The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-01-10

eot0 the folks at Home
Maquoketa Uowa Sentinel.
TARPoN SPRINGS, Fla. Dec. 90. 1885.
EDITORS SENTINEL: Agreeably To re
quest will endeavor to give your many
readers a few items concerning this sec
ton Of the country, also the sights and
scenes witnessed in passing through the
best parts Of Florida. This country has
been badly misrepresented by hired at
torneys and land sharks-men who make
living and devote their whole time III
licturing this country as a land of sun
shine and flowers where a man can make
living with little work. Now right
here let me state that a man has to work
harder and labor under more disadvant-
ages and inconvenience than any place
in the northern states. or course | will
be flatly contradicted by great many
having land interests here but disintcr-
ested parties will agree with me, Provid-
ing they have oven had the pleasure of
visiting this country and writing it upin
its true light, stating facts candidly and
truthfully. I came here to better my
condition and improve my health, but it
is impossible to do so. and I will give NY
reasons. Lands are held at very high
figures, from $25 to S175 per acre, and
it costs from S15 to $50 per acre TO clear
said land, and after you have doEe that
much you are very much surprised to
find that you have a iirSt-c!ass sand bank
to make a living from, and in order to
produce anything you have got to irri-
gate and fertilize to the amount of $500
in order to get 800 in return on five,
acres OF land.
This country is s1id to be very healthy.
/ find it right the reverse the natives
tell me they have malignant fevers the
year round and I do not doubt it in the
least, for a more sickly lot of natives
have seldom seen it can't be otherwise,
for the larger portion Of this country is
very low and swampy, and the water for
drinking and cooking purposes is very
poor. and what the natives call good wa
ter here would be termed slough water
in Iowa. The wells are not more than
three feet deep, AMI a great many not
more than two feet deep, but it makes /.
no difference about depth, the water is I
the saH,e. very warm when drawn from .
the wells, and they never think of nsing .
it under two or four hours. after that |
time the water is somewhat cooler but |
very insipid and unpleasant to the taste. /
In regard to climate, it has been over
rated and m;srepresented the air is
damp, too much moisture for invalids.
Persons coming here for health think
they receive some benefit ut first, but
after remaining a year or SO they find
they are greatly mistaken. A person
needs as much clothing here as iii the
north, and think more. After remain
ing here n few months one finds their
b'ood thin like water. and the chilly
nights we have here cuts him to the
hone. and he feels the cold at "a aDDve
zero "a much il not more than he would .
at Is below zero in Iowa.
Rusiness is dull no paying invest
ments here except boarding houses,
which are doing fair business and max
ing some monsy off the northern visit /
ors. and they are experts in their line.
you bet, and they bleed man for all he |
il worth. 1t costs dollar to look at n |
man here, and if you ask him for chew |
Of tobacco it will be five dollars more |
and no questions asked.
Florida is said TO be q stock country. |
where cattle and hogs do well the year |
round. 1t is an absolute lie of the first |
water, and defy any living man TO con- |
tradict me. They import ali their but /
ter and pork, principally from Chicago. |
l made the acquaintance of a gentleman (
representing Armour & Co, of Chicago. |
who has resided here three years he
showed me his books and 7 was sur
prised 10 see the sales lie had made +
parties here in Florida. tons and tons az
pork, hams. lard and butter. Will give
prices Of provisions here: Butter 40 cts
PR pound, eggs 40 cts per doz., Irish po-
tatoes $3.50 per bushel, sweet POTATOES
IS cts per bushel. hay in bales S25 q ton.
corn $3.50 per bushel, cats 30 cts per
bushel, everything else imported that
they need most except oranges. and they
are drug on the market-ccnt apiece
near the railroad, and in the interior
worth nothing. going to waste. The
above prices are correct, and it positively
gives florida away rs a country for a
poor man. If \ man has Srud2e
against his vile or family would ad-
wise him To como 10 Florida \ great
many come here expecting IL Lavc
good time cunning and fishing. after
getting here they find it somewha: dif-
ferent; game is scarce but plenty of fish
and oysters, but the fish will scarcely
bite a hook and have to be taken with
nets, and it requires I good boat and
na-fai., ,,lnca To catch then, IL, fnrt Il