The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-10-31
FLORIDA LETTER.
A Chapter of Oddities.
OCT. 20, 1890.

LIZA lOrlud, dltnOuSn lne ear
Hest discovered and settled of all the
States of the Union, was, up to the
time of the late war, less frequented
and less known than almost any por-
ton of the Republic. Differing so
radically from the other States in ge-
Ographlcal position, character of eli
mate and soil, AS also in the cOmpO-
sition of its inhabitants, one migl t
but reasonably expect to find midi
tions, both material, social, political
and otherwise. quite diverse from
other portions of the country and
one well acquainted, through trav Il
and study, might present an ex-
tended and most interesting list of
odd facts touching life in this State.
Time and opportunity will enable
me to iot down for the readers of
THE REPUBLICAN only few things
in this line.
No other State of the Union is so
intimately identified with the world
of waters. We have fifteen hundred
miles of ocean.front. or coast, incIud.
ing the gulf side. and are, in fact, al
most surrounded by the sea. Added
to this, not less than about one-third
of the surface, or some 12,000,000 Of
the 81 900 900, acres comprising the
State, is composed of water, in the
form of bays. inIets, lakes, rivers,
creeks, and SO on.
No other State is 50 near the heart
of the world. Excepting a limited
section in the northern central pOr-
ton, no part of this vast common
wealth reaches an elevation of 200 feet
above tide-Water. If once all the
giants Of the ages should con g
trampling.over our domain we mis- mt
inded be sunk below the seas!
No other State has such limited
range Of temperature. Tens of Ihou~-
and- of our people never feel c1ld be-
low 30 degrees or Eeat above 95 de-
grees. This gives a range of IS de-
greeS. In Maine or Wisconsin, as in
many other States. the range rXtends
over l40 degrees, or from 100 degrees
above to 40 degrees below zero.
No other State has had so many
pine trees. Not lass than one thOuS-
and million pines stood upon this
Peninsula when old Ponce de Leon,
in the year 1912, landed at ST Aug
Justine. Many millions of these ever
green "db0risines" have been laid
low yet to-day the pines of Florida
are more valuable. and Of more in.
terest TO the building world, than
those of any Of the other States Of
the Union.
No other State has had 50 slow a
growth. Nearly 400 years have
passed away since white men first
landed on these shores, aud to-day
Kansas, Nebraska and other States
of the rn0rth-Wpst, that were UNI
troddpn wild1 20 to 80 years ago, are
not 80 "new" rs Florida! Aud this
leads me to say that
No other State has so i0zy popu.
latiOn! | think that man who, ac
cording to the Well.knOwn story,
chose rather to he buried than to ac.
cept bushel of WasheAed corn, of.
ferred by IA compassionate neighbor,
TO keep him from starving, must
have been Floridian. How to do
SO as not to do ii is the closest study
of the average nation, white or black.
Indeed, ererythinQ is lazy here. Even
the seasons come lazIly! Both the
animal and vegetable world have
caught it also. The crow flies and
caws like professional SLOUGH, and
will not get out more than half as
many hills of corn in morning as
in Maryland corr-tield. The aver
age man who is paid for going, meyer
sees a snail unless the two are going
in opposite directions. 1t takes ma
ture six months to put a head on a
cabbage!
No other Safe can show more cd.
dity of physiognomy, speech, social
and domestic costumes. style of buIld-
ing, of farming, of travelling, and
many other things. A genuine, org
inal type Florida Cracker" is unlike
ANYTHING else called man. And the
speech is as odd as the man. His
horse sometimes won't pull nary ii
peg" and his famiIy's health is "on'y
tolIable." He gifts thar" when the
circus comes, and will tell you next
day that "hit was a stavin' one,
shoore!" The boys carry lhe"hoSses"
to water. and tote the taterS to the
housins." The young man 'startin'
out" leads his best girl to church by
the left hand. The typical Florida
house is built of poles, laid UP as
Kansas youngsters build corn cobs,
and the style is 1.-TWO pens and pi
.zz, ~ with "shpddedO slepDiug-