The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-08

Correspondence Palatka NEWS.
We have read with feeling of horror
of the terrible disaster to Charleston by
the late earthquakes. There seems to
be something peculiarly terrifying in an
earthquake-more 50 than almost any
other phenomenon in nature--this terror
not being confined To human beings
alone, but Is extended to all animal ere
alton. Even the rats we've badly demon
allied here during the late disturbance.
The editor of the Times Union at
tempts To explain the cause of earth
quakcs by saying that the earth IL flat
tening at the poles and bulging out at
the equator" Your correspondent don't
profess to be much of "A geologist, but
he thinks he knows better than that.
however, His late trip through the Car
olinas and Georgia revealed the fact of "A
large crop OF green apples IN that sec
tion-and that's whats the matter
AS We had another shake here Friday
night, we advise larg. doses of paregoric
or Mr.. WInslow's soothing syrup and
stop tins trouble, or Florida may become
the earthquake and cyclone center de
spite the brags of our cosmopolitan
friend Jones, To the contrary nutwith-
standing.
But To be serious. If | was in COM
mand of vessel plying up ami down
our coast, | should he extremely careful
and keep IA sharp look out for new shoals
or hidden rocks that may have been
forced up 10y the late disturbance. Such
an event Is not AT all improbable, as these
late shocks have been no childs play,
and no one can now tell what changes
have been made in the earth's coniigura
ton.
/ don't suppose II IL generally known
in Florida that last week was quite cool
and rainy, but such was the fact, how
ever, which some of our people have
found out and took advantage of 10y
commencing to sow their early fall gar
dens, set out strawberry plants and the
like. These cool days in the early fall
are very enjoy able after the long sum
mer heat, giving one new lease of life
with renewed vigor and activity of both
mind and body. But strangers to Florida
must not infer from this that our eli
mate IL enerVatIng, for ii Is not, despite
the preconceived opinions of many who
are not familiar with il. 1 know our
people have saliow complexion and are
not given To excessive fat, vet as Il peo-
pie they are muscular and possess powers
OF endurance beyond what the average
of those living in the Northern States
possess. If | had the space | could cite
many individuals of extreme old age
who are as active and hardy as many in
middle age, while the late war demon
strated, beyond all doubt, that the South
ern soldiers were fully equal. in physical
powers, with our more stocky Northern
brothers, so that | may safely make the
statement that our climate Is not enerva-
ting, nor are our people shorter lived
than those who live in colder climate.
Z thar nr,h iIitprX friAnll
bent upon taking Il hand in the little po-
htlcal squabhle that * Just commencing
here. Not haN ing Il following large
enough 10 get up a crowd of their own
they are now trying To nose in along
with Greedy and Doughcrty, and make
themselves a. ridiculous aS possible in
that way. If they would adhere to the
high principles that they profess, rising
Srandly above the petty squabbles of
party strife, with all its bargains and de
vious ways, going, as they ought, To the
higher chamber of human intelligence
to plead their cause, | could have true
sympathy with them. but this political
action wherein they strive To become
dictatoTs instead of advisers, goinL into
a political canvass with no avowed Pur-
pose but that of Intolerance, having no
well defined political purpose excepting
To accomplish 10y force what Others have
found, and always will find, an utter i'm
possibility to do, looks like n peryersion
of what might he high principle.
There are other matters to be- conSid
cred in our government besides that of
rum selling, and it does seem to me that
il would be more creditable to coniine
their one laudable aim within its Just
limits rather than become the cat's paw
for either political party that would
make the highest bid for their influence.
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