Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-02-18
LETTER FROM FLORIDA.


JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, Feb. LIST,
lSSS.-EDIToR HERALD.-By request
of West Virginia friends, | select your
lexcellent Journal as the medium
Through which give brief account
Of our journey to Florida and the im-
| pressiorls, &C., received on the way.
lit was cold, cherries morning ON
Dec. 10Th, when We left Kearneysville,
and We felt that if there was a time
when we ought TO be in the Land OF
FLOWERS and Oranges. it WAS then.
i Our route selected was by way OF
Shenandoah Valley to Roanoke, thence
to Bristol, Tennessee, by way of the
Norfolk & Weston r. r.. Thence to
Jessup by the East Tennessee, Virginia
] Il Georgia r. r. From thence to
Waycruss by the Savannah, Florida
and Western r. r.; from thence to
jacksonville by the East Florida r.
R.. and from there to Olando, by the
Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West
Railway.
The scenery to Roanoke was very
picturesque. First through the beauti-
! ful Shenandoah Valley familiar to us
all. Leaving this we finally enter the
far-faned Luray Valley, made SO by
the celebrated Luray Caverns. A
magnificent hotel here greets the eye,
which looks inviting; and colninodi.
Gus enough to meet all necessities OF
the many thousands who visit annual
~ this subterranean wonder.
The entire route from the Potomac
to the Tennessee line is full of variety
| in scenery and other attractions; hill
and dale, mountain and valley, river
/ and brook. torrent, &c.,-all as it is
passed causes new delights, and makes
the journey pleasant as well as instruc-
tive; and now we are crossing the lof-
~ Blue Ridge and enjoying the beau
tiful sun-set; yet we cannot help feel
ing sad as twilight approaches. The
moons kind rays, however, enable us
to still have good view until our eyes
become weary for want of rest. The
next morning found us In Tennessee.
We changed cars at Chattanooga and
soon had crossed the line into Georgia.
Here we began noticing difference
in the way the houses were built.
They rested upon pillars of brick or
wood; and many of them We could
see under from one end to another ;
no cellars in this country. The n,ost
of the houses along our way were
quite small and great deal of the
land very poor; but occasionally we
passed a good looking cotton field.
The cotton, of course, had been picked
hut there was still some remaining on
the stalks, and once when our train
stopped for few minutes we gather
ed some stems with cotton on, which
had matured after the other had been
picked. About O'Clock of that day
we reached Atlanta, where we stopped
to rest over night. This lisa beautiful
city with wide streets and fine houses
with large yards surrounding them.
We saw many trees with the foliage
still green, yet the weather was So
cold that the ladies were out in their
fur; and ann sure felt the need ofthen.
| Early the next morning we again
started on our way expecting to reach
Jacksonville 10y O'Clock p. III. We
now soon noticed along our road the
forests of pine. About every ten or
fifteen miles we would come to sta
ton composed of few small houses
and we would often notice quite a
number of barrels of turpentine ready
for shipment. From one station until
the next we would see nothing now
along the road but forests of pine trees
where the bark had been peeled from
the trees in order to extract the tur-
pentine; and this was the case, as far
as the eye could reach. Thef along
here lies very low and at many places
is all covered with black looking wa.
ter. We think these swarnps must
surely be the home of the alligator
land the little boy of our party keeps
Il keen watch out, but is not rewarded
by the sight ofOne. And now what il
that clinging to, and hanging from the
branches of the trees? All! it is the
beautiful moss we have heard Of sc
often. As our train moves rapidly by,
the trees thus covered remind us murh
Of our weeping willow except our will
lows are brighter green. Now we
have reached Jessup aud how annoy
ing to find that the train which we ex.
pected to take there had left five min.
utes before we arrived, and that we
must wait at this uninviting looking
place until 8 O'Clock p. fp., and not
reach Jacksonville until Sunday morn
ing at 8 a. m. But we must make the
hest of it; so we lay aside our wraps
(which we now find oppressive,) and
walk around the village. After tax.
ing little stroll we proceed to the
hotel where we join several ladies
sitting ON the piazza. In ashort time
we are invited out tosupper and think
how much We'll enjoy good country
supper. But alas our appetite for
Sakes US upon seeing the table. After
looking at our supper for short time
we move around from house to piazza,
and patiently wait for our train. We
} reach Jacksonville on time next morn
ing and think we will spend this holy
day here, but find our trunks have gone
on to Orlando and as we cannot go to
church without some clean linen we
conclude (after having good refresh.
ing breakfast, to start out again and
try and reach our journeys end. Here
in Jacksonville we see trees prettiei
even than the moss covered ones we
have passed, for these are full of beau.
} tiful, bright oranges. But we must
not loiter too long for we would moi
miss our train and besides the heat is
SO oppressive that we do not feel like
being out of doors.
We are scarcely out of the city on
our way to South Florida before we
begin to see the orange groves. Train
runs quite near the st. Johns river
we cross it two or three times, and il