounting the future to some ex-
tent.
To add to the beauty Of that country,
IN travelling over It we are scarcely ever
out of sight Of little lakes of from an
acre or two in extent to several hundred
acres. Aud as the grass Of the pine for
ests has been generally burned OF, they
are now beautiful green with good
many cattle grazing upon the new
growth Of grass. On this trip saw
herds of cattle that had been considera-
bly, improved; in fact, better cattle than
had expected to see in the state. And
while on that subject will say that
believe that the possibilities Of cattle
raising are better for q few years
than orange culture in this state, and II
anything would Induce me to stay here
, it would be that. II just had Ton
, Price to do the work and furnish the
capital would be willing to furnish thu
experience and divide the profits.
The weather has become intensely hot
The thermometer to-day registered 8.
:, degrees in the shade, and believe tina
is equal to about 110-degrees in Kansas
We have had several good showers re
. Gently, but the OrganGe trees do no
bloom as had been expected, and nov
= the owners of groves are beginning t
acknowledge that it may be owing to tn
= severity of the winter, aud 1 believe ths
to be the solution of the problem. 8
look out for a short crep of the golde
fruit next year. Vegetables are comm
:. in more plentitully now. We haYe ne'
= potatoes. tomatoes. peas, beans and
y can't remember what all, and, theI
Is Strawberries, but I do not consider th
d last flrst-class. I have been eating a
n the mulberries that wanted, but
Of not consider them equal TO the sam
Of berry OF the north.
le To sum up this state in few word
b MT. Editor, 1 have not seen snythin
IS that l consider equal TO q pig OF cattl
II ranch in Kansas; and if the people
n Kansas were willing to work as har
10 and live as frugallY they would becom
le I.rich quicker there thaH here, unless
IS might be through speculation, and thel
4 must be an end TO the land speculstin
a of this state before long, and every thiu
d brought down to an intrinsic valu
y based upon the capacity of the land an
e labor to produce reasonable lntrest Q
J. the capital invested.
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