The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-05-14

was the only peas they ought to
grow. In this vicinity aud for miles
eastward oats in the field were dead
ripe and we saw stalwart hands
swing cradles, May 2. In the vicinity
| of Lake City farmers told US they
had not had q good, first class rain
for almost twelve months. but they
have had an occasional dust laying
shower. The farmers are still plow-
ing, seeding and living in hope.
claiming that their only salvation is
to keep the soil we'll stirred and
create a moisture. The F. G. &
P. company has whitewashed and
painted it's depots and it makes them
look much more inviting than of
former years.
On this trip we had good view
of the battle field of Olustee. Here.
tofore passengers have located it
wrong for me. This time our
conductor showed us the exact spot.
There were the time-worn picket
fences around the graves of many a
boy in blue or gray. The young
jack oaks have grown up all over
when fighting was the thickest, as
they always seem TO do over deserted
battle fields. The earth in that
vicinity was perfectly parched and
thirsting for rain. Some one had
set the grass on fire and it had fred
the great dead pine trees, filling the
air full Of smoke and sending puffs
of hot smoke into the car windows.
AS the fire was headed in the direc-
ton of the battle field no doubt all
has been burned of.
At our retired country home we
can live in seclusion, we can live
without poetry, music or art, but we
hardly think we could do we'll and
be supremely happy without taking
trip at least, over portion of the
Plant System Of railroads in Florida
At least to go as we have gone.
The land where the lemon tree blooms,
Where the gold orange grows in the green
thickets gloom.
Where the wind ever soft from the blue
heavens blow,
And groves are of myrtle and orange and
rose
Full of comfort and good cheer is
the land of Ormond, surrounded by
all the attractions of Semj-Tropical
Florida.
AT our first station out, where we
halted, We saw strawberries take
fall; small youth came on board
with several crates full of very in
different berries, "peanut" spied him
and believing that his trade was
being interfered with proceeded with
out authority from Mr.. Plant to give
him the g. b. p. d. q. grand bounce,
pretty-quick) and off he went,
strawberries and his mad little frame
rolling over and over in the saw dust.
The piney woods, with the scrub
palmetto for an underground, that
skirts either side of the road between
Jacksonville and St. Augustine is
not very inviting to the eye, rather
monotonous, but when St. Augustine,
is reached, the oldest of them all,
what change, with it's splendid sea
wall offering fascinating prominade,
its old and quaint Spanish cathedral,
slave market, narrow streets; beauti
fnl palms, grand caravansaries in the
shape of the Ponce de Leon,
Cordova and AlcAzar. The season
for gaiety at these places had passed
and they were deserted for the time
being, and as we walked through
their grand halls, we felt as if we
stood alone in some banquet hall
deserted.
The whole surroundings of the
Plant system at Jacksonville has an
air of neatness and businesslike
proportions. AS our train backed in
to the depot dazzling with bright
ness we were forcibly reminded of
those who can be seen daily at the
first-class depots of Indianapolis,