The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-11
WHERE THE ROADS MEET
AND WHERE TRAVELLERS WAIT
FOR BOATS AND TRAINS.


Cleaned from Walls-Placest to Which
Tourists Go, but in Which They Do
Not larry - Fancies Of q Weary
Drummer.
RIVER JUNCTION, FLA, March T.
/ Chattahochee-River Junction.
The short twilight of February evening
has faded away, and darkness has closed
about the scene as 1 take a seat on the plat
| form in front of the Riverside otel, near the
wharf. look out across the placid river at
| the red and green lights which CLEAN from
the great iron draw-bridge of the Pensacola
and Atlantic railroad, spanning the Apa-
lachicola at this point, and listen TO the
restful murmuring of the water as it glides
against the piers of the bridge. Ever
and anon the mournful boot of an owl
! comes from the neighboriug swamp. mingled
with the harsh croak of the inevitable bull
frog. Family falls upon the listening ear
the sweet but distant tones of the evening
bell at the Florida asylum, which the soft
breezss bring across the swamp from the
village Of ChattahOochee, two miles away.
Presently is heard the whistle of a freight
train and even the rumble of the wheels in
the distance. as the train approaches
the junction TO the east of the
river And now the roar and
noise Of the cars die away,
the bell has ceased its ringing on the Chat
tahoochee highlands, the hooting of the
great swamp owl is stopped for time, and
even the big frog Is at rest. Nothing is
heard but the never-ceasing murmur of
the river as it hurries onward to the gulf,
and as sit there on the quiet platform of
the hotel, enjoying the fragrance of a good
cigar, fall into reverie.
In the journey Of life-I think-how
many thousands of people of all sorts and
| descr ptions, ages and conditions, have lin
gered temporarily at this well-known spot,
| celebrated among travelerss How many
souls who have now passed away from
earth forever have walked this platform
and gazed upon this self-same river, and
| listened, perhaps, to these nocturnal sounds?
| What hopes and fears, what joys and sor-
| rows have animated or depressed alike
human breasts at this quiet station IN the
| swamps of Florida! Yet, though the stream
of life has ebbed and flowed for many long
years through this gateway to the gulf,
| and though the poet and novelist could
| here have found abundant material for
| song and story, the fact remains that no
pen has ever done the place justice. Many
| thousands of Americans, now living who
have visited Chattahoochee, some perhaps
| having been detained there for DAYS at a
time, VIII be carried back in memory to
the place as they read these lines, and
| doubtless the picture will come back fresh
as life to their mind's-viSon Down the
vista of years will come floating back to re-
| collection the little hotel elevated on pill
ings; the majestic river flowing be-
tween its willow-fringed banks; the
big railroad bridge; the Florida Central and
Pelinsular warehouse and tracks built GA
trestling; the little island in the river just
below the bridge; and an occasional timber
raft lazily drifting by on its way to ''Apa-
lache" Perhaps will be recalled the intense
monotony of the spot, the awful stiffness
which usually reigns there when no boat is
at the wharf, with no sound to be heard save
the drowsy tinkle of a cows bell in the
swamp, the plunge of fish in the river, or
| the scream of a Wild goose as an occasional
| flock passes overhead on their way to their
| feeding grounds at Lake Ochesee.
~
To those who have never visited Chatta-
hoochee or River Junction | will explain
that considerable confusion has always
| existed among travellers as to the identity
| of the two Tor rather three places. In
other words, many persons have found il
difficult to tell (which was which" There
are three separate and distinct points, all of
| hoochee," and all situated within
radius of three miles. The first settle
| ment here was at the present village
| of Chattahoochee, in the shape
of a fort built by the government many
years ago, during the fierce Indian wars.
| AS the tide of civilization advanced and the
red man retired Sullenly to the everglades.
the necessity for the fortress passed away,
and here upon its site, in 49,, the govern
ment of Florida erected the state asylum
| for the insane. This is a well conducted
| institution. having at present many patients
under the management of DR.. II. P. Smith.
| The asylum and grounds are on the outskirts
of the village of Chattahoochee, which con-
| talnS about 200 inhabitants and has half
dozen stores, and postofiice of that name
The village is situated on an elevated plain,
| which is reached by a succession of high
hills after leaving "River Junction" one
and half miles distant
River junction is the station and post
office of that name, and is the terminus of
three great railroad lines, viz: the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western, the Pensacola
and Atlantic, and the Florida Central and
Penlnsular formerly the Florida Railway
and Navigation). These big railway lines
here converge at junction situated in the
heart of one of the sickliest and most fright
full swamps in the south. By what process
of civil engineering, or by what accident
| Va BScSIdpnJ OHIs LlpOTbdIlU railway Juno
ton came to be located at this spot, the
writer has never found any one able to
answer. Certain it is that a more unin-
wiling or gloomy place exists not on this
continent. The railway passenger station
and telegraph office, the union freight de-
pot, three or four small stores, a small
hotel, couple of negro restaurants, a water
tank, a turn table, and a network of rail-
way tracks, and you have picture of this
well-known junction, the ..'night-mare'' of
all West Florida travellers The station
and warehouse. the tracks, and most of the
buildings here are on ''made ground The
clearing is bounded on the one side by the
swamp of the river, and on the other
by that of "Musquito" creek, a
dismal looking stream which flows directly
by the Junction The mosquitoes of this
place have a national reputation. The
writer can cheerfully testify to the fact
that they are the most vicious able-bodied
and altogether persistent insects he has
ever encountered. The malaria at River
Junction is deadly and ever present. Dur
ing the summer the railroad crews 60 out
every evening on what they call "health
train" to either Quincy, on the Florida
Central and Peninsular, twenty-five miles
distant, or Snead's, on the Pensacola and
Atlantic road, five miles across the river
where they spend the nights, returning at Z
o'clock in the morning.
~