The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-02-26
THE SUNNY SOUTH.
Among the Orange Groves Typical Fle
ida Towns.

Gras, Feb. 10th, at New Orleans, we
journeyed eastward to Pensacola where
we stayed one day. 1t is a beautiful
place upon we'll protected bay. Here
were 500 vessels waiting to be loaded
with hard pine lumber. Some were
bound for New York, France, Germany
and England. It is great commerce
for the place. The day was warm and
the air very fragrant with the pine.
One begins to realize he is in Florida.
Many plants were in bloom.
From Pensacola we went nearly
eastward across the state to Jackson
vile. 1t is one great plain of sand, up
on which stand pine and cypress
whose heads rise upward from 100 to
$50 feet. Here and there we saw par
ties planting tobacco. At Tallahassee
we found the place standing on quite
an elevation for Florida. 1t is like all
southern towns, built "summery like"
1t is the capital, but presents no me-
tropolitan stir. 5000 people live here,
but what there is, save little cotton,
tobacco and sugar cane no one seemed
able to tell. True there are few saw
mills, but the lumber industry of Mo-
bile and Pensacola quite absorbs any
effort of smaller towns.
At Jacksonville we found a town
made up Ct hotels and boarding hous-
es. On every corner a hotel sign is
visible, or the inevitable "Rooms To
Let" staring you in the face. Hotels
which charge from So to 81 are none
too good for a man who is accustomed
to the Windsor in St. Paul or Mime
apolis. Houses hanging out a sign
with 81 rate, need to be Stunned.
The fare is abominable and the bed
wretched. Chickens, eggs and fish are
reasonably good, but the steak is as
tough as leather and as blue as the
ocean. There are several very excel,
lent hotels at Jacksonville, where the
tourist can find rest and refreshment
There are several very delightful
rides around here on the water. One
can go down the St. John to Maypor1
a distance of Is miles, and there upon
the sandy beach, hear old ocean moan
and lash the shore. At Pablo bea Oh
hundreds 90 out daily to gather shells
but alas for the shells-they simply &C
to gather them. Better stay at home
and with your money buy them.
At St. Augustine the traveller fully
realizes he is in Florida. This quaint
charming city of over 800 years growth
is situated on bay in full sight of the
ocean. One can read of its narrow
streets, odd shaped houses and shell
roads, but he needs to see them to full.
ly appreciate them. st. George, one
OF the principal streets of the old
Spanish town proper, is not more than
"A feet wide. Treasury street, in 6
certain part, is only 8 feet. Fort San
Marco, now Fort Marion, stands upon
an elevation overlooking the bay. Here
the tourist is shown through the sew.
eral apartments, such as dungeons
cells, and guard rooms. The guide re.
lated some pretty hard stories about
ye olden times. Here we stood where
never sun shines, nor fresh air moves
and saw the spot where two skeletons
were found chained to the wall, sup.
posed to have been condemned BY
Spanish inquisition. St. Augustine
has some lovely drives. Here one car
boat, fish and hunt with success.
To-day the air is very fragrant with
bursting orange blossoms. It seems
strange to see a tree in full bloom
while at the same time it hangs yellow
with oranges. To-day as we sat be-
meath the shade of tree which hune
full of the golden fruit eating what We
had plucked with our own hands, We
felt our boyhood dream fully realized
Here in a grove of $500 trees fully la
den with oranges and orange blossoms
What more poetical picture could {
northern son desire. One can bu,
what they call drop fruit THAT is fruit
which falls from the tree and is to<
ripe to ship for 81 per hundred. Thu
best stem cut fruit which goes to oul
markets in the north is worth 80 cents
per dozen in the orchards. Every deal
or sells Indian river fruit at 60 cent.
per dozen, when the real fact is tina
very few stands get any such fruit
We personally visited an orchard n
miles from st. Augustine and foune
the celebrated Indian river fruit beine
packed. The manager smiled when b,
said the Yankees didn't know the diff
ference.
A very beautiful place near St. Aug
Justine is North Beach. It is directl,
on the shore of the ocean, and Will,
you eat your dinner in the pavilion
the breakers roll and burst into foam
ing white rolls. Here one can eniov ,
dip in the surf. 1t is a strange fact
but true, that the water here in tn,
ocean in mid winter is four degrees
warmer, than it is at Bar Harbor, Me-
in July and August.
For one week we have sweltered i,
an atmosphere ranging from IS to 8:
in the shade. To-day as stood upo,
the iron balcony of Anastasia igh
house l65 feet above terra irma. tn,
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