Morning journal and courier., 1886-03-09
Tuesday, March 9, 1886.
DOWN IN FLORIDA.

Struggling Towns, Flourishins
 Towns And Towns On Paper or
 Marked Out Nm The Sand-San-
 guine Projectors Of New ToWRs-
 Their Faith And Their Mepe Of
 Harvest of Shekels.
 LEEsBURa, Fla, March 4.-Since last writ ing you we have visited quite number ot places in kind of zigzag way. Some of the towns are likely to live, and will no doubt grow rapidly, and seme are in very feeble condition and have only chance of being able to pull through, at least under the pres ent ownership.
 We will not say anything in regard to the number of towns which we examined on cloth and paper, or even those that were mapped out to us in the sand by stick under burning sun, where the site ot a Baptist or Methodist church was instantly located by the print of a well-worn boot. But when we examine a city where there Is not single mark on cloth, paper or even i'll the sand, there is certain pleasure about it that can be enjoyed a second time. Here comes the proprietor and projeetor; let us follow him and have a look at the beautiful city.
 Proprietor: "NowgentlemenI am just going to show of the most beautiful locations for shining nttle city in all of our beautiful Florida Ms ge into 1h purchaser of an interest in this city as it is not named yet and you could name aItsr hs see rea many chances to sell this land. MT C., of Chicago st his and Tfe when all she the came here she said at once that it was one of the charming that she eyer ssGoo o Hh i'd a # would be built right on that gentle slope MT c: h and ha had to uSe his money rebuild
 ing the block, which is the only reason that lady
 is Ms Ret aFs yins nsr shsGs failig n the timber
 NOW gentenen we are are just a,d about 1 wheFs s noe 1es fug decided yet old down there who is opposed to all improvements, road little further north but that don't make any difference; the road is bound to come and for our road. The depot will be placed right there and will give the company one hundred feet te lay right here, and that gentle rise in the land is 9 charming site for a large hotel, as y su see tnat good portion of that clear water lake the trees were cut down, which will be done some day, and up And this yer spot here is the center of Central avenue, which will be sixty acres wide will just blaze the trees so that you will see the streets clearly"
 He takes the hatchAt from his pocket and chips some bark from the tree, then starts off on pacing gate to find where the next street should come, and when he gets there drives his hatchet into the tree and then turns round in time to get glimpse of your position. as we draw ourselves out of 6 gopher hole into which we have fallen and broken our umbrella, while adrniring the night of the stately and beautiful pines, he leaves his hatchet in the three and meets us with the most encouraging remarks, to keep our cour- age up, and tries to convince us that the holes are not dangerous except when horse steps in, as he generally breaks his leg. So street after street and block after block Is pointed out until complete city is laid out, and pleasure slipped from the anticipation ot even having the beautiful hotel and some of the other buildings whitewashed on the outside With our present experience surveyed by hatchet in about two hours, and can give fair guess at the quality but not at the price of the land, as the prices are made to suit the varying circumstances of the different customers. For instance, we were requested to look at piece of land that could be bought for $60 per acre; we saw the land and was told by the owner that he had decided that morning to charge $75 per acre. We left and were called on the next day by the owner who had decided to not take less than $125 per acre, and urged to not let such 8 chance slip A man with 8 few hundred acres of land in Florida can soon become very rich, even if he does not sell his land. All he has to do is to add $25 OF $50 per acre to the price of his land. Then sit down on an orange box and enjoy himself until it is time to raise it again. This beats the orange crop as the frost can't kill it, and it is more easily understood.