The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-16

this particular, without costing him near 30
much as il did myself to find it out.
From here to
ST. AUGUSTINE
is hut thirty-fve miles, through barren.
fanoy region, inierspersed With sms1
pines and scrub plantations. This $50.
ton Is very poor, and many years will
elope before IL is settled up. Speaking of
poor land and barren SOL reminds me of q
short trip across country made by myself
N company with several gentlemen, not
long since. We ell occupied the same car
rlsge, anS had gone probably fifteen or
twenty niles without passing house or
seeing human being-ncthing bat sand
and pine trees we're in view. At i4st We
came UnoD little pine log house OF one
room; a little old man, bait dried up, sat
sn oklDg his plpe on the shady side OF the
but Colonel Me-, one OF our party. sd
dressed HIM about as follows: well oil
men, yeu live here ell clone, see. You're
eCod CEtance from any neighbors, too. |
should iu6ge. Why, we've been riding here
for three or four hours, haven't seen SOU
but you, and the most miserable country l
ever saw, nothing but sand and pines
and" stop, stop" said the old
man, shaking bis fist, Ia which was clutched
his dirty Old pipe, ct the Colonel
II may live here ali alone and have to live
most Of the time on gophers and sweet ia
teTs but, oy gawd. sab, Judge, II you mean
10 insiDewate that | own any OF this ID
foTsakIn lend that you fellers have been
comm ever oil mornin', then, sir, I AN
ready to lick the whole crowd of ye. M
sir, may be tOlerabiy mean, bat L amt
mean enough 70 own any such gopher bot
toms as these" Il took the Colonel some
tine TO tone tins old msn down. bat W.
finally left him in 9 good humOr. This will
give ' Gu al idea OF the quality OF the soil
and the kind OF land they nave IN some sec
tons OF the South.
-. Augustine is the Oldest town IN the
United States. It's narrow strests give il the
appearance Of a Spanish town centuries old.
1t las about 1000 inhabitants, and
toRe very fine buildings, including
four very large ard cOmmodioas hotels.
The Mammoth HOTEL Just being completed,
will contain 400 rooms. IL IS five stories
high, has front of 500 feet, ard two ellis Of
800 feet each. Ii ia monsfer building. and
when furnished VIII cost $1,000. 600. This is
one Of the g'andest sightseeing oitiss IL the
United States The old Catholic Cathedral,
in which the first religious services ever
held IN America, is still here and IN very
good repair. Fort Marion, built more tnan
two centuries sgO, Is in good shape and is 8
great object II interest 10 the visitor. The
Spanish Z Onument and the Confederate
monument are both 81 Isndid specimens OF
workmanship They stand near the center
OF the Publ Plaza, and out q Short distslo-
from the Old slave market hall, where negroes
we're sCld before the war. No one going
70 Florida should fail to visit Sc. AuEustme
as here is where be will see more 20 interest
him and TO TemeO Der than any other CITY OF
the South. From here i is onlg forty miles
20
P,LATKA,
beauiifUl little city OF pear 5000 iuh3bi-
iants. The people are thrifty, wide-s Fake
and enterprising 1t is seventy-ire miles
south Of Jacksonville on the west bank Of
the st. johns River, and is The largest and
nest important place ore sees going south
after leaving Jacksonville. The streets are
shated By Wild orange trees, Of this tiAe
loaded with their rich, e len fruit and Civ
ing beautiful appearance TO the pl ace.
From here yCu Gao 90 by sn Ocklswaha
steamer to lver Springs, the head Of thst
nvsr This spring is one of the
greatest wonders of the State.
lis waters ere from sixty to ninety
feat deep and 50 transparent that the glisten-
ing sand on the bottom looks as il Dat few
inches above the surface. Taking small
best aud going ont upon the spring, great
well can be seem from fifteen - twenty
feet In diameter, 70 which 10 bottom has
ever besn found. Fish OF sewers varieties
scne of them weighing probably tea on
twelve pounds, can be seen in almost every
part OF tie spripg, owing 70 the olearness of
the water. Small stssmhoets run ND the
river 10 this point, turn around in the spring
and return to Pslatks.
A few words about the
SOIL OF FLORIDA
ray not be amies. There is no rood soil ia
Florida. Not an acre that is suitable for
Jsising grain or such produces as are raised
ia IL Ciana. Ii IS al eaBd mere iight sHpd
sIa deIk sal d, white sand and biack sand.
NIeltvtr yen 90 you go tramping IN Sand
iiCn ihJee 10 Ten riches dsep. Pine trees
q . izes, from shiu 20 large monsters,
abound everv where.
This soil Is just The thing, however, for the
raising OF tropical fruits. Every known
fruit Tsised N any warm climate can be
seen CROWNS here The orange, lemon, cit
ron, bsn6ns, coooanut gUava. shaddock,
p neaVpIe, pomegraDaie, pesr pinto, peach,
hgs, line end the graIe fruit a crOss 0e-
tween he lemon snd the OTange), all grow
here in abundance. an orange grove will
b gin TO yield fruit when properly fertil
iztd aud WORKED IN four or Eve years, and
in double that time the possessor Of q good
grove Of LOCO trees has bonanza.
GAINESVILLE.
This is quite an ID town, and is il q very
fer ls section q the State. IC has EoDUl4-
ten OF about 8, COO, and possesses some very
fine busiFess snd residence Duidiugs.
Tao IbilrOa6s pass through II, aud re.
Gently i has improved very much
and has become quite resort
for Ncrtnern visitors Orange culture is
carried on here very extensively, and IS
result the people have plenty of money and
g. prosperous. Near here is NeYnan's Lake
n great fishing Tesor., where thousands of
bsss trout and other fine fish are readily
caught l will write you more extensively
about this place in the future. | may also
hsve son ethiDg more to say about raising
ora, ges il you think it would interest your
IesdeTs. B S. SUTTON.
Milking the Cows.