The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-03-26

nSHIn5 DOdIS, Will lHAuiA'ot1'DiN 0'''-''
ers, steamers, etc.
''ON TO RICHMOND,
all historic ground, and next morning
we slowly glide into the somewhat squa-
lid station, remaining but short time,
then we slowly head across the large
iron bridge which spans the celebrated
James River, navigable only to this point.
Standing out even yet grim and harsh
lookin, Libby prision is seen, under the
hill. while above stands the. old church
in which Patrick Henry made his cele-
brated speech, ending in the well-known
words: Give me liberty or give me
death" A caustic sarcasm on the scenes
perpetrated within gun-shot.
Richmond is an historical city, and
around it cling the memories of the old
ane hellum days when cotton was
king" and Virginia ruled the nation.
This is gone, and a quiet but still active
commercial spirit seems to pervade the
air, lately smoking with the fury Of bat
tie, struggling to the death. A latent
heat has been displaye during elections,
but all seem to have quietly and even
thankfully accepted the situation, thank
irg God that their Union is preserved.
The passengers now begin to thaw out
little and approach each other. One
desires to know my malady. .''Orange
fever, Ireply. Another proceeds give
ell ,.,~4,.,,o4;1r, 70, .,,1+1,ra
and the best place to buy land. When
quietly informed as to my experience,
my orange friends (0subside. Some very
nice singing is going on in the other end
of the car, which, by the way, is buffet
car, running through to jacksonville. A
lunch is served at any and all times du-
ring the day, consisting of cold tongue,
ham, sandwiches, sardines. cheese, crack
ers, etc.; nothing warm, except an excel
lent cup of hot coffee. This is a luxury
through parts of the south where the
eating stations are Indifferent. One of
the forward cars jumped the track, and
amidst feminine screams and half-sup-
pressed male eexclamations-bum jump!
bump and the train stopped. "Only
one car off and the engine"-fortunatel
near station and loop line. With a
new engine running back a few miles,
we took the loop line. and arrived at
Savannah junction about a. m.
MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA.
A glimpse out of the window showed a
decided change in the appearance Of the
country. Huge pine trees, sandy land
and wavy moss festooned gracefully
from the whispering pines gsstly swing
ing in the fresh morning air, as if an ap-
proval of the soft words-a glorious sun,
a sky without a cloud. At last we are
in the sunny south, the air as on beau
tiful spring morning on our own flower
decked prairies. On through the pine
woods, till the great rice fields are reach
ed, and for miles the train rushes along
at what seems frightful speed over very
delicate trestle, through an almost inter
minable swamp. The rice fields are low
lying swamps, which are damned and
overflowed at certain seasons of the year.
The mode of cultivation is singular. In
place of hoeing to kill weeds and grass,
water is let on till they are killed, then
| turned off, leaving a sediment whice en-
riches the land. Savannah is reached,
and the usual colored station loungers-
happy, careless, laughing, noisy and
ragged, no future, all the present. Ev-
! cry southern station produces its quota,
and they seem ali alike, one place typi
cal of another. \ very short stay, and
/ once more we head again southwark. To
summarize, from Savannah to Jackson
vile is one almost unbroken pine woods
and the principal industries are lumber
ing and "turpentine farming" The
lumber is chiefly yellow or fat pine, used
extensively for joists, studding, etc, in
the north. To obtain turpentine. the
tree is tapped much like maple tree,
and the juice is caught in buckets and
carried by attendants to the ''Still, .
where the spirit is extracted, the residue
being known as ''rosin." This part of
the journey is wearisome and uninterest-
ing. Late in the afternoon we sud jenly
emerge from a wild pine forest into the
midst of populous, busy city, crowded
with shipping, lying on the bosom of the
noblest river of the south, the St. Johns.
Jacksonville Change cars for Palatka
and the south
FLORIDA.
Jacksonville is to Florida what Win
nipeg if to the Northwest--the distribut-
ing centre. Here all supplies from the
north arrive by rail and water. Here
nearly all fruit, vegetables, etc, go to be
despatched to their destination north.
wards. The population is about 10000
The city government is like our OWL
one smaller scale, with this difference
They don't appear to have any credit
and consequently are in a continuous