Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-02
THE LAND OF FLOWERS.
Great Tide Of North ern People Flown
Into Florida.


Times writes from st. Augustine TO his
papers as follows:
startling as the transformation of
Florida IN many other sections of the
State, mere in the Oldest city Of the con-
tinent that lay dormant for nearly three
centuries, the march of improvement as
popular winter resort is obviously taking
the lead. Two years ago 1t was deemed
doubtful enterprise to build the san
Marco house, capable of giving tirst-class
entertainment TO three or four hundred
guests. but it is now about to be Obscur-
cd by the Ponce de Leon, 10 cost a million
dollars for the structure alone, with pro-
badly halt as much more to furnish and
beauty, and it Is not doubted that its
thousand guests VIII be ready for II as
soon as 1t can be opened next season.
There are full score of large hotels in
the State which equal or surpass the best
class of summer resort hotels in the North
in all the essential qualities OF comfort,
and the smaller hotels and boarding
houses of various grades which are
sought by inValids in search of quiet and
rest and by visitors OF moderate means
are reckoned by the hundreds. Not only
in Jacksonville and st. Augustine are the
hotels Of the very best class in all re-
spects, but elegant hotels abound at Pa
latka, sanford, Enterprise, Winter Gar
den, Orlando, kissl mmec and many other
places on the st. johns river and on the
new lines OF railroad. The hotels through
out Florida within range of Northern
visitors are vastly better than the hotels
of the prominent inland clues of Pennsy-
vania or New York or New England, and
IN the chief centres they rival the more
pretentlOus hotels of Philadelphia and
New York IN the excellence OF their table
and the comfort OF their rooms. But even
these hotels, which were deemed eXtrava-
giant ventures only few years ago, Will
now be eclipsed by the Ponce de Leon of
st. Augustine, which Will be comparable
only with the hotel palaces of the Pacific
coast in colossal proportions, grandeur
and completeness in all appointments;
and what snail now be done IN ST. Angus
tine will be speedily initiated, only on a
lesser scale of expenditure, in the locali-
ties which are rapidly developing as per
manent centres of Northern visitors. |
hazard little IN saying that the present
generation will see scores Of hotels in
Florida tar Outstripping the most popular
and costly Waterlng-pl2ces OF the North
alike IN number aud elegance. IhCre IS
only Que Florida in North America. 1t
was until lately far distant from the North
but now swift express trains with almost
every comfort OF home, and rapid coast
steamers from every Northern CONNER
cial port, have brought the "Land of
Flowers" within easy reach OF pleasure
seekers and inValids; and the prospect OF
profitable investments has turned
steadily growing tide of all classes OF
money -getters to Florida, from the con-
servatige capitalist 10 the headOng
SPECTATOR. These lessons of the future
OF the state are clearly visible to the in
telligent observer even in the seVerest
winter desolation that Florida has known
for halt a century, and each year viii
yndicate the view | present with sur
prising and substantial certainty.
THE HEALTHFULNEss OF FLORIDA.
While the tide OF invalds from the
North TO the softer winter climate of Flor
ida is rapidly multiplying, there IS a
popular apprehension tuaL miasma pre-
walls in the State and that malarial levers
are likely to greet the settler in many
sections. 1t is the natural assumption
of those who are not fully informed on
the subject, that new country abound
ing in lakes, lagOOns ana other bodies Of
water overlooking their channels or
without apparent channels OF outlet, must
breed malaria; but in point Of tact, as
proved alike by reason and well tested
experience, there is less malaria in Flor
ida than in Pennsylvania; much less than
in the new Western states or in the other
coast States OF the South. FOur-tifths of
the State is peninsula across which
sweeps the healthy breezes from Gulf to
Ocean, and there are no mountains to
impede their progress. The highest alti-
tude does not exceed 500 feet above tide
and no part of Florida, except the eX-
IRENE Northern line, is ever free from
the flavor of the sea- This fact considered
in connection with the general absence
Of stagnant waters, dispels The theory Of
malarial atmosphere. Instead OF the
stagnant and putrid waters OF the North
and West, Florida has countless subteT-
ranean currents of the fresh waters from
the Appalachian range, which furnish
flowing wells of pure water By driving
down through soft earth from three to five
hundred feet, and drain most Of the lake
regions OF the state. Jacksonville has an
ample supply NJ water from several flow
Jag wells just on the edge Of the city, none
OF which Is 400 feet IN depth. OF course
there is malaria IN Florida II the visitor
Is foolish enough TO hunt for it. There
are marshes here as elsewhere; the rapid
flow Of immigration and the sudden Cul-
tivatiOn of hundreds OF thousands Of
acres; the false economy that accepts
surface water for drinking when whole
some water can be obtained anywhere
much cheaper from wells than in PEN
nSYlNaulds ana tue luuoleuft ludb iuflJtS
the disorders Of the Florida lime stone
water.in sections where,that soil prevails,
must produce light feyers here as they
would produce gravcr disease in the
North but there is no new state in which
sickness is less common than IL is in Flor
ida, and there is no other State in which
the diseases peculiar 10 the region can be
80 easily and so efectuallY guarded
against. One OF the most prolific sources
of III health among settlers from the cold
er climate Of the North is the unwilling
ness TO learn that the strong diet neces-
sary there is not only not needed here, but
is the source Of many physical disorders.
The Pennsylvania mOuntaineer can thrive
on his pork ,sau sage and buckwneat cakes
swimming in grease, but when he seeks
the climate OF Florida, be must obey the
law Of nature That adapts the growth Of
the climate 10 the needs and comfort Of
the husbandman. Surgeon Gen. LaWtOn
Justly declared that FLORIDA possesses a
much more agreeable and sdlubriOus eli
mate than any other state or Territory i'm
tue Union" and he answered the ques-
ton OF the alleged malarial nature Of the
atmosphere by official statistics, show Ing
that while in the Middle division Of the
United States the deaths from remittent
fever is one In thirty-siX; in the Northern
division one In ffty-twO; IN the Southern
division onein fiity-four; in Texas one in
seventy-eight, and Ia California one 70
one hundred and fOrty-eght; In Florida
10 Is only o in two hundred and eighty