The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-02
4 Delightful Trip from PaIatka to
Punta Gnrna.

The O'Clock train on the Florida (
Southern tool, me to Ocsla in right lively /
shape. For the first so miles the ride is
through growing towns and rolling pine
lands, the balance of the distancei is par
ticuIarly attractive to the eye of the land
seeker. Stretching away on either hand
is dense and half cleared hammock, res
plendent with magnificent palmetto and
live oak. Here and there, at short in
tervals, are fine stands of sea-island cot
ton. The town of Lochbie, viewed from
the car window, presents 4 most sttrac-
tive picture TO the eye. Away to the
southeast is the beautiful stretch Gf wa
ter, named don't know what, but for
ming lovely background against which
the several houses loom up with a soft
ened effect peculiar to our semi-tropical
climate. AS We whiSl away TO the south
ward the sun dips lower and lower, until
at last find our train tearing along at n
rate of 80 miles an hour in the mellow
twilight.
Standing at the rear door of the last
car and specializing upon speeds of bod
les and forces of impacts, am reminded
that If anything should cause the train
to leave the track, it might be difficult to
get enough of me together for identiii-
cation. No such accident happens. how
ever, and we pull into Ocaia at $40.
At meeting of the citizens held to-
night TO determine the possibility of
bonding the city for $1,000 for sanitary
and road improvements, i have heard
some great ideas expressed. One veneer
able patriarch says, I'VE won't have to
pay these yere bonds, an our children
kin do it by issuing more bonds an pay
! ing off the first issue" Great head.
! Glorious idea! He is encored again and
again for his frank way in putting the
| matter. Still, it is the sense of the cit
| liens that bonds mast be issued, and af-
ter several speakers have rid themselves
\ of the regulation amount of "wind on
the stomach" the crowd disperses. The
people of Ocala are awake, and feel that
| the city must have n complete system OF
/ sewers and waterworks.
SEPTEMBER 2STH.
At l: 50 this noon take the Pullman
| south. and soon we are wheeling rapidly
| away from Ocala, now through thrifty
/ orange groves, now skirting lakes or
crossing streams. The Spanish moss is
! ever present, hanging from oak and pine
/ like relics of departed greatness. The
train is comfortably filed with trav-
oilers, either on business or pleasure
trips.
| have struck up a travelling scqua'n-
lance with n wealthy son of Erin and
his wife who are en- route to Fort Meade
10 visit relatives. After some skiltul
fencing, manage to get the flow of talk
into proper channels, and then the ideas
advanced by my Celtic friends are some
| what mixed and astonishing. One thing
in particular he looks at as a fraud, and
that is the whisky sold here. Then the
beef we get served with at the hotels Is
not lust equal to ''Iael ould Oirish bafe,
be jab5ers, and / agree.
Soon we are running through the cut
south of Welshton, and skirting Lake
Weir. The formation here has changed
from sandy soil to deep red clay and
limestone. AWAY we rush, through i've
oak groves, over trestles, around bends,
I'D grades and across valleys, and soon
pull, into Leesburg.
In 1888, when the railroad built into
Leesburg, the population was not over
450-now there are 1900 people. and the
town valuation has increased twenty
; times. This is growing town, no mush
room growth to it, either. Here the st
Johns and Lake Eustis division taps the
main line of the Florida Southern, and
, the freight carried by this branch lire l:
large and increasing in quantity.
II. A. Carley's orange grove, on Car
lev's Island, shows up beautifully, and y
only one amongst the many that give
the lie TO the reports Of the New NorS
Herald regarding our freeze of last win
ter. Mr.. Carley has a homestead that II
perfectly charming. One ccyets 1t a
sight, which is wrong.
NV red-headed Irish friend is talking
with a chance acquaintance, and l an
S Just able TO hear an jist thin he pu
e his hand inter his shirt an tangled littl
bell an seq chestnut" = What's that:
= seq |. Chestnut" seq he. What's
e chestnut - seZ ]. SEE he, =" 4 chestnut l
o an ould story revamped and sprung ont
- a man for n new one. ST. Patrick Is
chestnut sez he, an with that L JUS
let him have wun for luck, an lei
), Won. sir. sold Jones Sc Smith a corne
n box safe double doors, round corners
a and having n genuine Sonteg painted o.
l the inner doors. Soutag is under con
S tract to our company foz four years,
: and so on until we arrive at Pemberton
Ferry, and the porter yelis "chang
II kyars for the South tloridy road : TIM
$40 evening.
o river. across wet land and dry LAND
e until we stop short in the yard at Lake
a land, Trouble here. Old No. is of til
;, track and a new mogul is trying to pu
q her on with the help of another engin'
= The conductor orders No. Is To uncoupI
l. and give 'em a shove, and she does s
d with such a good VIII that No. is 500
z on the rails again. No. 10 is one &
d those outside link motion engines, an
d when she is INNING the impression on
?, gets is that a steam reaping machine Ina
r. got away from the driver.
d Here we met the fast mail train frol
E. Tampa, and away 1t goes with RUS
n We have run into the main line OF Il
q: South Florida railway, with its new
IL changed gauge. The rolling stock Is ne
e and fire.
rs A few years ago the site Of this tow
N was located for q Louisville man
s Capt. VIM. Kendr elk. The SO acr
at cost e1.25 per acre. plus 20 cents per &C
Id paid to Capt. X. Town lots were sold
ne sos. then $50, then SO, and then So
N to $500, and prices are on the increase
81 o n.nIncL- We have arrived at Barto