The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27
A TRIP TO TAMPA.
Florida as 1t Appears to South Car.
Gilman .-- The Cold Speli...Ship.
mcnts Of Fish Gopher Hills 90.
The Price Of Oranges and Lemons.

Editor Press and Banner:
No doubt MANY of your readers would
it is first seen through a South Carolina boy's
eyes. write my own experience and opin-
ion.
We bought tickets at Greenwood to go via
Savannah, Dupont and Gainesville, to Lees
burg, Florida. We expected to make close
connection at Greenwood for Augusta, but
had TO wait eight hours. Our delay ut Green
wood caused delay at Augusta, and delay III
Savannah likewiSe. II was delay all the way
the splendid little narrow gauge cars nnd
made better time.
The scenery, too, was now more interesting
and we kept our eyes open. We crossed tho
famed Shawnee River above Gainesville, but
/ could not see any difference between the
Shawnee and any other Florida river of the
same size. Where we crossed 1t Is not quite
SO large as the Saluda. but Of course more
picturesque on account Of the dark colOred
ly on the evergreen oak trees, while here an0
there u majestic palmetto stood with It's long
Stcmrned and ian-like leaves bending down
ward and waving gently In the warm air
such q sight gives to one unaccust0med tC
il, an almost unresiSt;blc desire to leave the
cars and lamble In the woods along the banks
Of this famed river.
After leaving Gainesville the country grad
ually grows more tropical looking. Some
times you see nothing but mOnotonouS pines
for miles, but now and then Il stream or lake
is passed and this keeps one awake, for where
water is you always see something Interest,
ing. Just before we reached Ocna we noticed
ali along the road thousands and thousands
of little piles of sand about DIS large as I;
mans low hat. We tried to make out what
it was but gave it up and asked the .ncwsboy
what they were. He informed US that they
were gopher hills, and that one gopher
could make two or three hundred "hills
in one night We noticed all the way
down 10 Tampa these gopher hills: as tal
,rt,t hnf
under the pines OH the white sand.
We reached I.eesburg about five O'Clock In
the evening. Here our tickets gave out, hu
as we were bound for Tampa we asked the
conductor 10 have our trunks checked to that
point. About an hour afterward we were in
formed that our baggage was, not aboard tht
train. We could d" nothing but go on, witt
Il promise from the conductor that he wouC
forward our trunks to Tampa as soon as they
arrived in LceSburg. I waited two days, but
no trunks. tclcgraphed to the agent al
LecShuTg and deposited money for an answer
but after waiting three more days aud no an
swer wrote him by request of The baggage
master here. Three more days and no answer
Another telegram and still no answer.
then gave my checks to the Southern EXPIRES:
Company, and the next day my trunks came
by express. The railroad men here are mo-
one. third so prompt as they are In South Car
olina. The fact j., do not see any prompt
ness in them at all. suppose they are tronb
led a great deal, though, SO maybe they arc
We stopped at the Palmetto Hotel for &
short time and were treated very kindly
while there. The Palmetto is well kept no
tel and not excessive in charges. All who
visit Tampa may he sure of good treatment II
they stop nj the Palmetto. There arc also 9th
or good hotels here and plenty OF room for al
who may come although the town is now
crowded. Tampa is II very pretty town o
about 1000 inhabitants, and has bright pros
pects before 1t IL the present appearance
indicates anything. New houses are being
built on all the streets. l can see from my
window and in l'ss than one hundred yards
OF me three buildings going up, one brick anG
. two frame. All Is on Il boom here now. Or
anges sell here for ten cents per dozen and
lemons five cents per dozen. fish from 2i3 t.
) cents each. a five cent fish Is rs much as
! one person cares TO eat at one meal
Butter and eggs are scarce and high-prced.
have visited the fishing boats and tisl
houses and have seen fish of almost ever,
description. saw . 800 fish on one boat ant
was told that they were caught In one day hy
three men with two seinS: and that very, offer
one haul. I}shall go out soon and see thi!
sight with my own eyes. Fish are shipped
from here to the towns inland and even Il
Savannah, Augusta anu often 10 baltimore
New York and Philadelphia.
The recent cold spell has done considerable
damage to the orange crop, and as that Is the
principal crop the people feel the effects o
| The freeze very much. The orange trees nr,
not hurt, but the lemon and some other frui
trees are no doubt badly hurt. 1t must be re
mcmbcrcd that this has been nn unusua
spell. hope to be able to write more later.
r. G.. j.