Morning journal and courier., 1885-07-22

during the season to get New York meats; but the big hotels are now closed and the lateness of the season makes it an unwar- rantable expense to import beef. I well re- member the first piece of native steak that got hold of. sawed off piece about the size to fit my mouth comfortably and deposi- ted it in the latter eapacious organ. Then began to chew. I had not estimated in ad- vance the elastic quality of that meat, and at once furnished with 8 forcible illus tration on the subject. The piece of steak bounded from my mouth like 8 rubber ball and struck the moulding of a door on the opposite side of the room, narrowly escaping the forehead of minister of the gospel who appeared to be meditating over the ethical development of the Pentateuch, or something of that sort I now count my host before yenturing in an engagement of that nature. It is marvel to me that some enterprising landlord here doesn't invent sort of frame work which can be hung over table, with two rows of attachments on opposite sides provided for the jaws of boarders, that Florida beef could be masticated by machin- cry. It is so much trouble to keep your hand over your mouth while you eat.
 The other day I was on train which ran over and frightfully mangled calf that was saunterihg down the track slightly in ad- vance of the engine. A sweet peace imme- diately diffused itself throughout my being, for fredected that there was one less calf to grow 1nGO lOT1Oa peer ana TdCk the law of the unsuspecting tourist.
 Speaking of Florida railroads, there are some very good ones. The sand is at f. -c yielding, so that roadbeds require good deal of attention, but on the other hand the country is so level that railroad almost builds itself. Without having any desire to wound the feelings of any land agent, and without having any interest of my own to conserve, l am in duty bound to state that have most confidence in the future of South Florida This central part of the peninsula, which constitutes the southern half of the inhabited territory in the State, is full of vigorous, promising villages that had no ex- istenee two or three years ago, and is being developed very rapidly by means of new railways. I doubt if there is State in the Union which contains more projected rail- ways than Florida to-day. considerable number of these railroads are lnaterializing, moreover. In the first place I should state that this part of the State is developed prin- cipally by two railway systems, the South Florida and the Florida Southern. Both of these railroads are built on the narrow gauge fhree feet), and both of them gre su- perbly built and equipped. The failure ot flarrow gauging has been in the past (aside from the inconvenience of changing trucks the slatternly character of the roads which have been built by way of experiment. Not even the Denver and Rio Grande is superior in build and equipment to these Florida nar row gauges. The Florida Southern and the South Florida are intimately related and seem to have common relation to the Plant system. The former starts from Palatka and has lines as follows: Palatka to Gainesville near Gainesville to Leesburg, Leesburg to Astor on the St. Johns river, and branch from near Leesburg to Eustis Ca most prom. ising young city), Tavares and Lane Park The company have also finished line south from Leesburg to Pemberton through a valu- able country, but this line is not operated yet, inasmuch as the South Florida branch from Lakewood to Pemberton is not quite completed. When the connection is made this will constitute 8 short, all-rail route from Palatka to Tampa, for the lines must naturally operate in harmony.
 The South Florida runs from Sanford to Tampa, with branches to Barlow and Lake Jessup.
 Of course there are great many lines pro- jected to the Indian river country one from Sanford to Eustis and the lake region; one from Orlando to the same points, and two through lines to Charlotte Harbor-one to run as far south as Fort Meyers (a prominent town on the Caloosahatchie, where Edison, the electretian, has winter home) and Punta Rossa. Work is progressing rapidly on the line from this city to Palatka, via the east bank of the river, and it is believed that Pullman sleepers will run into this city from Jacksonville sometime next season.
 The one respect in which most of these roads appear to be behind the times is il the matter of brakes. I travelled on one road on which it would only be fair to say that the brskemen commenced to apply the old-fash- toned brakes for station very soon after the train left the last previous depot.
 was really overwhelmed with surprise at the prosperity of the country along the lines of these two roads. Sawmills were almost as numerous as the mileposts along the line of the Florida Southern, and yet the mar gins of many of the lovely lakes smoked with the embers of elegant logs that had been burned in effecting clearings! I have seldom found travelling less tedious than along the lines of these roads, where z pine-locked lake quivers in the sifted sun shine on either side of the track nearly all the time. You don't lack for coo.ine drinks and fruits eon the way, for small boys enter the cars at many of the stations and sing out: "Grape fruit; two for { nickel. Sweet oranges, three for dime Milk, five cents a glass" And perhaps some bad arithmetician may add, as I heard | one do, 'Two glasses for a nickelr' Yor must be lively with your change though | for the average small boy streaks it througi the car at rapid rate in order not to ge 1 left. EMILE.