Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-03-24
SOUTHERN LETTER.
Many Places of Interest to Visitors
And Readers.
Jacksonville and Sanford Tavares Flori-
da's Lake Region Ocala-A Beau
tiful and Powerful Spring.

tiful and Powerful Spring.
| JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
On the 9Th inst we started to retrace
our steps as far northward as Titusvllle,
by taking the train at Juno for Jupiter.
and thence by steamer up the Indian
River, reaching Reekledge next morn
ing, where we breakfasted and were
transferred to another boat. which at II
NJ. landed us at Titusyille. We took
train, which here connects with the boat,
and runs between
TITUSvILLE AND SANFORD.
Along the road between these two points,
there is nothing of interest to the travel
era dismal looking region-l noticed
nothing striking but the odor OF dead
sale by the way, which, doubtless, had
bee.l killed by the cars, whilst in search OF
food until we reached Enterprise, situa-
ted On the north edge of Lake Monroe,
the terminus of steamboat navigation ON
the vt. Johns River, 1913 miles south OF
Jackseaville. There the railroad bears
to the souti, of Enterprise Junction, cross
es the river L'n drawbridge, and skirts
around the lake to the south side where
is situated
SANFORD.
This is a business like and thriving town,
has fine .hotei-the Sanford-fronting
on the lake, .sesen railroads, fine sur
rounding scenery. and In the suburbs,
large orange groves. .one consisting OF
100 acres 1t is oatstri, ,pping Enterprise
in size and Importance
From Sanford onrroute lay almost due
west to
TAvAREs,
the county seat of Lake county, where
we stopped over pight to avoid night
travel. 1t has large fi.e brick hotel,
and also huge opera house, of which It's
two or three hundred inhabitants boast
The town is situated between Lake Eus- !
tis and Lake Dora-the latter we passed
on our wagon the border of which is /
Mt. Dora, the seat of the South Florida
Chautauqua- The lake is said 20 furnish !
fine fishing On the train | met party
of four gentlemen from New York, fine
looking men, who were on their way to
Dora for the purpose of fishing and ilunt-
ing. They were snt on sight icing
and sporting tour through Florida, synd
were seeking for the best places to enjo
their favorite sport. They told me they
had four guns and plenty of ammunition
with them, (and / presume, plenty OF
and were bent on finding what
they we're seeking Finding that l had
just come from the Indiana and Lake
Worth region, they quickly interviewed
me on the subject, TO get information re-
garding it, and the chances of finding
there, what they sought. | gave their
such glowing-not to say eloenent-de- /
of the beauties of the place, and
of the number of ducks they would see
and could shoot, the other game-bears,
tigers and deer they would scare-the
awful number and size of the fish walt
ing to be caught, and the wondrous beau
lies of the Lake Worth region. that they
with one voice resolved that go there
.hey would.
In the morning we left Tavares and
on our way through the
LAKE REGION.
starting out northward along the east )
shore of Lake Eustis, one of chain of 1,
axes, line of steamboats, is run daily
through this lake region. On the shores :
If these lakes are located many hand
ome residences Fish abound in great i,
'ariety, and fine sport can be had with :,
cd and reel. On the shore of Lake Eus r
is is situated the town of Eustis. a bright :,
title gem of place, nestlel by its
ide, often called the "Queen City" of the
treat Lake Region of Flori1a, and is $50
niles south Of.Jacksonville.
Steamboats,, yachts and row-boats were Il
lere seen plying the lake. Within
adius of two miles there are now plant
ID $1,000 orange trees, thousands of lemon
rees, 10000 peach, $500 grape vines, 800
,lum and 500 pear trees, and countless
numbers of guavas and pineapple n
north to Fort Mason we
hen turned due west, and along the
lorth end of the lake, and in few miles
anne to Lake Griffin; then following its d.
Outhern border few miles farther, we 8
rrive at the somewhat important town
# Leesburg, situate on the north border y
# Lake Harris, in the region of the head II
far nf nolyl ylo, ha vi
his point our route ran on the Florida IL
southern Railroad past Lake Weir, and
n the the 10th inst, at 40 P. NJ, struck n
)cala.
One of the notable things about this
AXE region is, that it is the most elevated
ortion of Florida; the dividing ridge, so fiji
o speak, running west from Sanford to B
he Withlacoochee River. The waters III
orth of this ridge, including the water
rom the lakes, flow north into the At
antic through the st. Johns River, and
outh of it they flow south into Lake VI
)keechobee through the Kissimonee Riv- a. "a
r This lake, so far as is at present ~
nown, has nonatural surface outlet. 1t :"
near the border of what is known as 10
he Everglades. These lakes eight in "
generally connected the one
nth the other by either natural or arti- of
cial canals. Lake Griffin is substan- ri,
ally the source of the Ocklawaha, and NJ
he waves from the other lakes that flow no
lto it, are carried through that river into lin
be St. Johns, aud thence to the Atlantic
'cean This section of the State is very -.
In travelling through it, one NJ
, seldom out of sight of lake or an or :,
nge grove-some of the latter being ~
cry large. The fact is the orange cul- av
nre seems to be the main, and in some
ases the only, pursuit.