The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-11-26

Many of the Sketches of Life and Scenery in
South Florida, by DR.. A. P. Canova which have
from time 10 time appeared in the Southern Sun,
together with much additional matter, have just
been issued in book form. This entertaining
and useful little volume has been enlivened with
facetous anecdotes and vivid illustrations of
life and scenery in the extreme southern end OF
the Florida peninsula, the everglades, and the
Indian River country. 1t goes back to the days
of the early settlement of that entire region and
bears strong odOr OF the war paint OF the Sem
mole. We bespeak for the book hearty well
come, and shall let it tell its own tale.
Mr. Canova was fortunate in securing the SER
vices of Mr. L. D. Perkins, rising young jour
nalist, in the task of recording tn ese reminis-
cences, as they are given entirely from memory,
Mr.. Canova having preserved no memoranda at
the time. The assistance thus rendered was in
valuable and will conduce largely 70 make the
book what it will bean eminent success.
The demand for the first edition is very large,
and 1t is probable that another will be rendered
necessary. The price has been fixed at the low
figure OF fifty cents only, which will make ii go
OF like hot cakes.
Apply to A P. Canova, by letter or otherw ise,
at Pslatka Fla.
Hon. Robt W. Davis, kindly presented the
author with the following introduction to the
work:
Most of the sketches contained in this collec-
ton were contributed by Mr.. Andrew p Canova,
the author, to the Southern Sun, of Palatka. and
attracted very general and favorable attention.
While never intended by Mr. Canova for other
than weekly newspaper articles, the suggestion
OF their permanent preservation in some collected
form was 80 often made TO him that he finally
consented to give them to the public in this little
volume 1t graphically deals with phase of
life in Florida which will nowhere else be found.
DeBry and Barcia and Fernandez and Sprague
have written at different times of different
epochs, and in several different languages de-
scriptive sketches and suaiches ct our history,
while MIR. Fairbanks, in his excellent book, has
taken us along with entertainment and instruc-
ton from those early days which knew Juan
Ponce de Leon and MenendeZ to the times of
Worth and Gaines and Clinch.
But il is left to Mr.. CaDova to pen-paint the
scenes and incidents of soldier lite and adventure
during the Indian War and to describe those
hardships which the soldier experienced in mo-
rass and tangled scrub, or those pleasures he
joyed in bvOuac and camp. Hunting advent
ures, too, and Indian fe-thOse fascinating reali-
ties which cover themselves with halo OF ro-
mance-the early life OF the "settler" when the
bear and panther rOamed the wilds OF then
sparsely inhabited State. These features are all
touched with an unpretentious but smoothly
gliding pen, and make enchanting reading tor
Flordians to-day-tO-day when immigration
from North and South and East and West has
filled or is rapidly filing our waste places-when
the palatial steamboat plies the waters where
once quietly glided the canoe, and when the
scream of the locomotive is borne upon the
balmy Southern air where once the warwhoop
of the red man resounded.
Very respectfully,
ROBT. W. DAVIS.
PALATKA, FLA, Oct 20, 1885.
The work was issued from the Southern Sun
Publishing CompGng's establishment in less than
four weeks from the date of the contract.