Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-03-02
LETTER FROM FLORIDA.

A LADY's LIST OF THE FLOWERS THAT BLOOM
IN THE WINTER THERE-A FLORIDA SEA-
PoRT-THE GRAVE OF LIGHTHOUSE HARRY
LEE, &C.
Correspondence of the staunton V1NDIcAToR ]
FERNANDINA, FLA, Feb. 81, 1888.
Away down here in the land of sunshi ne
and flowers my thoughts often turn to
those who are still enduring the SHOWS and
sleet of q cold and disagreeable winter
With the thermometer often registering at
oUc, it is hard for me to realize that within
eighteen hours l could again be amid snow
and ice. Of course we have some damp
and disagreeable days, and then, I have
been told, you in Virginia are experiencing
the effects of severe weather; but, general
ly, the air is soft, and balmy, and the sun
shines SO warm and bright that ladies and
gentlemen too, do not go out without their
parasols or umbrellas, and discard cloaks
and overcoats altogether.
This place is situated in the extreme
northeastern portion of Florida, only a
two-mile drive, over splendid shell road,
from the most beautiful and extensive beach
in the world. You can drive for twenty
miles on the hard beach, with the pillows
rolling in and breaking right under your
horses hoofs.
Il is very healthy here and this is a re-
sort for both winter and summer travellers
the beach and the sea bathing, of course,
being the principal attractions.
Everything looks green, fresh and pretty
Just like summer. Some of the streets have
rows of large water oak trees on either
SIDE and the branches, which are draped
in long clinging moss, INTERVENING above,
form beautiful, cool, green archway or
avenue. The dwelling houses are nice and
airy Hooking, most of them setting back
from the streets and large yard or lawn in
front. The lawns, with the various kinds of
shrubbery and vines, together with the
variegated flowers all in full bloom, and
the orange trees heavily laden with their
golden fruit, make rare and pleasing pic
! ture to those unaccustomed to summer in
winter. Flowers have been blooming here
all winter, and some in the greatest profu-
sion-geranlums, roses, the yellow butter
cups, hyacinths violets, panses, sweet
elyssum; the white larcissus, a little white
delicate flower, with tiny golden trimmed
cup IS centre, and the yellow jessamine.
a scallol ed bell-like flower, of grea. sweet
ness. Itgrows like a vine. generally clam
herring up some bush, tree, or frame work.
these are white and red, both double and
single. When double they resemble a large
wax rose, both the leaf-which is very
pretty and t bloom Also
This is one of the principal seaport
towns of the South. Large schooners.
barks and steamers come in port daily
from New York. England, the West Indies
and from all other importantports. Oran-
ges and lumber are the principal exports;
also they send OFF in boxes great quantities
of pine board about two or three feet
square and about quarter or an eighth of
an inch thick, for making lead pencils. 1t
is very interesting to go through one of
those large and handsomely furnished pas
senger steamers. When fine steamer
comes in port, one of the first courteses
shown o stranger by the citizens is to take
them down to ego over the steamer"
A pleasant little sail is across the bay
to Cumberland Island, Georgia, distance
of about four or five miles. Most of the
Island is now in the possession of the Car
negies, who have erected a very handsome
mansion and beautitied the gardens and
lawns in every Imaginable way. The
place is of marked interest to us because it
is there that our old American soldier and
Virginian Governor, Henry Lee, Familiarity
known as Light Horse Harry" AID Gle
gion Harry" died and is buried He had
been travelling in the West Indies for his
health and on his return in 1916, died at
''Dungeness, f" the old home of his friend,
General Green, of Revolutionary fame.
Only plain marble slab bearing the date
of his birth and death, with an inscription
marks the last resting place OF the old SOL
der. M.