Smyrna times., 1886-01-20
or the Smyrna Time,
Florida.

For the Smyrna Times.
Florida.
The Florida "bOom affects almost
every town, crossroads and even some
imaginable places-that is, towns on
paper-and each is doing its best in the
race to secure settlers. While some of
these places have natural and local ad-
vantages that with proper means will
achieve deserved success, yet there
are others which will give many indi-
viduals an experience in land owner
ship that will neither be enviable nor
profitable. l have seen some places
that, judging from the flaming adver-
tisements / have read describing them
and their attractions, one would i'm
agine nothing really seemed to be lack
ing, yet when seen they are attractive
only on paper and when those of the
North who have invested in cottage
sites for Winter homes in such places
find their lots in the midst of a pine
forest, with only a few white stakes
driven down to mark the boundaries,
with one or two avenues cut through
the trees, being the only cleared land
in the town, and instead of the model
Florida cottages showed on the circu-
lars, a few rude shanties appear, me-
thinks there will be Wailing and disap-
pointments. These things are hurting
Florida to-day, but they are not Oper-
ated by the men who have the real in
interest of the State at heart, but are
by spectators in the North, with home
offices in some Northern city, and it is
from their headquarters that all their
advertising is done, booming such and
such a place, and defrauding the un-
suspecting public. 1t has gone so far
that some of the newspapers of Florida
are exposing the frauds, and denOunc-
ing the enterprise, if such rascality
may be called by such a name.
Last week l took a trip up to Waldo
which is young town, in one sense
and old in another. 1t is not large
place but quite a railroad centre, is il
the midst of good land and has some
of as fine orange groves as l have
seen. From there l went over tC
Gainesville, the county seat of Alachus
county. 1t is a fine town of about
four thousand inhabitants, is vel
shaded and has some fine public anC
private buildings. l met several there
who have been residents of our Little
Diamond State: John w. Cullen'S
son, of Dover, is deputy sheriff, and a
his house l met Miss Mamie Wallace
of Dover, who is so we'll known il
Smyrna; also L. X. Rawlins, formerly
| oFGoOrOofOvvr nal &c Hninn HOur
ishing real estate business there.
think there is more real enterpris
there and less dilapidatiOn than il
some other large towns l have visited
From there l went over to the new
town of Windsor, which is beautiful,
| located on Lake Newman, a sheet O
water about seven miles long ant
nearly as broad, which abOunds il
game and fish, and which took it
name from General Newman, VIII
fought the Indians during the grea
war. saw the place where he and hi
men were encamped for a long time
and the hole remains where they too
shelter from the Indians. They ar
clearing this lake of alligators and
was informed that fifteen hundre
have been killed. The site of the tow
is upon large sugar plantation, an
it has what few new towns can boast {
and that is fine shade. The land is tn
richest and most productive of any
have seen, and it is one of the fey
places where you will find the descriI
ton of the place to correspond wit
the reality. You know this is tn
town where Rev. G. d. Watson, ID. d
formerly of our Conference, resides
and as the settlers are for the most pal
Methodists, this may be the reasO
that they have not Overdrawn thei
statements. Bro. Watson and famil
are all well, and have a nice home, an
think he has added to his world
possessions by coming to Florida, g
well as to his avoirdupOise. He is flu
of work for the Master as an evaI
gelist and is now at Tampa attending
convention. He says he would Ell
Joy seeing the members of the Wi
mingtOn Conference and gladly Civ
them the right hand of fellowship ono
more.
The lands of Florida are called han
mock, where hard wood grows; hig
and low pine, which are covered wit
pine growth swamps, savannas an
everglades, which are low lands, sOm'
times dry, with grass growing an
often submerged the year through
The best land for orange and lemo
culture is the hammock, it being
deep, black soil, underlaid with linn,
stone sub-soil, but many are plantin
on the high pine lands. They nee
fertilization, yet will produce a fine o
ange tree if the stimulant is kept NJ
Much of the land is very poor and sue
is the case all through the SOutI
One thing that has kept the South pot
is that they have never learned to pC
cash. By the time their crops are ha
vested they are indebted to the me
! chants for their living, so that at Il
, end of the year, if the planter cou
r square up with the merchant, who WI
his banker as well, without giving hi
lien on his land, he was thought
be doing well. Running on in th
4 way the merchants soon became Il
land owners and many planters we
driven off of their lands and ha'
!. found homes in the towns.
For about three months in the yes
February, March and April, FlOrit
controls the Northern markets in b
supplies of berries and vegetables, b.
for the other nine months she is
pendent on the North for her suppl
of canned goods and vegetables, it b
ing so warm that such things will n
keep long in this climate, and have
be disposed of as soon as possible.
J, Christmas Day was the lOvliest d.
as to nature / ever saw. We are ha
ing splendid weather all the time al
1 am trying to enjoy it and derive t
benefit from it. Wishing you and
il of your readers Happy New Year
am Yours, &c,
A. p. GRIFFITH
= THIS letter was written before t
disastrous cold wave visited the Sou
and gave them snch an unusual exp
, ience of Winter.-ED.
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