Smyrna times., 1892-08-17
For the Smyrna Times.
FLORIDA-ITS MODES OF
TRAVEL BY LAND AND WATER,

NEW SMYRNA, VoLUsIA Co. FLA,
August 1892.
All along the Indian River are to be
seen ruins of the early Spanish settlers.
They are mostly built of Coquina, a
species of river rock formed of earth
and shells, that while imperviOus to
the weather is easily broken. Some OF
these are over two hundred years old,
and how they have stood the test of
the elements beating against them dur
ing all that period is a mystery, the
more so as they can be kicked to pieces
without trouble.
Many of the older residents here
show traces Of their Spanish origin in
in their black hair and eyes and
swarthy complexion.
Horseback riding is the universal
means to get over the country when
the rivers are not used A country
road here bears no resemblance to
what passes with you as such. A mar
row lane ankle deep in fine black and
white sand that shifts under your feet
the moment they press it. On either
side is thick underground of rank
vegetation, so thick that if you were to
leave the road for any distance it is
doubtful if you would ever regain it.
Above this, huge live oaks, their out
Speeding branches draped thickly with
southern moss. Cabbage palms with
the artistic plating of fibre about their
trunks hedge in each side.
This outline may be continued for
miles, no familiar fencing or hedge
rows, no openings in the sinuous line
to open up the cheerful farm surround
ings. You ask yourself where do the
people live ? Strange deep noises are
heard in the profound depths through
which you are passing.
The metallic sound of the rattle
snake in giving warning you know not
where to locate. All around appears
to murmur, desolation of desolation.
The sun may now beat fercely down
upon you, and a wall of vegetation on
either side intensifies the torrid heat.
Suddenly you hear a crash, and then a
deep hiss as of escaping steam and |
bursting through the thicket an allga-
tor creeps across your path and giving
you glace with his wicked eyes dis.
appears on the other side. This is a
country road in Florida-all wildness,
all sameness. The effect is to develop |
horse back riding as a necessity. Some
OF the best riders I have yet seen down
here are young ladies. They go for
miles through these narrow blazed
roads. Should you look closely at
them you would not fail to see the butt
OF a revolver prOtruding from their
belts, and it is surmised that from the
nature of their environment they
would use on the instant if molested.
The stores are built generally in
towns along the river on piling, and
the Palmetto logs may extend
their whole length oyer the water.
This is done to save road as the easiest
way to get along, it happens, is by the
river bank windings. The door ways
are very wide and it is no uncommon
thing to see customer, bright young
girl, drive her little Mexican pony
through the store doorway and riding
up to the counter reach over and hand
the clerk her order while the ponv
nibbles at the sugar left in the scale
scoop. Along these sandy roads hicy.
Gle riders would be discounted all the
the time by these fleet Mexican ponies.
The negroes would gladly take to the
silent steeds for the sake of emulating
the whites, but there is too much rid
ing afOot about it. Over in Georgia it
is different, the roads are hard, old,
red sandstone, and the darkies think
nothing of taking a spin on their five
fOOters from Cordele to Americus 80
miles. This explains what became of
all the highwheeled bicycles after the
safety was introduced, They found
their way south stopping however at
the Florida border. There could be an
exception to this however. l was over |
to COrOndo Beach few weeks ago and {
how hard and compact the tide sand |
was and as this extends North to San I
Pablo Beach, nearly seventy miles, 1
the finest bicycle stretch i'm
aginable: outside of this there is no a
making headway. The sailhoats of u
the rivers are study. They combine a
the fine lines of yacht, with the squat Y
formation of aoow, and being very a
beat TO windward with thespeed t.
Of race horse. They have a large Fl
spread of sail, with dubbed jib, and
ib and main boom taken together from a
l straight fore and aft line, giving them G
rakish saucy appearance. 1t was
quite surprise to me to see how well 81
advanced they are in fleet boats. The @
liver steamboats, are all stern wheelers, il
With the wheel uncovered, great lam n
oering things they are toe, with their two
tall stocks belching forth volumes of n
smoke from reslnous pine They il
make any landing handkerchief Aut- g
ters from, and seem to go to any incOn- Il
venience to accommodate. Beds are
out on the open deolx cano. Il