Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-01-27

glance at this magnificent scenery, we were
fully convinced that the "Suwanee River is
an unexaggerated beauty with which nature
only favored one country, and that is the
| land of flowers.
After leaving the Suwanee River section,
the scenery became very obscure, and only
once in five or six miles was a small village,
composed principally of small frame shanties,
passed.
| Our anxiety began to rise as we neared our
destination, and SO impatient were we becom-
ing at not seeing the outskirts or church stee-
pies of Palmer that we concluded to ask q
large wild looking negro, who was officiating
as porter, about how far we were from that
place, but his reply was anything but encour-
aging, for to our question he replied:
palmer! nerer hern OBJ dat, mister"
| "What! never heard of Palmer, repeat
ed"
| mo sa,', was the African gents reply.
| Go ask your conductor where Palmer is, re-
marked one of the party, in not very gentle
tone, which order the courteous porter prompt
| ly obeyed, and shortly reappeared, with a
| SI1lle OIl CuOpS ludt WdS eQudl W tNO SllCco
of large Florida water melon.
| "De mex station am Palmer, boss, Just on
tudder side OBJ de woods"
| "Lord!' was the simultaneous response,
heard from each of our party as the idea of
landing in the midst of a pine forest dawned
upon us.
palmer station!'' shouted the African port
er as the train drew up alongside of an unfn-
ished depot on one side and the ruins of an
ancient saw-mill on the other.
"Al off for Palmer" broke in the Conduct
or, and the next minute we found ourselves
standing on rough unfinished platform, for
saken even by the sound of the departing
| train.
As the darkness of night was fast approach
ing, the question of shelter was eagerly dis
cussed, in language not characteristic of Sun
day-school goers.
| will state here that before leaving Wash
ington we took the precaution to rent fur
missed house, but just where that house could
be found was more than bewildering ques-
| ton.
| Light hop shouted one of the party, in a
sailor-like tone, and Immediately all eyes were
turned in the direction of small dim light,
which appeared only a short distance from
our standpoint.
| After taking bearings and assuring ourselves
of safe retreat, two of the party were left in
charge of the baggage, whilst myself and the
other member, started in search of the newly
discovered light, and may say our only ray
of hope
l
After walking about half a mile, which
seemed about five miles, over road in which
the sand was at least one foot deep, we reach
i ed the object of our search, which proved to
/ be a one and one-half story frame of the
picturesque southern type. Through the open
windows we discovered bright light within,
and so eager were we to gain admittance that
1--WE both knocked, simultaneously, on the
rough pine door.
Hardly had the sound of our knocking
ceased, when the door was opened by beau
tiful fair haired miss of about fifteen years of
age, who greeted us with smile of welcome,
which could only be compared with that of
an angel. In reply to the question as to the
| location of the house we were to occupy, this
fair miss informed us that we were on the
Threshold of that house, and if we would
kindly step forward, we would enter our tenn
porary home in the sunny south.
At first we were baked, but only for few
seconds as the fact that the time of our ar
rival had been made known to our to-be
friends in the land of flowers, and instead of
having to enter dark unoccupied house, we
were greeted by our fair hostess with a deli
cious supper, served in an artistic manner
natural to those residing in the southern
chimes. We lost but little time in getting ou1
companions with us, to share our new found
treat.
After supper we were socially visited by oul
fair friend, accompanied by her brother and
sister, whom we learned were our next dool
and only near neighbors.
The evening was spent in talking over the
beauties which we expected to see on the fol
lowing morning, in the shape of streets and
avenues of the most picturesque type, and on
the other hand by the total adjustment Of
the hopes by the fact being revealed that the
avenues and streets were only proposed, and
laid out on the maps, copies of which were
!, given us prior to our leaving Washington.
!, The social party was dissolved about ten
o'clock and our first night was enjoyed in oul
sunny home.
The sweet notes of multiplicity of mock
ing-birds awakened US early on the following
morning. After enjoyingaa hearty breakfast
we proceeded to explore our immediate sur
roundings, which must say, in just to our
selves, fell far below our expectations.
i The house which we occupied was situated
on the most elevated portion of the surround
) ing country, in the centre of beautiful orange
!, grove laden with fruit from the size of a small
marble to that of full grown orange. Dur.
ing the forenoon we discovered that instead OF
being III thickly inhabited town, were land
ed in the midst of an almost uncultivated
forest, composed principally of large pine
trees and small scrub-oaks.
Notwithstanding our disappointment upon
not finding Palmer large town, as we antic-
ipated, we were far from being discouraged,
as, during our sojourn, great many hunting
and fishing expeditions were enjoyed which,
in addition to making love to our fair hostess,
occupied the most of our time; the latter, as
one not too old to appreciate, would naturally
presume, was the more preferable of the
two alternatives, as this fair one proved more
than congenial acquaintance to all of our little
party, and even more to one of our members,
as upon my retirement, love affair was with
in radius of easy observation, but as am
not given to poetic raptures or philosophic
meditation I will not attempt to express the
result of this happy meeting.
R. H. TAYLOR
l
| A TEN DOLLAR GOLD PIECE FOR A
CENT.
Sometime ago, a gentleman bet that
| if he stood at the corner of Broadway
and Fourteenth Street, New York, and
offered gold Eagles to the passers-by
for cent each, he would find no pur-