The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-04-01
From Pulaski to Florida.
for tha l.IrlzEN.

: According TO promise l will Civ
] you brief description of my tri
Pulaski to Ocula. We left Pulaski
AZ III O'Clock on night of the l5tl
and reached Ocula this morning a
3 o'clock, after being On the rOaC
TWO days and three nights. cal
say that l was highly pleased
with my frat sight of Florida afte
passing though the swamps o
south Alabama. Although Ih,
country is very poor from Pensaco-
Ia Junction to Pensacola, hardly
anything 10 be seen bnt pine
trees, yet it is quite picturesque
The only way / could see for a man
TO make q living IS out of these
pine trees in lumber and rOsin. In
fact one "busch" on the train told
me that IL was about the only re-
source the people had. We had
the most delightful run through
these woods To Pensacola, the
bracIng gulf breeze being quite re
freshing, after long, sleepless
night. Although there are saw
mills every few miles, land stacks and
piles Of pine lumber, it seems TO me
that there Is enough pine timber in
South Alabama and Florida TO sup
ply the world for all time to come.
We reached Pensacola at 5 O'Clock
and after resting a while, went
down to the wharf to see the ba,
and ships. 1t was q sight to be
had. Ships from England. Nova
Scotia and the coast of Maine; the
Maine ships bringing ice, and all re-
turning loaded with pine lumber
and rOsin. Pensacola Is a city of
more importance than l amagined.
1t has great many beautiful and
fine buildings, both residences
and business houses. Some OF
wood, some OF brick and Others
of compressed sand, as hard as
rock. Next morning, the 10th at 5
U'c.ock We took the p. IL A. road
and ran ten or twelve miles along
the gulf coast, going over a trestle
across the Pensacola bay. The
sand along the shore resembles |
snow. The country all along the |
northern portion OF Florida is pref |
~ much the same as that between |
the junction and Pensacola. 1t is
isterspersed with swamps, ponds,
lakes and rivers, and the greater
portion looks to be good for Meth
ing. There are few good spots
along the line. cannot forbear
making special men ton of DeFuni-
Ack Lake. We stopped here 20
minutes for breakfast and my wife
and l went down to the lake. III
had seen it described, and it filed |
the description to the letter. In
agine q body of water a mile in
circumference, sloping gently all
around and almost circular in form,
with dark sand, sprinkled white,
and this sand extending to the wa
ter edge, with = good many freshly
painted new houses, and other in
process Of construction, and you
have Lake DeFuniack in fact, and
not in fancy. To say it is lovely
does not fully express the meaning.
The soil around this lake is better
than any / have yet seen. A good
deal OF the country along here is
rather billy; especially is this so at
1t resssembles old
Giles. Although it is interpreted
with pine fat woods, swamps, lakes
and STREAMS of various kinds, the
land is perceptibly Improving. All
along here farms are more frequent
and some of them are very large
We passed one extensive stock
farm with some Jersey cattle on it.
asked a gentleman il he thought
there were q thousand acres in the
cleared tract. He said he thought
there were. / asked his Judgment
On this matter, because 1 thought
Tennesseans might be little in
Along here cotton is
raised and there are great many
pats sown and now in various
stages of growth; good stands aDd
looking finely. These sights are
10 be seen between Lake Defuniack
and the country adjacent to Tala-
hassee. After leaving Tallahassee
the country is about as described
above, emily perhaps there are larg-
er ponds and more swamps. Be
tween River Junction and Baldwin
We saw the first orange trees and
'eme grape arhors. There are scat
Tered all along the rail roads nearly
sll kinds of houses from the old
tumble down cabin in the swamp to
he fine mansion on the hill. II
don't think / would like to live at
put few places that l have yet seen.
We lay over at Baldwin from Z
o'clock until $50. Then we starr
or Ocula, the place of our destina- ;
ion. 1t is 50 miles south from
on the r. q N. road. Al
,hough Baldwin is rail road cross-l
ng it is q shabby place, with few {
stores, one bar room, one lunch
'tand, two depots, one hotel, some {
esidences, one tent, and one stock !
pen for loading cattle. This is the
econd stock pen ! have seen in
Saw two cotton gins, and
III along the route, some times At
ong intervals, sheep, hogs and cat
lie. Sheep are large and fine, hogs
ire veritable "pine rooters" and the
;attle are serubby. They can't be
otherwise because there is but very
title made here to feed them on. i
hink north Florida is entitled to
he origin Of the tri.e saying "root
log or die" for that is the only
way he can make his living here.
leaving Baldwin we go to Ocula,
Ehich place we reach at 3 o'clock.
We 60 to the Alfred House, pay 81
or sleeping 3 hours, and 1 start :
'ut to find a private house; after
around for an hour, GO
NO to five or six houses l finally
ucceed in getting a very nice place
'here they have good grub for the
Insignificant sum Of $l2 per week
or myself, wife and child.
H. w. SMITH.