The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-05-07
SAN MATEo, Fla, May 1.


from the Hudson river came to Florida
early in the winter, and have run be-
tween Jacksonville and Palatki, on
opposition lines until last week. They
have now gone North for their sum-
mer's work. They made daily trips
leaving Jacksonville at 10 o'clock a.
M, reaching Palatki at o'clock p. m.
returning Immediately. The regular
price of a round trip ticket was twenty
five cents, with cut to ten cents,
but not unfrequently tickets were
free. These with the regular boats
and the rail road running three trains
each day, making the run in two
hours, has made it lively on part of
the river. Above Palatki there
has not been such sharp competition,
but during the busy season between
thirty and forty boats passed here
every twenty four hours, all anxious
for business. There are also several
small steam boats and yachts owned
at Palatki, that cah be chartered for
excursions of any kind. One that will
accommodate from thirty to forty per.
sons can be had, equipped complete,
at from ten to fifteen dollars per day.
We joined two parties, each for a
days picnic and excursion on the
river; the first day was fifty cents
each, the other was only forty four
cents. On one of these excursions we
went through Deep River to Crescent
Lake, body OF water some IS miles
long, surrounded by beautiful coun-
try-stopped at Crescent City, and
while there went out into the country
two miles and called on Erving New
comb. He and his sister Winnie have
each nice young orange groves. He
has been caring for them in single
blessedness, but was told he was
about to marry lady at Crescent City
"a clergyman's daughter, beautiful
and accomplished.
As we pass along the river the
knowing ones of the company will
point out places of interest, such as
Indian mounds, resembling the back
end of an out door cellar, then high
bank where the rebels had line of
rifle pits-the holes still there. At
Jacksonville they point out the house
where Spinning lives, whose autograph
made the Green Back thing of
"beauty and joy forever" Farther
up the home of Mrs. H. B. Stowe is
seen on the distant shore. Again
house is pointed out as belonging to
Col. Grants brother-in.law, the motor
ious Dent, in his administrative by
and by. You are shown grove, said
to belong to Henry Ward Beecher.
The numerous shell banks were to me
objects Of great interest and curiosity.
These are banks Of small shells little
larger than snail shells, and in the
valley of the St. Johns as plenty as
gravel banks in Michigan and as use
full. In this part of Florida there is
not cobble, pebble or gravel stone,
unless imported, and these shells are
used for walks and roads.
There is bank of shells near us,
covering several acres, grown over
with large trees and underbrush, where
any one can get all they want for ten
cents load and keep their own tally.
For nice front walks the sand and
vegetable matter is screened out, and
the rain soon washes them out white
as china ware and when crushed and
packed by use are as hard and smooth
as cement. For common walks and
roads they are used precisely as our
gravel.
1t is wonderful how many clergy
men, college professors, ID. DIS. and
men of that class have come TO this
state, apparently to stay. Having
already become fixtures, no doubt
many of them have good reasons for
being here, but fear it is "Tars>
hish" to some. There are in this little
hamlet of less than score of res
licences, three Baptist ministers, be-
sides the pastor of the church and a
college professor, Ito say nothing OF
the other denominations and colored
people). They are wealthy, deeply
rooted in the earth, and am told
that this place is no exception. In
fact believe there is enough of this
class of people in the state to educate,
enlighten and Christianize the state
in very short time if they should go
to work uuitedly in systematic way.
They say that up south about one
hundred miles and little back from
the river fellow from York State has
whole ranch full of them and has
big "round up'' every winter. He
calls the land after his own name
DeLand.