The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-10-20
OUT THE NEW ROAD.
A Sunday Trip Over the j., I. Il X,
w. Extension.


w. Extension.
A NEWS reporter, by invitation, board
ed the special train that went ''to the
front" on the extension of the j. T. & X.
w. X. r. on Sunday morning bearing
Gen. G.. w. Bently and party, who went
over to note the progress of work on the
road. The track is now laid to about
three miles beyond Mason, and the track
layers are going ahead at the rate of
about one mile per day. The smooth,
even and rapid speed of the train was a
subject of general remark on the part of
those on board, and we doubt if there is
any new road in the country that can
show as smooth track.
Leaving Palatka, it was but a few
minutes before Pencil, or Thomas sta
ton, was reached, where there is pros
pect of a prosperous village. The engine
hardly gets under way before we feel
the pressure of the brakes as we glide on
the long approach to the Buffalo Bluff
bridge across the st Johns river. The
long curve supported - heavy =pIiir-
the I.umeI.se .Ia,e ar.Ise, some $50 feet
in length, supported by 30-foot square
pier, and SO nicely adjusted that it re-
quires only the strength of one man to
move it and give hundred foot passage
on either side for the river boats, shows
as nice engineering skill as can be found
in the South. Our friend Mr.. E. B. Car
ter, division engineer, should be proud
of his work on the long approaches to
the bridge, built so compact and stout
that the heavy engines glide over it as
smoothly as on the hardest road bed.
Buffalo Bluff is strip of land that pro-
jects out into the river, or rather tho
river flows around it so that boats can
land on either side, and the beautiful
home and grove of Capt. b. F. McGraw,
and the elegant new residence of Mr.. G.
l.. Harris made one of the prettieSt pic
lures seen on the trip. Just beyond here
is located the Oh tilinch grove, set back
of rich hammock covered with moss
laden oaks and magnificent magnolias,
that presented most beautiful scene.
Satsuma is n splendid location, the
highest point on the line SO far, being
eighty feet above the st Johns river, and
surrounded by many f1ourishing groves.
At Pomona, where the Jarvis and other
well known groves are located, we catch
glimpses of lovely lake BrOward off to
the lett, bordered by neat cottages and
green groves. Como will be the tele-
graph station south of Palatka, and with
its enterprising population, excellent To-
cation and clear water lake, its preten-
sions as an embryo city seem wei foun-
ded. Passing Huntingdon, which is to
be the Crescent City station, and where
Mr.. t. III. Braddock and Mrs. Hunting
ton, have fine groves, we soon ran up to
Mason. Seeing many evidences of thrift
here, we had to deprive tie eXcuI sionists
of our company, and while Trey proceed
ed to the end of the track we took look
around the camps of Col. Stewart, the
boss track layer, WAC ives in q very
comfortable home on wheels. We met
Mr.. w. G.. Bradock, the fornder and
merchut prince of that place, who kind
ly showed the many edvantl ges of his
surrounded by productive lands.
Seeing that engineer John L." Sui
ivan, the Hercules OF the j. T., & X W.
r, R., was presiding at the throttle, we
boarded the engine for the retu n trip in
order to get a better view of The country
through which the road passes, and to
say that we Were well paid for The fore
thought is about the best way to apo'-
ogize for ma inabi,ith to describe the
beautiful rolling lands. the many LIKES
nesrled here and there, the nice looking
groves, valuable hammock LANDS, neat
cottages and houses, and the general air
of prosperity noticeable on every Rand.
1t is beautiful county through which
the j. T., & X. w. F.. Il. posses, and we
doubt not IL viii soon develop into The
richest and most pTope"ous secloa 81
Fl@--ls.