Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-31
FL0URlSHING OCALA.
WHAT THE f. II. ~ N. co. HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED.

Loeb Loosa and Its Fairy Surroundings
The Harris GrOve-A BOnanIa-A
PAlatial HOme-The Ocala House
Location of ocsIa and Its Altitude
The BOulevards OF OcAla-The Pioneer
Orange Grower, A. L. EichsiberGer,
His Orange Groves and Vegetables
Profits on Strawberries and Cabbage
Ocala's Growing Business-The Firm
of II. w. Agnew n Golfer Business
EstabHshments-AS Anitariu m, Dtc.
The Florida Railway and Navigation
Company is entitled to the credit of haV-
ing done more than any other similar
organization to reveal the occult mysteries
of Central Florida, and open up to settle
ment and civilization that vast wilder
ness which, since the days of Ponce de
Leon has been a veritable terra iRcoGittG.
Their lines have permeated the Businesses
and haunts of the once dreaded Seminole
Indian, and laid bare the rich hum
mocks, picturesque lakes and ver-
dant wild orange groves of that
seml-tropical region. No one save the
actual visitor can form any adequate
conception of the weird land, so ancient
yet so new, and which is gilded and sur
rounded by an atmosphere of romance
known only to the tabled Utopia OF old.
The traveller, trending south from Haw-
thorne, catches the first glimpses OF this
fairy realm as he nears the placid
LoCH LossA
aset in a frame OF living green, whose
bright waters defight'the vision, and then,
ere he has time to dwell upon the scene,
lis haTriedrOn, il possible, to even fairer
and more lovely delineatiODs from the
volume Of nature. Now we enter the
FAMOUS HARRIS GROVE,
which was simply originally tangled
wilderness of nature, orange trees thick
ly studded with cabbage palms and mag
SnOlias, and inteTlaced with mXuriant
vines. But these have been thinned out,
mot exnrpated, and the trunks of the
sour orange trees ga we'd off and the germ
of the sweet-Variety of this delicious fruit
inserted. These have taken possession of
the rooted stocks, and are now with their
burden of golden fruit in the harvest sea-
son fit eXemplars Of the influence of art
and civilization over rude and uncuiti-
waited nature. This is-the largest bearing
.gr owe in the world, and. contains near 200
acres. As q source of revenue, 1t is a
perfect bonanza. Stxty-tive thousand
dollars was recently refused for the pro-
sduct OF single season, and the owner
realizes thousands 0fsdollaTs also from
the sale of young budded sour stocks.
Here in the midst Of this
SYLVAN SCENE
! the tasty proprietor has erecteda palatial
dwelling, which Is the admiration of all
who behold it. Did time permit, it would
be pleasant to pause long enough to inn
hibe to the fun the delicate perfume of
orange blossoms and describe the mag
nificent beauties of the place. But tinkle
goes the beh and unwillingly we are
Whirled away to other scenes and land
scapes, each possessing a charm of it's
own. Soon lovely Citra is passed, tue in
tervening stations left behind, and just af-
ter the ''gloaming" the sinuOus train halts
at Ocala and the convenient "bls' takes
your tired correspondent to his lodgings
in the noble hotel bearing the same name.
And, lest it be forgotten, now is the fitting
time to describe this popular hOstelry.
Mr.. G. NJ. Brown, one of the prOpTietors,
Is among the first settlers of the town, a
real estate agent, and the owner and man
ager of near three hundred acres of orange
groves. The old hotel was burnt in 1888,
and the present magnificent structure was
erected by him. 1t is built OF brick, three
stories high, with a frontage on the pub
lie square Of 23S feet, and extending back
1877 feet. The rooms number 200-all
neatly aud Hastily furnished-and 400
guests can be comfortably accOmmoda-
ted. The menu and servants attendance
also are all that the most fastidiOus could
wish, and the whole establishment is run
with clOck-like care and precision. The
house Is under the joint management of
MEssRs. BROWN THAYER.
and when the visiting season is over and
its doors are closed. they will transfer
their bOarders to the 'MOntezuma," a
smaller but elegant new hotel which will
be kept open all summer.
LOCATION OF oCALA.
This rising little city occupies the site
of an elevated hummOck agreeably undu-
lating, and having an altitude of I73 feet
above the sea, and Is lJOfeet higher than
Jacksonville.
To the north lies salubriOus pine lands,
while on the south and east, stretching
out for many miles, may be found a vast
area of the richest hummock lands in
4 Florida, covered with the hard woods,
such as oak, hickory, beech, etc. These,
to a large extent, have been cleared and
planted in orange groves, vegetable and
other farm products, and are held at al
most fabulous prices. Three great high
ways, known respectively as Orange,
Hyde Park and Lemon avenues, branch
out from the town, and communicate with
scores Of orange groves in the interior.
The writer, escorted by the
PIONEER ORANGE GROWER
Of this section, Adam L. EicheIberger,
ESQ, drove up Orange Park for some
distance, and aiighting walked through
the extensive groves and vegetable plan
tations OF that gentleman. They embrace
30 acres of bearing orange trees planted
in between with Strawberries and cab
bages. besides 20 acres owned by his son
Douglass, % Of which yield fruit, and the
whole vast cabbage field. The soil is a
rich mould, and standing among the
orange trees may be seen hundreds OF
beautiful magnOlias, oaks and hickory
trees OF the primeval forest, left to adorn
and also shelter the fruit orchard be-
meath. The coup d'eil, with its wealth
OF green leaves, snowy flowers, luXuriant
vegetables, and singing birds is indeed
lovely.
Strawberries are just ripenlng, and are
quoted at 81 per quart in New York. The
cabbage, TOO, in few days, when ready
for shipment it is expected will easily net
800 per acre.
MIR. Eichelberger, before the freeze, had
applied 1000 pounds Of cotton seed meal
per acre TO his trees, and toe eject Of the
stimulant was noticeable In the dimin-
Ished injury TO his grove from the frost.
Indeed, the advancing season has devel-
Oped the fact that those orange growers
suffered most who had neglected their
trees or failed TO enrich them sufficiently.
IL is now an established conclusion that
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