The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-04-10

\ single week is a short time in
winch to look over a State with as
many imperfectly understood features
as there are in Florida. | don't pre-
tend to have done anything approach
ing justice to the subject but | have
traversed the ST. Johns from this city
to Sanford, a distance of nearly two
hundred miles have travelled between
the same points by rail have jour
neyed southwark by rail from Sanford
fifty miles TO klssmmee, and spent a
day on the lakes and reclaimed lands
which skirt them have seen the At
lantic coast at venerable St. Augustine
and the Northern part of the State
from lack sonville through Tallahassee
to Pensacola, and have noted and
studied with care the features of eli
mate and product which chiefly in
terest the surplus capital and industry
OF the North. With the exception of
one day given to a journey in the
Northern part Of the State from the
Eastern sea to the Western gulf, that
is simply the Southern fringe Of Georgia,
| have devoted my time to observa-
ton and inquiry in regard to the newer
and more Southern region that is now,
and must long continue to be, the cen
trail attraction for Northern investors
and settlers. The early settlers from
the North naturally located on the TO-
mantle banks of the St. Johns, as
there was no transportation Southwark
except that furnished by the great river
that is law unto itself in flowing its
waters toward the North Star. On its
romantic banks are beautiful winter
homes, with orange groves, early vtge-
tation, profusion of heartsome shrub
berry and fragrant flowers but the win
ter frosts are expected annually with
more or less severity and the growth of
oranges and early vegetables is an in
cident rather than a purpose. Tie
banks of the great river and its success
SION of fresh lakes are spangled with
towns which are supported mainly by
winter soiourners, and settlers have
logically followed the embryo cities.
The largest and best cultivated orange
groves of the State are close to the St.
ohm 's-from one to two hundred
miles South of Jack sonville, and they
are sources of immense profit even
with the peril of frequent frosts. Had
the country for nearly two hundred
miles farther South, from Sanford, the
Chief Southern point of business on the
river, to Lake Okeechobee, been opened
by rail and boat ten years ago as it is
now, the great orange groves would be
there and practically safe from the
ravages of winter, as they are on the
Indian river. 1t is to this new part of
Florida just opened to settlement by
the railroad from Sanford Southwest to
the Gulf at Tampa and also to Char
lotte Harbor, and by water through the
Disston drainage system, traversing the
interior lands, to the mouth of the
Caloosahatchee, that the attention of
investors and settlers must now be di-
rected. BY these improvements mil
hons of acres of the best lards in the
best climate Of the State lave been
made inviting to settlers, as they pre-
sent all the advantages of the earlier
settled Northern section, with more
productive soil and as nearly tropical
climate as can be found in any part of
the continent that is inhabitable. |
have observed this section hastily and
studied 1t imperfectly of course but
sufficiently to reach correct general