The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-04-30
Florida Letter.
SAN MATEo, April 90

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come to Florida, either by land or
water. make Jacksonville their first
stopping place and many go no
further, unless they take an excursion
upon the river or railroad 10 some
popular resort. The great majority
of those who visit Florida, learn no
more about the state, than a stranger
would of Michigan, by stopping in
Detroit few days and taking trip
to Saginaw, going by water and re-
turning by rail.
For their information about the
state they depend almost entirely
upon some Tourist Guide Book, pub
lished by land spectators, hotel
keepers, or some transportation COM
panies in their own interests. The
information thus obtained is of such
kind, that sometimes they feel like
exclaiming with one of our native
philosophers that they "had rather not
known SO many things that amt So"
In my opinion there is no part Of
this fair earth that is advertised, puffed
and doomed, with less regard for the
truth than some parts of this state
and it is uncalled for as the truth is
good enough. In regard to the cli-
mate, too much cannot be said in its
favor. 1t has been delightful even
during this exceptionally bad winter,
and those who are used to the sum-
mers here say they are cool and
comfortable. The signal service
station at Palatka say that the temper
ature at Jacksonville. Florida, on the
night of April 10Th inst, was cooler
than in any other city in the United
States. AS for soil, sand is not the
best for agricultural purposes, or for
roads and walks, but it has its advan-
tages, it maintains its identity, and
never becomes daSt | have never
seen the wind raise cloud of dust in
Florida. There are persons here en-
joying comfortable health who have
found the wind and dust of Southern
California insufferable on account of
throat and lung troubles.
Florida is great state, the longest
east of the Mississippi river and some
thousands of square miles larger than
Michigan, and | have seen but
small portion of it, and that in what
is called the Orange Belt on the St.
Johns river.
My ideas of this river obtained from
Mitchel's school geography some
forty-five years ago are somewhat
modified by observation, and ven-
ture the opinion that in spite of all
the railroads competing it will remain
the great thoroughfare to and from
Southern Florida. believe it is the
best behaved river in the country, it
never freezes over, never overhows its
banks, needs no dykes to keep it
within its banks, has no falls or rapids,
no drought or freshet effect its current
and for one hundred miles to Palat-
ka it is from four to six miles wide.
Above Palatka it grows narrow, but
ocean steamers and schooners from
New York, Boston and Maine ascend
twenty-five miles farther up. During
the busy season boats are almost con-
stantly passing, and landings are
numerous, there are eight within one
mile Of this place. Boats when tagged
will stop at any one OF them for pas
sengers or freight. Below Palatka
the river is so wide that from the
steamers but little can be seen upon
the shore. Above Palatka the shores
are very irregular, in fact the river is
what its Indian name "Wetaka" sig
nifies "chain of lakes" but most of
way there is in sight upon on side or
the other beautiful high banks. Some.
= times orange groves and splendid
houses are close to the river, but more
frequently there is a low bank, near
the river Low hammack, originally
covered with swamp oak, magnolia,
ash, palmetto and other hardwood
very rich soil, but must be thoroughly
: drained for orange groves Further
back and higher is another bank
called HIGH hammock, the natural
growth being hardwood, while still
farther back are the high pine lands
where the residences usually sre. The
lay of the land in many places very
much resemble the south bank Of the
ohiawassee at Owosso. From the
river to the railroad would be low
hammack, from the railroad to the
+ "big HILL" high hammack, the hill,
high pine lands, and where the high
pine lands slope away as the hill does
to the south and west, and it become:
low and wet, it is called low pine
land or fiat 7Ooods which is the poorest
of all and no good until drained.
w.