The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-10-29
My Florida.
LETTER OF EX-PRESIDENT CLEvELAND'S
SISTER, IN LIPPINCOTT's MAGAZINE, OC-
TOBER, 1890.

tons on human nature, says that to
each John there are three Johns
John, Johns John, and my John; sug-
gestive way of putting the old truth that
the thing seen depends upon the person
seeing. To Florida there would appear
to be many more than three Floridas,
each observer seeing Florida OF his own,
and reporting the Florida he has seen.
1t therefore behooves one who reports
his impressions, opinions, or convictions
of Florida to assume at the outset all re-
sponsibility for the same by stating, once
for all, that he speaks OF the Florida he
has seen. One must not shirk the pos
sessive pronoun. | speak of my Florida.
In the last two years I have seen agood
deal of Florida; but consider that am
thoroughly we'll acquain ted only with the
Florida in which | have lived and moved
and literally had my being for months
the lower half of the peninsula, which,
commencing with Orange county, is now
very generally known and set off by it
self as South Florida.
OF course the first thing to be said
about Florida concerns her climate; in
deed this might be the last thing and the
middle thing and the only thing. Ger
tainly climate is not all, hut it is so much
the chief, that it's value is threefold in
proportion to all other graces in the cat
egory of Florida's attractions. Outside
of this trinity are many others, but this
grace of climate alone will insure the fu-
ture of Florida The climate OF South
Florida is revelation to the novice, a
new and undreamed of thing. One does
not, save in the experience of it, imagine
that the air-atmosphere seems the bet
ter WOrd-cOuld hold for one elements so
friendly, so congenial, so nourishing; tina t
in the viewless element we breathe could
be so palpable an animus of good intent,
a disposition to do one good. In other
climes it has not seemed fancifuI to speak
OF the air as malevolent, as unfriendlY.
Here it seems sheer fact and sober Justice
to call the air one breathes benevolent
friendly atmosphere that goes far to-
wards making one feel welcomed, put at
ease, waited upon, consulted as to con-
venience and taste; in short made to feel
at home.
On reflection, why should it not be SO?
When the facts geographical and physical
are taken into account, what is there lack
ing that should be present in order to
produce just this atmosphere? In South
Florida, where the peninsula narrows.
where are no mountain barriers to shut
in and shut out all movements in the air,
where only gentle undulations of pine for
est roll between ocean and gulf where
breezes from southern seas come constant
ly from one side or the other, filtered
through miles of pine forest which lend
to these breezes their own healing breath
and mix their tonic with the stimulus of
the salt sea, where the porus earth re-
tains no damp to chill in after breaths-
where could anything unfriendly find a
hiding place?
Doubtless what l have just said will be
deemed the product OF enthusiasm, and a
repetition of the first experience OF many
others. Exactly this it is, only it is not
precisely first exerience; second, if you
please, three times as long as the first. 1t