The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-12-10
NEW SERIES. VOL. xxI.-NO-s 3

i heavily timbered hammock " land 50 called
distinguish il from lands growing only pines
| On our way towards the coast TO the south
westward, we followed the trend Of this ham
mock csmntry, and / was very much struc
with the evidences Of the productivencss Of III
| farms as we passed along. The country ID quit
thickiy settled, and almost entirely BY whit
farmers. None oi these seem 10 be planters
ut extensiv areas, with negro tenants or labor
| ers, as 10 so generally the case in Leon county
bat all Of them are most comfortably of, pos
| sess'ng small, but conveniently constructed
homes with well fenced farms of from SO to 30
| acres Their chief crops aie corn, sugar cam
| sweet potatoes and cotton. Beef and bacon thel
raise In abundance.
Missing our way, we failed TO reach bei0r'
| dark which comes in few minutes alter sun
set in these Iaiitudcs our point Of destination os
the Coast. to which our supply and outfit wagou
had bec6 dispatched directly from Tallahassee
the day before. But with y matter of eouses
freedom that spoke volumes for the established
hospitality OF the country and its people, my
companions pulled rein at the 1rst house, and
In we walked unceremoni0usly upon tho good
people thereof We found them at supper IA
tie Kitchen. quite Yaukee-liks, thought. So faf
from seeming upset, or at all onvenient by
our untimely arrival, we were greeted witt
most undoubied cordiality. Donigrow incre,l.
uious when assure you that ate heartily al
the excellent supper. II was Just four hours
am getting teeO. feel 1t in my stomach as
well as in my bones. l am awfnlly proud Of il,
and take a sort of pride in showing folks what
can do in that way, and when 6roi5d muL6f is
temptingly placed within reach of man, unless
he be paralized he is apt to catch on
After supper, when | was about to light q
cigar, our host brought out large hank of leaf
tobacco, and with a skill that astonished me,
rolled cigars for the party. and then indeed
learned what real Florida raised, from Cuba
seed tobacco" is like. l am very sure have
never smoked so thoroughly good tobacco be-
fore. Mr. R kindly gave me several pounds
of the precious weed, and have been trying to
persuade myself to divide with you perhaps
will feel more generous about Christmas time
While We sat and smoked / was enabled to
gather much information of q very interesting
character from Mr.. r., touching the people OF
Wakuila, their lands, crops, cattle and general
manner OF living, and in very many respects the
county strikes me as one OF the most attractive
III the State. The lands are not of the clayey
Character OF the Leon hills and the coloring
matter, oxide OF iron, is entirely wanting. Sand
very decidedly predOminates in the surface soil,
put over much the greater portion of The county,
am assured there exists IA strong clayey sub
soil near the surface The people are certainly
very comfortably of, and their lands. without
any ierilizng whatever, are of sufficiently good
quality to support population.
Sugar cane, Sea Island cotton, and Cuba to-
oacco, shree exceptionally valuable crops, seem
peculiarly suited to the soil of Wakulla. Their
culture IS likely to become very much extended
anu VIII make OF the section a rich and pros
porous one. Transportation is needed but that
Will come in time. Perhaps more than In any
other Dart of the State, are the people of Wa
Kuiia county addicted to following The water"
as tney express ii that is TO say, they combine
prohtaoiy the operations os the farm with por-
tion OF their time devoted to catching both fish
and sponge for The market
without III the least interfering with their du-
'ies ON Inc land, majority OF the farmers near
the coast are interested either in some sein yard
or gili net, where during October and Nuvem-
Der thousands OF mullet are taken and sold to
ready buyers from Georgia, or else he NAV be
owner OF small sponging schooner, or perhaps
only one OF the crew, who will spend a month
or TWO 10 su MINER on the sponge reefs, few
miles OF shore. Either of these enterprises or
dinariy result in the making ofseveral hundred
dollars outside of the farm profits. Another in
dustry contributing very much to the resources
Oh Inc people, is that of logging" or selling
their timber 10 the immense saw mills stu u.seI
On 81 james Island, at mouth of Crooked river.
3 sSlnaslpg g hauling az and rafting Of these mill
The growth OF fruit trees especially peaches,
hgs, persimmons and pears, seem exec t'tioualy
line, and am surprised that the cheap lands of
excellent quality, along the Tallahassee and St.
tAo A' Asaii" oy aIo uos eagerly SouSHt altcr lOE
his purpose.
felt very much the gamer for my evening
spent under the hospitabe roof four Wakulla
friend, and intend to see more of the county
and its people.
Next day we reached the coast and camped
IN the neighborhoOd of a number G.. immense
springs of fresh water. These great hydranis
are OF remarkable sZe-often 100 feet acruss
and sometimes 90 TO 30 feet deep Out of their
capacious mouths the crystal waters Utterly
boil with q turbulence | never remember to have
seen before. Several OF these fresh water foun-
tains occur out in the salt water of the gulf
Standing on the shore could discern their sew
eral locations under the tide waters, by the bub-
bling upheaval of their flow.
l shall not pretend 10 describe the occurrences
Of the next few days. My companions departed
every morning in small boats in pursuit of ducks
and geese, thousands Of which were flying or
feeding in all directions My skill as a hunter
being, as you know, of rather modest proper
tions, and discerning that proficiency in that
particular was largely standard by which a
fellow is sized up" by the people here, l
rather avoided giving an exhibition of my de-
and affected the more digniied pur-
suit with rod and reel OF the splendid fishes. For
two days my time was about equally divided
between catching magnificent specimens OF sea
bass, sheepshead, sea trout, and blue fish, de-
vouring their savOry flesh and smoking my
friend Rs Cuba leaf
For TWO nights slept on the ground in the
open air, and am back again IN cozy quarters
here, much improved by my outing.
In compliance with your request, l will as
certain what Can OF the county schools, and
speak somewhat OF them in another letter.