The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-08
TWO PRETTY TOWNS.
Yalaha end Bloomfield, Inviting Spots
for Winter Homes.

| for Winter Homes.
| YALAHA AND BLOOMFIELD, LAKE
| COUNTY, FLA, Aug. 4-These two beauti-
full little towns are situlted within a mile Of
each other on the south side of Lake Har-
ris, one Of the loveliest sheets OF water in
all this region of lakes. The Indian name
is said TO have been Astatula, Lake of Sun
| beams, which Is certainly more approprI-
ate-a veritable lake of sunbeams it is.
| Our towns are on the narrowest part Of
| the peninsula, midway between the Atlantic
| and gulf. Forty miles las the crow flies'
to the east OF US and the deep blue ocean
rolls" waiting to US her life-giving breeEes;
from about the same distance on
| sends back her briLy breezes,
thus there is scarcely moment
day or night that these cool winds are not
making life a thing of joy. Am life
worth the libbin'F Yes, just to drink in
the delight of these spicy breezes" which
blow as softly as from "Ceylon's ISLE" va
laha is the older of the two towns, having
been settled some eighteen or twenty years
ago by Capt. A. j. Phares and Maj. A. E.
Drake from Alabama The natural ad-
vantages are many; the town lying Imme-
| diately upon the lake upon bluff OF from
| fifteen TO twenty feet high, and hid
| among the orange groves the houses peep
| out Capt. Phares place is "a thing of
| beauty and a Joy forever Drake Point
| lies east Of Yalaha, and while it is not be-
| hind in natural advantages, the owners only
| spend the winters here and that tells the
tae,n as the many tourists from all over
| these broad United States, who have visited
it, will bear me out in giving the palm 30
| the hospI.able home Of the Phareses.
Yclaha has two stores-general merchan-
dise-and beautiful little Southern Methos
dist church. Two good wharfs, belonging
to the Florida Central and Peninsular and
Florida Southern railroads, are kept in
| good repair aud during the shipping sea-
son, from sSep.emLe or 10 June, these present
| a lively appearance. as two large steamers
make two daily trips each around and
across the lake to the railroads on the north
| shore.
Leesburg, our county metropolis, lies al
most in full view more than six miles across
the lake to the northwest. Our lake looks
| quite oceanic to all newcomers.
To the south OF Yalaha lies the ceme-
| terry. where sleep the Flowed and lostn OF
both towns and surrounding country. Going
half mile farther, perhaps not 30 far, we
1 pass the mid way" school house, where the
| young of both town are gently led up the
| "hill of science" Here a public school is
held for six months each year, generally
| beginning in October.
| South Of the school house is the town of
i our COlOT6u ClblLSub, WHO uaN6 Two
| Methodist and Baptist, also a school house
They are peaceable, polite and industrious,
living for the most part in their own
| homes.
Now we are in Bloomfield, which is one
half mile away from the lake on quite an
elevation. surrounded by high hills and
lovely sheets of water At the foot of
Bloomfield avenue are two wharves similar
to those In Yelaha, and which do as much
| or more business
Eight years ago W. D. Mendenhall from
Indiana started his grove and home in the
pine woods. The site was so beautiful and
he doomed" it 80 successfully that very
soon town sprung up around him. Now
it is a town OF groves, each home being in a
two and half, five or ten acre lot sur
rounded with orange trees Bloomfield also
has two stores and both towns postotfices.
These towns are particularly favored
dramatically, for we can grow to perfection
not only the semi-tropical fruits but many
truly tropical ones Capt. Phares realizes
quite handsome income from the choice
varieties Of bananas. He has also the sweet
sop" or sugar apple fruiting and has had for
| several years. In Bloomfield w. d. Men
denhall has date palm which has set quite
a number of fruits, and DIR. Feemster has
! two mango trees heavily loaded with fruit.
In fact we raise pineapple and guavas the
year round. Guavas ripened from August
last year TO April this, and then the drought
forced them TO take a rest The trees are
full Of fruit now. but they are small aud
will be later, owing to that five months
drought Again July was without rain
in our towns-yes, one shower on July s.
Ii Florida's climate were as hot as persons
north Of US believe, We would be parched
up now, but only where the commercial
fertilizer has been lately applied, do we see
any bad effects on the groves; such drought
"up the country" las we style all state.
north of us and the grass would be dry, but
our COWS come from the range-we have nc
pastures yet--not caring for suppers.
Five miles west OF Bloomfield are the
"kaolin BEDS where a $4,000 plant ha;
just been put in - make ready the clay fol
firm In New Jersey. 1t is claimed we have
the finest kaoin in the world.