The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-09-17
From Florida to New York.

From Florida To New 4 1FH
FEDERAL. POINT. Fla, Sep. 10, 1885.
.:G4tor PALATKA NEWS:
Your correspondent having made
wing trip to New York and New Hamp-
shire, a few dots in relation thereto may
be of interest to your many readers.
The Journey was made to New York
via the Charleston line of steamers,
your correspondent starting from this
point May 10 on the fine Steamer City of
Palatka-as that time was right in the
height of the vegetable shipping season
we thought it good opportunity to care
fully note the connections, and also the
manner in which the truck was handled.
At Fernandina the steamer took on sew
eral thousand crates of vegetables that
had come in from the interior of the
state by rail and landed right on the
steamers wharf, saving all re-handling
and carriage, and leaving it the work of
an hour or two to put on board the boat
an immense number Of packages without
jar or damage.
At Charleston the City of Palatka lam
ded at one side of the wharf, while the
New York ship lay at the opposite side,
SO that the New York freight had only
to be passed across the wharf while the
freight intended for points in the inte-
rior of South Carolina and other points
was simply put on cars that ran right
through the centre of the wharf and
hauled out of the city by horses, when
the steam engines could haul them to
their destination.
Upon the arrival of the steamer in
New York the freight was unloaded and
each consignees goods placed in a pile
by itself before the truckers Were allowed
t. commence hauling it away, thereby
saving much.cOnfusion and rough hand
ling. In fact the freight was handled as
carefully and eXpeditiously as possible.
The New York and Charleston steamers
are constructed with the especial design
for carrying perishable freight. Besides
ample means of ventilation of the upper
decks where all fruits and vegetables
are stored, the engines and boilers were
especially well ventilated by being en-
ciased from keel to top with iron parti
tio1Is that would carry the heated air di
rectly away through the ample openings
at the top. Such is the careful handling
and good management of this line that
your correspondent was assured by fruit
dealers in Boston that their Florida as
signments came to them by this line in
better condition than by any other. 1t
is the nature of Il ship at sea to roll and
pitch about, especially If the weather Is
stormy. which was the fact on our trip
to New York. this uuusual motion il
more or less unpleasant to landsmeI., and
presume sailors prefer calm weather to
foul, yet to passenger who is not
troubled with sea sickness, many funny
incidents will diver; his mind from the
monotony of the siIuT. sea life. One III
cident transpired on this voyage that
may be worthy of mention. Two pass
engers were loungng in the smoking
room one at each end of smooth wood
en- seat that run across the ship. They
were about half sick from the motion of
the ship and were leaning back in q neg
igent position, when OF Il sudden the
ship gave lurch to port and presto,
passenger No. 1 slid from starboard to
port in no time, bringing up in the arms
of No. 2 all in a heap. and before they
could recover, the ship rolled back to
starboard, and back to starboard both
luckless passengers rolled pell nell until
the kind partition saved them from a
journey to Davy Jones, but "alrs well
that ends WE'LL" and the voyage was
completed in good time and without
danger or damage.
We can not speak too highly of this
line of steamers whose management is
unsurpassed by any transportation line
in this country. The goods are carefully
handled, mistakes and losses promptly
rectified and paid. There are no vexa-
tious delays in getting errors attended
to, the management being on the ground
that the property they handle belongs to
others who place it in their hands in
/. trust, making them responsible for their
own mistakes.
We fully trust the fruit growers and
merchants of Florida will and do fully
appreciate this admirably conducted
line, and will give it the lions share of
patronage. @