Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-01
DOWN IN FLORIDA.

North to the Flowery Land-Nev
 Haveners at Every TOWn-The First
 Greetipg-It Was From Harry Bison
 The Marks of the Frost and Ice
 Ravages-The Heavy Losses.
 A well known New Haven gentleman writes as follows from Florida, where he is soiourning few weeks or months for relaxa- ton. He gives many points of interest, es- pecially in these days when so many Con necticut people are bound Floridaward and so man, more intend to see the land of flow CTS at no distant day. He writes:
 We started from New York at $50 p. m. on Tuesday, January 19, and arrived at Sa- vannah at 10 p. m on Thursday, the 2lst, on the Ocean Steamship company's City ot Augusta, which is said to be $50 feet long, :, 1000 tons burthen. The hull and decks are of iron and divided into five water-tight compartments. The saloons are completely finished in highly polished hard woods and inlaid with mosaics and the floors are cover ed with Wilton carpets. The staterooms contain two berths each and are much more commodious than the accommodations fur nished in the finest foreign steamships. Each of the five steamers of this line can berth one hundred saloon passengers and provide them with all the comforts recently intro duced by shipbuilding inventors. The City of Augusta is commanded by Captain Nickerson, and everything was done that could be done, not only for the com fort, but for the pleasure of the passengers.
 MT. T. V. Cox is purser and MT. F. B. Roberts assistant purser, who by the way is related to prominent families in New Haven and Middletown.
 I could not help noticing the care Purser Cox exercised in arranging the pas sengers at table so that friends and acquaint- ances should be seated in a manner satisfac- tory to all.
 Jan 22d, had an early breakfast on the steamer and started by rail for Jacksonville. Reached Waycross at II a. m. and Jackson vile at p. m., where we found the ther- mometer toying about 760 in the shade. h passing up Bay street we were thus accosted: ''Well, what's up now," and turning round we met our old friend MT. Henry Bison, of the H. B. Bigelow Co.
 The marks of the frost are very visible here; many of the large succulent plants in the dooryards are completely wilted. The foliage of the orange trees along the streets is all dried up, the oranges hanging on them apparently not injured; but I understand that these are not the sweet variety and are hardier, which probably ac counts for the reason that sev eral dozen which had fallen on the side walk had been kicked under the fence into dooryaTd where at least @ bushel lay scat tered they fell, and seemingly good crop yet on the tree.
  fine stores here, and more particularly in the evening when the electric lights were aglow we heard the passing remark, "Why, that is equal to anything in Albany" On pricing Articles or different kinds we find them as cheap as they are in New Haven, but on looking over three papers I do not find house, store or room to rent.
 The soil here, where it is not solid, is just clean dirt; the drier it is the worse the travel, wheels sinking five or six inches as they pass, but as there is no hurry 1t comes round all right in tie end.
 Jacksonville is located on bend of the beautiful St. Johns. By the circuitous and picturesque windings of the river, it is twen- ty-fve miles from the ocean, although in a direct east line the Atlantic is but fifteen miles distant It is we'll laid out with spacious streets, bordered with stately oaks which with their drapery of moss, and when their foliage is not frosted, must present beautiful effect.
 The land upon which the city rests is main ly high and rolling, and the larger portion of the river front is also elevated ground. It has large commercial and mercantile trade which renders it one of the most important cities of the South. The St. Johns, whose winding channel runs for distance of nearly four hundred miles from the south, is being lined with what are said to be prosperous set dement's, which are springing into existence OA the commerce of this mighty stream centers at Jacksonville.
 The river fleet, great and small consists of about seventy steamers, varying in size from the small crafts which follow the shallow ways and tributaries to the palace steamers which make swift time between this oity and Palatka.
 A line of ocean steamers also runs regular ly between this City and Charleston, s. c. After the completion of the jetties at the mouth of the river, now in progress, it is said that line of New York steamers will land here direct. The river from the ocean to Jacksonville forms fine harbor, which is known as the port of St. Johns.
 Six railroads which now center in the city aid in conducting the immense freight and passenger traffic, and standing as it does, where the carrying trade of the ocean and river meet, it will always be likely to retain it's position as the commercial capital of Florida.
 Jacksonville, including it's suburbs, has a population of about 21 ,000. It has ten prin- cipal hotels, not mentioning about fifty smaller ones, and five hundred boarding houses, that it is said by actual count reg istered 60, ,000 persons last season. We un- dertook to find out how many ticket agents and real estate brokers are on Bay street, but gave it up.
 In summing up the result of the freeze, it is estimated there will be loss of 100000 boxes of oranges rendered unmarketable. The young nursery stock in the northern part of the State is badly damaged, but it will be by no means total loss.
 Tho crop of 1886 will be largely reduced on account of the injury to the fall growth, on which the bloom comes Pineapples, quavas and other tender tropical fruit are killed to the roots and will require year to recuperate.
 Early vegetables have been badly dam agod, but they can be replaced, the principal loss on them being the time and expense of planting and the extra price of an early mar ket.
 It is estimated that the whole damage to the fruit and farm interest of the State will not exceed S2, COG, ,000
 We have had cold rain storm for the last three days, but still the swallows are on the wing.