Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-05-11

Are in Bearing and Oleanders in Bloom.
SpecialCorrespondence of Gazette ana journal
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, May 5.-We are
here in the metropolis of Northern Florida,
where orangetrees in bearing and oeanders
i'll bloom are met with in some of the
streets. growing where the curb would be,
were there a curb. These street oranges
are sour but they are as pretty to our
northern eyes as the sweeter fruit Of which
we see some still adhering 20 trees in pri
vate parks and gardens.
We came here from Savannah. on Wed.
nesday, ride of III miles by rail through
monOtonuusly flat and povertv-stricken
region, made up chiefly Of swamps and
pine forests and producing little but lum-
ber and turpGntine. Most of the stations
were simply small groups of insignificant
huts set down in wildernesses of pine
where nobody seemed to live sometimes
not Il dwelling nor q clearing appearing
between one station and another. For so
miles or more below Savannah there
was more swamp than fast land; swamps
with black snaky-lonking water, and
swatnps with sluggish, stAgnant, malarious
water, coated with yeli) and green slime.
Side,tracked a. rural station in this
swampy waste we met an old acquain-
tance, FLORIDA on Wheels,' en- route to
the Columbia Fair, but pledged to spend
next week i'll Savannah nS one of the at
fractions OF the carnival to which the
Sarahnahlans are eagerly looking forward.
At another station, in the heart of the
pine forest, We found a large sawmill, with
couvicts at work under the eye of guard,
who stood IN a platform car, wicked
looking carbine in his hand.
Jacksonville Is as different from Savan-
nah as lewes Is from Wilmington. We
mss here the superb asphalt streets, the
bicycles, the barouches and the electric
railways of the Georgian METROPOLIS; in
fact Jacksonville taken as whole, i'm
presses us as big country town rs con
tr!Isted with the upto-date improvements
of savannah. Jacksonville has a resident
population of about 10000, wlliCh may be
swollen by 5nll 10 lO,ON northern
s0iourners during the winter season, when
the numerous hotels and private boarding
and lodging houses are filled. The season
is over now and the big hotels look un-
tenanted and lurlorn.
Outside of BAY street with its half mile
Of line stores there is not much stir and
life to be seen here now. Along this half
mile the sidewalks are well-payed. the
store windows attractive, the scene bv
night brilliant under electric lights and
enllvened by shoppers and promeiiaders;
but short walk takes one away into
regions OF rural cottages emhUwered in
live.oak, magnolia and orange trees and
enwreathed in flowers of bright hnes,
palmettoes of grotesque writings, and
lilies and cacti OF gigantic growth Unique
among decorative borders for flower beds
are whisky bottles stuck neck downwards
i'll the ground.
Bay street and few other thorough
fares arc paved with sections of pine tree
trunks, from three 10 eight inches in
diameter and six inches or 50 in length,
stuck cndwiSc in the sand This is the only
street pavement i'll use, Elsewhere the
street led is pure sand, covered in some
places with u layer OF palmetto fibre
which, when ground down by the wheels
of vehicles, binds the sandy soil much in
the same way that hair binds the plaster
on our walls.
The sidewalks are instructive in variety.
Taking the city as whole, plank foot
ways prednmnate, but payGments of brick,
pine blocks tagging, concrete, and ari-
iicial stone in heXagonal blocks of alter
mating cOlOrs are found. Owing to the
sandy nature of the soil there is no grass
worth mentioning the rich green lawns of
Wilmington are impUssibilities III Jackson
willie and savannah.
Notwithstanding the seeming abundance
of oranges the retail prices at the fruit
stands range as high as in Wilmington:
really good oranges selling ut from 35 TO 40
cents per dozen.
Tomatoes are at their height but they
know noghing here Of tomato culture as a
field crop. \ dealer showed me Yesterday
some tomatoes, Shop-Wurn and Oyerrlne
which he had put down to the sacrifice
price OF lacenls per quarter peck II pity
the growers when ! have to sell them so
low lie said. lie opened his eyes very
wide when told him OF Delaware farmers
raising tomatoes for the camnerics, bv the
ten and % acres, At : per ton of about i1
bushels. And do thew nick them nt thar