Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1885-04-10
hic Correspondent.
GLINPSEs OF FLORIDA.
ALroxA. FIoR1pA, April Bal. s!


larly noticeable till we passed into
southeastern Georgia, where the
peach trees were in full bloom and the
atmosphere spring like and balmy.
From thence forward the transition
was rapid from early spring TO md
summer-like warmth, and wealth Of
foliage.
The scenery changed also and took |
on strange and tropical look. The
broad leaved, ragged-looking palmetto, |
the towering pine with here and there !
an orange grove with its intense and
glistening green, accented still more
by an occasional row of banana plants.
were all strange TO our unaecuStomed
northern eyes.
THE ST. JOHN RIVER
is a wonderful stream, and for many
miles south OF Jacksonville, the gate
way OF eastern Florida, is almost like
an inland sea, on which huge ocean
vessels can sail, or steam with either
shore only dlmly outlined in the misty
distance. One constantly wonders
where all the waters come from, for it
has current which flows northward
till it turns suddenly and empties INTO
the sea at Fernandlna, twenty miles
northeast of Jacksonville. About a
hundred miles south of its mouth, it
suddenly widens into Lake George.
which spreads out a veritable fresh
water sea with the farther shore below
the horizon. Through this the huge
steamer plows her trackless way and
again enters the river proper. greatly
reduced in volume but slillwi;e and
deep enough for the largest boats.
1t was near midnight when we
landed at Astor, a few miles above
Lake George and placed our tired feet
at last fairly on the soil of Florida.
Here at Astor starts narrow gague
road the st. J. 6 L E. r. R., which
passes through the wonderful lake re-
glon of Central Florida. About twenty
miles southwest Of AStor and midway
between that point and Leesburg is
situated the place from which this let
ter Is written It IS well named the
Lake egion' for N every direction
Lakes are found ranging from few
acres IN extent to handsome
sheets of soft clear water miles
, in extent. "Malaria!' l think l
hear the reaGer exclaIm. Not a bit of
, 1t. They are surrounded by a high
pine region, he trees, where the trees
are not cleared away, towering like
columns hundred feet or more, the
land gently undulating in every direc-
ton sloping down with clean solid
sandy beaches to the waters edge. No
swampy bogs or nirey places. and the
waters of the lakes are clear as crystal.
and abound IN fish. Old settlers tell
; me they gather no scum, neither dc
they rise or tall with the rain OF
drouths. One peculiarly l have al
ready noticed is that little lakes even
within a stones throw of each other
may not have the same level, often
varying several feet.
|, THE POPULATION
: is more dense than | expected. doubt
n if a more cosmopolitan population
it could be found anywhere in the west
The man from Massachusetts and south
Carolina, haYe met here as ne1ghbor:
II and friends. New York and Georgia
Ohio and Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana
d Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colora
- - da, Arkansas and many other state
= have their representatives, and they al
IS harp" in harmony on the one absorb
d ing theme, the climate and the ''orang
Is grove" As yet most of the grove
Of are young, and have not come int
to beallng, but have eaten oranges from
IN trees not five years set out and say
s. trees not four years from the nurser
d :, on which the blossoms are thick an
~ ~ Young oranges growing.
al THE SOIL.
is A stranger passing through on tn
h. rail might commit the error of suppo:
ID ing that there Is nothing but san
l. here. Let him delve little in it an
It. blackened hands will indicate that
lg contains something very much lik
i dirt. To-day | saw corn knee hlg
u and looking thrifty and green that ha
- - never been fertillzed. Idug mce IRIS
~ potatoes and picked ripe tomatoes fror
al vines that have borne all winter. Cal
re bage of the finest quality are shippe
a daily to the northern markets, and on
it nan from three quarters of an acre {
strawberries has already shipped near
ly thousand quarts and has a 81
weeks or TWO months season yet befor
is him. They have netted him, I am tol
1Ee E 40 cents quart. Sweet potatoes al
10 so plentiful and cheap that they al
-, sold few miles out at twenty-fy
~ cents her bushel. There are few fin
IL full bearing groves of oranges hei
but the Shipping season is about owe
OF will tell more about them in