Morning journal and courier., 1888-09-03
CORREsPONDENoE.


 less Heat-A Field For MissIonaries-
 How Things GrOw-At Jacksonville. To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 Florida is not the part of the country to- wards which one usually directs his steps for a summer vacation; indeed most persons are apt to regard journey thither in the heat of summer rash if not dangerous proceeding, and would express great surprise, as many did to me, that anyone should venture in midsummer into that land of miasmatic fe- vers. Yet I have been there, have spent three weeks in Jacksonville and the central part of the State, and not only survived the experience, but enjoyed it greatly, and am quite ready to join the Florida people in praises of it's delightful climate, not only in winter, but in summer. I left New York on tho 18th of July on the Clyde steamer "Che- rokee,' which runs directly to Jacksonville. stopping for half day at Charleston to land messengers and freight.
 The trip was most enjoyable, as I have found it to be on several occasions at other seasons of the year. After sufficient expe- rience in making this journey by rail I can not imagine how anyone who has tried these
 
 To a stranger, who has never had a sum- mer experience in this latitude, the heat of the midday sun does seem terrific. But one need not often expose himself to it's scoIch- ing rays. It is best to carry an umbrella and when walking in the street to choose the shady side if possible. And yet often neglected those precautions, and in fact long before my three weeks had expired was so hardened to the heat that was able to walk and work during the hottest portion of the day without any protection whatever, and without suffering the slightest inconvenience. I may mention, however, that the hardening process was attended with one rather un- comfortable result, but which with due care might have been avoided. My neck was one day burned to blister, from the effects of which 1t did not recover for two or three days.
 I was amazed to see with what indifference men and women expose themselves while at work out of doors. And they never appear to suffer from the exposure. Sunstroke is unknown in Florida. Why there should be this immunity from 8 danger that is so dreaded in the North I do not know, nor
 
 the fact The latter part of my sojourn- somewhat more than two weeks-I passed upon my orange and vegetable farm near the village of Melrose, which is about thirty miles due west of Palatka.
 The land here is high and rolling and dot- ted with small lakes, and the climate is said to be the healthiest of any part of the State. The water of the lakes is clear, pure and wholesome, and is used almost everywhere for drinking purposes. Malartal levers and kindred troubles are here unknown, and it would almost seem as if the only diseases from which the inhabitants could suffer are caused by their own ignorance in the matter of food. Indeed know of no better field for missionaries than among the natives of Florida, to give instruction in regard to pro- per and wholesome food for their families. An example will but illustrate this One of my employees had 6 sick child, Q boy of two years. The parents were very anxious about the child and the father made frequent visits to the doctor, and the doctor prescribed quantities of medicine, and yet the child seemed to get worse. The father thought the doctor did not give him medicine enough, and that with plenty of medicine he would be sure to get we'll. So one day asked him some questions which were suggested by my suspicious that the child was probably dying from too much medicine and from improper food. The child had taken calome1-what else the father did not know. I asked if tue child had milk for food, and was told that he never had any, either fresh from the COW or condensed. What then did he have. 'Well, he had chicken and eggs, and bacon and fish "But you don't mean to say that you give sick child such food as that! Why it is not fit for child of that age in good health. Do you give him cofee3' "Yes, 8 little" I found that the mother had tried to make the child eat two boiled eggs at a meal and was much distressed at it's want of appetite. It had been fed with watermelon in abundance. As to bresd, it had probably never eaten anything beside hot, or ct least fresh, bread or biscuit. Can one imagine more dense ignorancei And can anyone sug- gest greater opportunity for useful work for educated women who wish to benefit their fellow ereaturesf Settlers from the North and the better educated of the native F1oridians, at least of this particular section, present very healthy and rigorous appear anoe, and are capable of enduring a great deal of hard work, even during the hottest season of the year. will remark by the way that the two weeks of my stay at Mel rose were pronounced the hottest within ten years, and some called it the hotteset sum- mer they had ever known in Florida. And yet did not find the heat during the day at all oppressive. As to the evenings, they were delicious. That Is the proper word. As sat on my piazza, after my bath and a complete change of clothing-whieh for obvi- ous reasons are here indispensable to com fort at the close of day or work in the sun and sand-it seemed to me the very height of enjoyment to feel and to breathe in the l soft, gentle breeze as it foated past There were no mosquitoes, no gnats or insects of any sort to annoy one. know of no spot ! in the North where the evenings have been | to me so delightful as here. As for the moonlight, it was wonderful in its bright ness. By it one could read newspaper | xoi4l,orYf d;f5ar7Jtv All this auoaaka f,e av,. | thusiasm, does it nota We'll, I have only