The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-04-29
NORWALk AND MT. ROYAL.
4 FEM POINTS AS GATHERED
WHILE ON \ TRIP THERE.

Its a Fine Country and is Sure to
Develop Rapidly. A Railroad
is what il Needs. Personal
Points and Matters.
Prom The NEWS Correspondent.
FORT GATES, April "a. lsss
The stranger is impressed with the high and
rolling lands at Norwalk and i'm that vicinity.
The PEOPLE are enterprsing. and their homes
bear marks OF prosperity and thrift. The
houses are as a rule well built. Many have
beautiful sites for their homes and orns NEIL
tation has been to some extent INDUCED in by
the citizens. The home Of Mr.. s. II. Pollock
Is novel, comfortable and convenient. II has
its barn and its busy work shop, and surroun-
ding the whole is weil-kept orange grove
which has reached the bearing state. In MIR.
Pollock,s yard are about ~ wind mills. vary
ing from the smallest imaginable 10 those of
several feet i'm diameter, and of as many diff
ferent constructions Is mills. all moving with
elOck-like regularity. There are several other
attractive homes. Nr NJ. X. Rean's does not
lack attractions nor desirability, and the
homes of Mr.. Walter Thomas, Col. X. NJ. BARD.
Mr.. A. p. Taft. Mr.. Chaos aud other, wear the
appearance Of comfort and utility. The home
of Mr.. II. s. Cove, located upon promine mt
knoll, which is beautined with many cultiva-
ted flowers and tropical plants and surround
ell by a splendid Dung orange grove. deserves
specially mention. II is here the winter visi.
tor takes up his abode.
In business poin, Norwalk can not he con-
sldered as place ~ very much prominence
the settlement Is comparatively new but the
two go eral stores, owned by Postmaster Nor
gan and Mr.. Walter Thomas respectively, sup
ply the wants Of the people. Mr. Allen viii
iiams also carries II stock Of goods. about a
mile or SO out from Norwalk proper.
The orange interest here is by no means II
small one. No large groves are located here.
hut nearly every resident has a small grove,
to which he de,ot,s his time and careful ut
tention. Strawberries have also received no
inconsiderablc attention ut the hands Of tho
people here. At Col. llard's AMI Mr.. Coulter's
particularly extra fine qualities Of berries are
being raised. The market for the fruit has
been good this season. AMI the growers who
have cultivated the better varieties have been
fairly remunerated.
Two churches Methodist and Baptist are
located here. At the latter Rev. Mr.. Stanton.
Of san Matco, who 10 said to I've very able as
well rs avery popular divine. breaches every
other Sunday. Norwalk Is not without its
town hail and school building. the latter. IT is
% De regretted. Is in bad repair ut present.
The town hall ne eds to BE- painted. and " i'll he
1T IN early date. nsthe money for the purpose
is llcJrD, on hand.
The laili oad fever has struck this town with
about the same force that 1t has Kerr City,
ami several routes are discussed. with ,arious
termin Il points, but "via Norwalk" the cnthu-
siast never fOrgets to cmbOdy in his speech.
II l. not probable that Norwalk or Kerr City
will have II road yet awhile. but it must come.
tine of the favoritc II utes discussed IL from
Pomona or Lake Como. On the Ja,t ts0nville,
Tampa and Key West road. To run west ward,
striking the It. Johns about opposite here at
II. Gates, thence to Norwalk and Kerr City,
and on west ward. But Palatka is alwa! kept
Ia view. and another phn is to start there, run
up the west .iie of the 81. Johns. cross Ockla.
wah, river tbout River Side, and on south.
Either route would develop II most excellent
section of high pine country where malaria IL
us much stranger us editors and news spapcr
canvas rs are supposed to he In the land Of the
angels. But for the present lay aside the
subject.
Colina is Il now pc ,t-otlice some seven miles
west of Norwalk and about six in u northcrly
direction from Kerr city. II is another insti.
tuition that will fill II long felt want, giving
bo nf m tni,rhbnrbnnI t.r ~ nil
facilities. It is coed settlement and is going
to further Improve.
Between Collna ana Norwalk lies the great
Etonah scrub. which Is several mil, $ wide at
places aud quite II number in length. II is
covered with Il low, scrubby growth of oaks
ana vines. and occasionally u clump ofspruce
pine and scrub palmetto. with now and then
Il 'sator pond to relieve the monotony. 4
travelled gentleman tells me that this section
bears strong resemblance to the Australian
scrub. Guess he Is correct. But be that as it
may, the people are perfectly willing that the
government may own this lasd; there are no
settle mems on It so far "a this dcponrnt is
aware.
MT. ROYAL.
Mt. Royal is as fun of historic and interest.
ing social incidents as the average colorcd
deacon is of religious enthusiasm You have
but TO break the peel and tho essence oo2cs
oat in peasant profusi0n.
An English colony settled at Mt. Royal about
l.j years ago and Engaged in general farming,
raising such crops as sugar cane. corn. cotton
and potatoes. In 1864, under the patronage OF
King George III Of England. the celebrated
English botonist, Bartrani, visited Mt. Royal.
In the work published by him on the botony
Of Florida he treats largely of trees, plants
aud flowers found in this section and George
town. about three miles further up the river.
The work mentioned had tremendous circu
laton in its day. passing through three Eng.
lsh editions and an American edition, and was
translated into the German, French and Span.
ish languages, and in each of the countries
named enjoyed an immense popularity. The
students Of botony are as a rule familiar with
the book.
A few years after the close of the war be.
tween the states two young men came out
from Auburn. New York, and took up Their
abode at Mt. Royal. These were Mr.. W. p
Wright, now Of Drayt ton Island, and Mr.. Ed
Kirby. These young men went to work end
planted out orange groves. They were Joined
later by Mr.. John A. N. varnum. who came
from way up in Maine, and he located on land
aii1iuinx Mr.. Wright and went directly TO i'm
proving it. There are on the Wright place no
less than g,O orange trees in fine bearing and
are ordinarily very profitable. Mr.. Kirby ha'