The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-09-16
Letter from Florida Nearly Sixty
Years Ago.

The subjoined letter, with the explain
tory note preceding it, comes to us from
Buckingham Courthouse, Va. The letter,
yellow with time, is addressed "Mr. Ar
thur Moseley, buckingham County, Mays
vile, Virginia." and bears postmark
Tallahassee, Fla, Sept. "a, 1925" Post
age, "25 cents" Old residents probably
know the neighborhood entirely settled
by Virginians " to which provisions had
to be hauled Is miles (from Tallahassee
presumably and where a country so fer
tile and healthy pleased the immigrant
from the Old Dominion even as immi-
grants to Leon county are pleased unto
this day:
BUCKINGHAM COURT HOUSE, VA,
AUGUST 23rd, 1885.
Eiittors F7oridian Thinking you and your peo-
pie would like to see what man from this
county thought of your State In 1928, enclose
letter written to my grandfather in 1923.
Isaac mentioned in the letter. suppose was
a negro he carried out to sell. You can read,
and if you think proper to publish the letter,
you can do so. Please return it, as keep all
such old documents as curiosities. Sam Jones
was rich merchant of this village.
Yours respectfully,
A. r. MosELEY
SEPTEMBER 21si, 1928.
Mr. Arthur Moseley.' SIR: l have now the
convenience Of writing to you. Isaac died on
the 10Th day of June last He was helpless for
olNo.,A fxun fho Hn uac 1aol fNf
trouble and expense to me in coming out, and
necessarily expensive after getting here. Our
provisions were very dear and scarce. We had
10 haul everything we ate Is miles; corn fiOm
$1.50 to $1.75 per bushel, bacon 1871 TO IA cents
per pound, and everything in proportion. We
were entirely in the woods and were compelled
to furnish him with separate house in cOnse-
quence of his extreme ilness-and sometimes
entirely derangcd, of course We had him to guard
| hope you will not think the following
charges high l design charging only for the
money he has actually cost me and not for my
trouble:
Hauling him and board while coming $50
months and IS days board, and plank
TO make coffin 90
Total s4e
Plank is hard to come at here.
am yet very much pleased with Florida.
think it one of the most pleasant countries
in the world. Myself and family have
never enjoyed such health since / have
had one, and it is not only pleasant and
healthy, but l can assure ) on have never made
half such a crop according to my opportunity.
am now housing corn and am convinced
shall not house less than 100 barrels, or q sup
port for two years. My pumpkins, peas and
potatoes are numerous. This has been an ex-
cellent crop year; sugar cane is very fine, and
am convinced will do well here shall cult
vate cane next year, and make it my principal
crop, as am convinced it is very profitable bust
ness. 1t is worth here from $4,000 10 $500 90
per acre, and is easily cultivated as corn. Our
neghborhood is entirely settled by VIrginians,
with the exception of one or two families. Our
society is inferior to none in old Virginia. The
country is rolling, as we would have it, good
water and plenty of it. We have excellent
health generally throughout our settlement.
hope you will not fail TO write me Immediately
and let me have the news of the neighberho0d,
the health of the country, how your crops are,
and how they sell.
l have nothing more at this time to write
you. Hoping this may find you and family en-,
joying good health, with practical resolutions to
prepare for a better world is my prayer until
death.
remain your most appreciative and dutIful
friend, SAM A. SPENCER
N. b. Corn is now selling here at 30 cents per
bushel. You will be pleased to pay the above
account to Saml. JONES' and Oblige yours.