, 1884-02-26
FLORIDA FACTS
For Which Strangers Arc Not Pre-
pared by Reading Florida
Literature


IPalatka Cor. New York Sun.l
At almost any bookstore in this state you
con buy a score of books, pamphlets, and
periodicals devoted exclusively to Florida
topics Some Of them contain a good deal Of
information Yet, having read all Of them,
the northerner In Florida is continually com
ing upon facts that are new and surprising
to him You may be surprised:
To observe that a region which was dis
covered nearly 400 years ago, and Is said to
be SO inviting TO man, has found 50 few to
accept the invitation
To find Notwithstanding all you have read
concerning Florida wintsrsl the january sun
so warm at midday.
To find lin view OF all you have readl 50
few wild or cultivated blossoms thriving in
tho suns rays, and SO little fragrance in them.
To lind so fow birds, barring hawks and
other birds Of prey, warmed into a voiceful
mood by the sem~i-tropical sun-to Hnd so few
birds OF any description.
That the duration of twilight Il so brief.
To find how little covering you require on
your bed upon retiring, and to hnd how
much covering you wish you had when you
wake up toward morning.
To see, upon going out doors, that the
ground is not covered with frost, and that
the flowers Gsuch as they arel are not killed.
To note how little soil there Is, and how
Hy SfJ 49, NNAo ehoAo ~ acCNS II
sand
To see orange trees, with rich green leaves
and loaded with yellow fruit, growing out of
the gray sand.
To come across gardens In which plants
and vegetables are growing in great variety
and luxuriantly in this same sand
To observe that so few persons nave these
fourishing gardens, and to be told tina not
many can afford to buy the quantity OF fer
tlizer this luxury calls for.
To find tho sidewalks shaded by orange
trees weighted down by tempting golden
fruit
To discover that this golden fruit Is wild
oranges, and very sour.
To be told that strangers should be careful
about drinking much OF the water at first.
To learn bow little self-denial tho observ-
ance Of this caution calls for.
To see how yellow most OF the native and
acclimated residents are.
To discover, before long, that you are turn
ing yellow yourself.
To note how few persons there are who are
past 10 years Of age.
To see so many idle negro men, TO observe
that nearly all of them wear heavy wooden
caps, and to learn that their heads are still
cold.
To bo told by so many of them that they
were ~bo'n in de norf."
That the negro laborers on the docks can't
work without making such a bedlam.
That they can do any other work while
making it.
To discover that your water-tight top boots
leak sand, and to DO told that e~verybodyis
boots and shoes contain moro or less sand.
To be forced to the conclusion that wherever
there Is sand there are red ants also.
To hear the voice OF the nocturnal musquito
n midwinter,
To wait in vain for i'm to settle down and
bite, so that you can get a whack ut him, and
to be told in the morning that mosquitoes
naven't enough energy In winter to do much
biting.
To find yourself wondering whether they,
too, are yellow and biliouS
To be assured by aplain and candid appear
Ing white man that the mosquitoes were 70
thick here last summer that they not only
darkened the air at high noon, but put out
the lamps which were lighted In the stores.
To find that there are bigger and less harm
less liars than no in nearly every nsighbor-
hood
To have to fight so many flies in the houses
In the winter.
To be told that flies do not come into the
houses In the summer.
To reflect thnt you permitted yourself to
DO surprised at this information, when it
would have been so much more reasonable to
assume that your informant lied.
To come face to face in the sandy wilder
meas with q pack Of gnunt, bony, shaggy
beasts OF almost every color and resembling
nothing you have ever seen before.
To be informed afterward that they were
Mr.. Julius Lemons shoats.
To be assured that Mr.. Lemon and his
family contemplate eating them ultimately.