Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-01-23
From a Former Resident.

MELBOURNE Fla, Jan. 18th, $780,
To the Editor of the EXPosIToR;
DEAR SIR,-IIaving copy of your
paper before me and thinking that
some of its readers might want to know
what has become of the 99-cent man of
Yale, will pen these few lines. if you
can put them in print. | left Yale on
the 18th of December at 9.45 a. M, ar
irving in Detroit early in the evening;
left Detroit at 10 p. m, arriving at Gin
cinnati at am; left Cincinnati at8l5
u. m. and crossed the Ohio river into
Kentucky for Chattanooga by way of
Lexington, on the Cincinnati, New Or
leans x Texas II. II. After leaving
Lexington we went up grade distance
of six miles as we assembled the Cum
berland mountains. | was told that
there were several tunnels to pass
through before arriving at Chattanoo-
ga, so took out pencil and paper and
began to mark them down as we passed
through. kept count till night came
OH and it was SO dark that | could not
tell where the tunnels were. | had
then counted 20 of them, but the con-
ductor told me there were ~ in all.
The sight was grand as we were pass
ing over those mountains. Arrived at
Chattanooga at p. M, and left for
Jessup, Ga, via Eten & Georgia r.. II.
Passing through Atlanta, Ca, early in
the morning we arrived at Jessup at
p. m. on the Savanna, Florida IL Key
West II. r., arriving at Jacksonville at
1045 pm. Left Jacksonville next day
at 1910 pm, arriving at Tltusville ear
ly in the evening. Titusville is at the
head of the Indian river. We took
the boat at q. IN. for this place, Mel
bourne, arriving about 3 p. M, being
from Tuesday morning till Saturday
evening making the journey,a distance
of ,427 miles. The weather here is all
that can be asked for, every day the
same, just like June in the north.
Christmas day we took dinner out in
the shade with the thermometer So in
the shade, and the thermometer stood
20 to 50 every day since have been
here. l have been here now three
weeks and have been along the river a
distance of about 80 miles. Have Wis
tied q great many fine orange groves
and gardens. Oranges are very good
crop, but they have not commenced to
ship yet. rs there is no frost here they
don't hurry TO ship them. Lemons are
very plentiful and the ground is cover
ed with them, they being SO cheap in
the north that il don't pay to ship
Chem. There axe ripe lemons, green
and blossoms ali on the same tree. In
the gardens ! sHW tomato plants that
have borne fruit three and four years.
some tomatoes are ripe. some green
and some in blossom. Also saw men
planting beans. and picking and ship
ping beans out Of the same garden.
My father-in-laW, Mr. Bailey, came
here in October last. He has potatoes
that he planted when he first came that
are just coming in bloom. others just
coming out of the ground and he has
been planting more this week, so you
see we can haye green fruit and vege-
tables any time in the year, and as for
the climate I find it very healthy. The
people here are mostly from the north,
very few crackers" as the natives are
called, and but few colored people.
Farm stock Is very scarce, having seen
but one COW, three horses and two OF
three mules. Milk is 10 cents per quart
Everyone goes by boat and everything
is transported the same way as there
are no roads here like ours at the north
Mr.. Bailey and saw large alligator
in the creek the other day. ran to the
house, got the gun, crawled -, 20 with.
in 20 feet of him and fired. Al e crawled
off into the water, turned up his head
as much as to say, you can't hurt me
and was gone. saw him again next
day, got within ten feet of him and
gave him another charge of shot, but
he went off laughing, so l have come
to the conclusion not to waste powder
hunting alligators. Ducks and fish are
very plentiful, This is an open pine
country, mostly the Georgia pitch pine
1t makes very nice finishing fol
houses when oiled and vanished.
am negotiating with parties for tract
Of pine land one mile back from the
Indian river which / intend to lumber
as soon as close the bargain. The
timber is not very large but tall and
straight and the land is very level will
no underground. You can see through
the timber one-half to three-quarters OF
a mile. Good bye for this time, vii
write again.
J. G.. HART.