Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-03-27

| COMMUNICATED
SENECA, Fla, March %, 1885. In
order 10 answer the many questions
asked me by my friends and acquaint.
ances in your city, beg leave to ask
space In your most valuable paper fol-
the same, ~ 1t would be almost impos.
sible to answer each letter I have re-
ceived-and each individual question
asked-and In order to do all justice, /
must commence ut tbs very Offset OF
my trip.
Well, on Thursday, the 18th Of Feb.
iusry last. at 3 O'Clock, p. M, the wri
ter steamed out Of New York city from
pier 35. North river. for Savannah,
Ga, BY the Atlantic Steamship Compa
ny. We soon lost sight Of Coney IL.
Hatteras. We had stiff breeze from
the north, and made unprecedented
good time as We struck the mouth Of
the Savannah river at sunset Saturday,
Just fifty hours. Anchor being cast
here, we waited four hours for high
water, and at ten O'Clock we steamed
up to the city Of Savannah. All through,
passengers remained on boats until
morning. We then had about 2 hours
TO view the city Of the old slave State,
with Its maDsions-and its huts--the
| che slave quarters still standing, and
1 still occupied by the colored people,
and apparently unchanged from that of
quarter of century ago. At o a. m,
We started by the 8. r. & w. X. II. for
Jacksonville, Fla, . distance Of 1902
niles, through the poorest looking coua-
try the writer ever saw--nOtbing but
pine timuor (of o suall size), and
scrub oak. Hereaud there log shan
ty, with a chimney made Of mud (if
any) and the best Of them not as good
as Northern farmers smokehouse. At
two O'Clock p. m, we arrived in Jack.
sonyille, thriving little oily near the
mouth Of and on the st. Johns river.
We here dined and spent about three
hours in looking around, and at five
O'Clock we took the train for the Oldest
city In America, St. Augustine. Here
We remained for . couple OF days view
ing the sights and scenes of modern
antiquity, the old Spanish forts and
towers, etc. Thence oy railroad to a
small but old place. called Tacoi, about
twenty miles west of St Augustine,
and on the st. Johns river, crossed
over on The east side Of the st. Johns
and took train for Palatka, q thriving
city, situated on the east side OF the
river, sevensy-five miles south Of Jack
sonville. From here We took steamer
for Enterprise, two hundred and five
miles, stopping by the way at George
town, Bluffton, DeLand, Beresford
Sandford, and many other places, ti
find every place thron2ed with tourists
We then came back down the St John.
TO Astor, small place one hundred and
thirty four miles south Of Jacksonville
L h1v hu AL To nd
our present stopping place. Now, Messrs
Editors, this is q great country while
the people of your city are harvesting
your ice crops, we here Ia Florida, Con
iy about twelve hundred miles south
are seeking the shade of Palmett,
tree, or swinging In o hammock, o.
picking straw berries, and plucking an,
eating the golden fruit from the orang
grove, with the thermometer up in th
eighties.
We are stopping with some friend
here from Lancaster, Pa, who have ,
portable steam saw mill at work here
and have purchased quite quantity o
land and are working in anticipation
OF building up town here, to be know
BY the name of CoHestoga, named afte
the beautiful stream that flows through
their city in the Keystone State. Th
timb ber here is mostly yellow pine an,
very straight In growth.
We have some Hammock land here
In which nearly every description o
wood grows. Q muck being formed b.
decomposed vegetation TO the depth o
some thirty feet. The soil elsewhere |
composed prime 'pally of sand and viii
grow almost anything that Is planted
but is better adapted to oranges and veg
nj AA. kus .lao~ HSvxA
when first drawn or pumped, an,
Ice water when left standing few hour
In the shade. The water from the Arte
SLAMS wells is still warmer than tn
surface water. The most beautiful
{ birds of all kinds of colors abound heI
Well may Florida be called the hom
Of the mocking bird. We have plent
of game also, the most hunted after bs
. ing the deer and elk, turkey, pheasan
B | and quail. This section ef the countr
Is called the Lake region, and ha
scores of beautiful lakes, ranging i
, diameter from six hundred yards to 81
miles some of them are as round as
3 coin and full Of fine fish, bass and trout
) and must not forget to tell you this
the alligator is not In numbers fe,
either; the writer has had the pleasur
: of despatching couple Of them q
, ready. And now, Messrs. Editors, l
answer to all my anxious inquiries.
3 would say, If you want to get rid {
Q cold winters and make money too
eI providing you are willing 70 work
a come to Florida. You can do we'll her
@ If you have few hundred dollars {
: start with, but that every man need
a here, or his start will be slow, like 1t
, any where else. Yours respectfully,
@. w. BRUCE.
IL Seneca, Orange County, Fla.