The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-01-07

TArxAuxnu1, Nov -, iseS.
Rsccnfly p1cked . - he sd1s0r's sahas b
fhs FxoarpGXx eGlcs = coy Il nywsys ssd
Birdsotes," . dosea 90 moss pasasant,y told
scraps of vat sseing and ,otiag admsda the curl
Gus and hssnsiIal IN asiura
Into the box Of tsrns, mossn and wood-gsth-
eriass which an preparing tsr our girls Christ
mas decorations, have pat . copy Of this iifsae
book, together with smother BY The same author,
the Tallahassee Girl"
In nuticipsiiou Of their coming visit here, the
girls viii fad this little book pleasing. The
characters are, fancy, purely imaginary, In NO
way suggested By actual psrsonagss, yet assist
in happily outlining very much OF the social
form of things, q cleveriy caught glimpse OF
now fast fading al adow of . social substance
that once waa Born Of conditions that have per-
ishcd forever from among human iaterminglings
in these lands, there are in the South and viii
hnger for q generation yet, shsdewy elects
and Influences Of the once established order OF
things
Few epochs in the history Of any people have
been attended with more marked differentiation
than the twenty years last past have brought 70
the experience Of this Southern land wherein
soever political institutions and influences may
have altered, financial relations have rearranged
themselves, or industrial purposes assumed new
directions the real change not of them Such Tea
lures, whether of one sort or another, are the
mere incidents !" accidental in their prsduction
and mutable in their continuance" OF party
evovngs or platform supremAcleA The rcpOtg-
ton has been of other than these: m overturn-
ing of the social foundations upon which the
civil illnesses have rested The change has come,
not 10 this or that person, or even class alone,
but TO all alike in their respective spheres. The
uniitness Of the freed negro 10 assume the new
relations devolved upon him by the change 10
scarcely less marked than the hopeless embarrass-
ment experienced by 30 many OF his former mas
tiers in coping with and mastering the altered
conditions of their fortunes
Few but they who have been the actors know,
Will ever learn, of the severe selfdenia. hero
icly prHcticed in the declining years OF 50 many
under these Southern skies
The telling Of il all il yet 70 be written, and
written by the children's children Of these sad
actors q recolloc4ions Of their grand danes and
sires, too sacred yet TO bear the light Mr..
Thompson has made Q readable little volume OF
his imaginings of some Of aciuating forces of the
inner lives Of these people. The real merit OF
the book however, lies in some Of its very pretty
writing, wherein the poet author, his soul artuned
to the sweet hafmoDies OF nature tells Of the out
of-door witchery of this region and describes the
salient beauties OF the country.
send q collection OF local stereoscopic views,
abominable lot of trash, but such a / could OBJ
tain How unaccountable il is that in > region
filed with picturesque groupings with scarcely
q rod Of roadway that does not offer gfimpses OF
something unique and beautiful, the dint-eyed,
tin-tempered picture-man will lavish all his
key carts and grinning persons OF color" l
suppose real artists scorn the mechanical proper
ties of the camera and its colorless picturing,
but why should if be relegsted 10 the soulless
tramp, whose province it seems TO supply rs with
scenes" Here has been maker and vendor OF
views and out of two dozen or more of his pic
lures find on sale, but two are of out-of-town
views, and these dead wastes of water and far
horizon.
Gaining the good graces of the jauitor of the
State house. l was permitted recently TO ascend
to the roof Of the building and from that COM
manding position look abroad over surroundings,
than which l remember never TO have seen any
more attractive Elsewhere than In Florida l
will venture TO say the potency OF that view
would be turned to account. A cupola or obser
vsiory would be constructed there 80 that stran-
gers might be able TO catch and carry away with
them the impress of the scene but il is quite At
the risk of ones life now to accomplish it. There
is also in the sleepy old town another towering
superstructure the lofty cupola of the courthouse,
but ii is left inaccessible, and the disappointed
visitor can only wonder at the want of fore
sight in its thoughtless designer. Accustomed
as am 10 the wide awakefulness of people else
where in America to turn to profitable account
every natural advantage of their surrounding
and keep to the fore everything calculated 70
favorably present their town or neighborhood to
the consideration OF settlers and capital, am
quite puzzled to account for the apathy that
<-fs
respect an absolute want OF common intelli
gence seems sometimes apparent in the neglected
or abused opportunities TO make attractive their
town and surroundings The care of beautiful
natural grounds and parks, a. well q roadways
and streets are delegated TO negro contractors
and laborers of most Misunderstanding minds,
whose sense of engineering skill seem confined
to assisting the rainfall and flow to do rs much
washing and outlying - possible From sheer
neglect, or inappreciati01 0f beauties and attrAc
tons that no money vAiue could be determined
for, in other places magnificent magnolia trees
from 20 to 100 feet high, and which in their pris-
tine glory have matured hundreds of grRndl-
fora have been ruthlt ssy beted' and killed
for the sake perhaps of . half dozen -messes"
OF roasting ears grown on the lot Superb old
oaks that line the Streets are having their roots
exposed BY washing, and their tops deadened by
parasitic mistletoe- Cattle that browse over the
garden fences, and foul the side walks, roam the
streets, and . certain slip shod, sel6shness that
knows naught Of -spirifedness, makes it
self conspicuous to strangers eyes.
In the face OF these fncta however we are
made TO recognize another that there Is slowed
away here a latent enterprise and progressive
energy that rebuilds in few months the Leon
Hotel, and promptly subecribes towards estab
fishing costly line Of Tallyhoes to Georgia, and
is now agitating q scheme TO supply water works
to the town.
In plain English, the people of Middle Florida
have a solid foundation under them in the pro
ductive agricultural lands and industries that
has enabled them to subsist as prosperous self
supporting people, and they have not been driven
as per necessity in most other portions of the
Stale to suhsist on fish in summer and Yankees
in winter" which am told by Northern men
whs have been there il the recognized orthodox
spirit of thingsin the peninsula When. rs fear
must he the case ere long, q full money value
comes to be Set on the Yankee visitor and his be-
longings in these parts n decided change will
occur. The browsing village COW will be rele
gated 10 suburban pastures green. Obsequiou>
enr1h will shovel itself into holes and unevenesses
courting the tread OF lounging tourists. Paint,
whtewash and bird lime will smear itself hither
and thither, beaming with dazzling nerness on
each pssser by.
Pacific sea beans and celluloid alligator's teeth
from Yankee land will range themselves as
Florida Curiosilies" 10 shop windows where
OF late many hued bandanas hung.
The soft, persuasive tones of the gentle land
man will be borne upon the breeze, the demon
of American genius, boom will be upon as, and
the dominion OF this beautiful realm will fall IN
d.r rsf iry1po al