Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-04-18
AST. CLAIRSYILLE MAN IN THE SOUTH.
Tallahassee Pensacola HOmeYaFd
Bound.
STEAMER COMMONWEALTH.

During the latter part of our nine weeks
stay at De Funiack Springs we-with
some friends took run out for three OF
four days to pay a visit to and inspect
TALLAHASSEE,
the capital of the State, about 40 miles
east. Several times we had gone on the
railroad to Jacksonville, which passes by
the place on its outskirts, but had never
stopped there before. 1t is situated on
high ground, which might be dignifed by
calling it hill, three-quarters of mile
from the railroad station. and said to be
a couple of hundred feet above the gulf,
which is only eighteen miles away.
The surrounding country is rolling, and
affords quite charming scenery. The
town itself would be beautiful if it had
half a chance. Nature has done its share
in providing fine site of undulating
grOung and interSperSing it with magnifi-
cent live oaks for shade; but art has done
but little. Although it has been the capt.
tai of the State for fOrty-tive years the
population Is yet small. only about thirty
seven hundred, and three-fourthS of them
are negroes. The latter give the place
rather dusky hue. The streets are un-
paved, and but few have paved sidewalks
In walking about one has generally to
take to the sand There are a few very
nice residences and decorated grounds.
but most Of the buildings are rather
Seedy, and hOb-nObbed about in an un-
symmetrical way. The capital building
Is very fair and has a fine improved park
around it. The Leon and the st. James
are the principal notes.-the former a
very fine building. \ great deal of atten-
ton Is given to flowers which help out;
and after all, the place has rather pleas
ing aspect
We were driven out in a carriage to
Lake jackson, six miles back of the city.
on spendid road which, having a red
clay SubSOll basis, packs smooth, unlike
so many of the roads in Florida on which
the sand trampS up till it becomes
nuisance. The lake is fine little body of
water III which fish abound. 1t is about
two miles long and three-quarterS of a
mile wide. -Four years ago a Mr.. Clark.
4 literary man of Tennessee. purchased a
plantation on the borders of and over
cooking this lake, with the avOwed pur-
pose of improving and beautifying it. |
lie laid out town. sold four or five
thousand dollars worth of lots with the !
and expectation of establishing |
here another Florida Chautauuua. But |
he town and the Chautauqua did MT |
naterialiZe. The railroad that was to |
,Ome from ThOmasville past the lake. |
lidn't come. The grand scheme failed |
,Ir. Clark told us he had abandoned the |
Whole business; didn't like Florida any |
low; only came there to stay little while |
n the winter; collect his rents. and get |
way as soon as he could.
So 1t is like many an other paper town
the country, and great expec-
ationS based on nothing The site re-
mains and nothing on 1.-THE expecta-
ions vanished into the air.
In going out to the lake and returning
re had very fine view of the surround |.
ountry, and the way the people live, and
THAT they were doing. A very large
majority of the settlers are cOlOred people,
My here and there a white family: met
carcely any white people on the road.
ut great many negroes. Three-fourths
t this entire county of Leon are blacks,
ct the Democrats manage by various ,
xpedientS to carry their ticket t
The most refreshing thing to us we saw [
n the whole trip was the grand pear |
richards. Hundreds of acres of large. !
ne pear trees, mostly of the LeeOnt ;
arlety. They were in full bloom. Some
the orchards contained, perhaps, two !.
lOusand trees of uniform size, zone l
lape, twenty-five feet high, and stand t
lg III rows as straight as line. They i
ere thing of beauty. \
We left De Funiak on the 1st of April. q
all fools day" and ran down eighty r
lies to :,
PENSACOLA,
le principal town and seaport of western
lOrlda, where we made stop Of eight /
lyS. This is very ancient city, settled Il
1or to l00S by the Spanish. Since that q
me 1t has experienced many changes of b
lgS, leaving traces of its wars in the h
lins of its forts. 1t was nearly Destroy fl
by the civil war and numerous fires. h
1t some quaint land marks and old edi- A
'es remain in the old Spanish portion of -
e city. 1t is now claimed to have a Z
'pulation of 1900 having doubled its u
'pulatlOn the last seven years. 1t has I
excellent harbOr; the deepest water,
rhaps, on the Gulf of Mexico; consider V
lie shipping interest, largely of pine al
mber collected in West Florida and II
her points, and brought in by rail r
7Ssels can be seen in port which have &c
me over the sea from every part of the %
Jrld.
We, with party of friends from De b
miak and new-made acquaintance of NJ
and tourists from other parts. tr
ent two days on the bay and guilt visit Y
3 the various points of interest. There "
re about twenty-five in the party COM
Sed in part of the following persons: ~
of. Patterson, wife and daughter Gen. VI
irinO, and Mrs. DR.. Rizer, of Pensacola: III
of. McDanielS and wife, of De Funiak: nc
:. E. ). Penn, wife and daughter, of Mt. ed
9aSant, Iowa; Miss Ridgeway, of Chica- as
!; Mrs. FOlger and Mrs. Mann. of Gin vi
matt, and Mr.. Lockwood, a student of re
: Ohio University. 10,
The first day we took sail vessel and NJ
'ssed the bay and went down the pass cI tI
the quarantine station where we land III
and had lunch on the little island, De
ldllng fire and making coffee after WI
Ich we sailed on five or six miles and tn
ded on Santa Rosa Island The island Kt
ng but few hundred yards wide at tn,
S point we all walked across to the re,
#, where couple of hours were spent I'll
Strolling along the beech gathering sea W.
Ills. At3 P. NJ. we embarked and sailed Ml
* to the city, arriving about P. NJ, TO
wing had very enjoyable day. me
The next day we chartered little us
am tug, started at in the morning. HI
'sed over the bay and about ten miles tb,
on the gulf, where we cast anchor co,
| spent some time in fishing on what bo ~
y call Snapperbanks," but it is in iio
enty-tive feet of water. After satisfy
ourselves with this sport we steamed
k to Fort Pickens on the point of Santa
Sa Island, where we again took lunch. bu
boat furnishing hot coffee and to stn
h guest a Sumptu0uS dish of chowder. %" 81
ter dinner the fort was inspectedin all Vi
parts. We found it large, strong. an.
well built fort, but i'll it no garrison, J
but one mounted cannon: nor did we er