Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-16
Letter irsm ]. N. Harlow.
IsrERLAcnEs. FLORIDA, March 4 1884.

INTERLAcHEN, FLORIDA, March 4. 1884.
Editors Of Journal:
Thinking that short narra tive of the
trip have taken from Augusta to the
land Of fruit and flowers would be of in
terest to your readers in the snow bound
State of Maine, seat myself this evening
to tell some of the events of the journey.
left Augusta at 3 O'Clock in the afternoon
of January l6.h, the train from Bangor be-
ing late on account of the recent snow
| storm.
left Boston at A. M. Saturday, the
18th. Arrived in New York at $50
and left Jersey City at S.45 p. NJ, having
missed connection with New York Express
and Congressional Limited, took the At
lsntic Coast Line. The management of
this road is in good hands; the conductors
those We meet on the Maine Central Rail-
road. After leaving Maine one does not
find the real true hearted man from con-
ductors to trainmen as general thing, such
as we find on the Msine Central.
found great change in the tempers-
ture on my journey. On Leaving Boston
the thermometer indicated four degrees be-
low. At breakfast the next morning it was
so degrees above in the shade at Richmond,
Va. We took dinner the second day at
Weldon. Here we found black boys and
darkies everywhere. Change of time at
Savannah where we found the weather ex-
ceedingly hot. At Wilson, North Carolina,
we found plenty of geese and donkeys.
Here the question was asked me if knew
what the Governor of North Carolina said
to the Governor Of South Carolina. said
had some recollection that something OF
a sotiil nature was said, but one is apt to
get as he grows older. l did not
see anything new until l reached
Jacksonville. Here we found orange
trees loaded on one side with deep yellow
fruit and on the other side with blossoms
ard green fruit. 1t was great sight for a
man who had never left the shadow of the
State House or Aliens building. feel
that Augusta may well feel proud of her
prosperity, for in my journey from
Augusta to Interlaehen on the Southern
Florida Railroad | saw no place where a live
Yankee can take as much comfort to the
square inch as in Augusta, Maine. New
York is hustler, Boston, Hartford, New
Haven and many other places along the
route are well enough but for every
day life give me Maine. Florida is
very large state. 1t is great place for
sportsmen and at this time in the winter
they can work their dogs and not suffer in
the early part of the day or late in the
afternoon. On the St. Johns river, little
back from the shore can be found plenty of
wild turkeys, bears, deer and other game.
There are places where one can reach the
shore by high ground but they are not
plenty.
They kill fish called trout here, which
comes to the surface to sun itself, sports
men climb trees and shoot them IS they
appear in the water. There are plenty O.
coons, possums, pigeons, wild doves and a
large variety of other birds here.
am told by the most reliable of men
here, whose word would not be questioned,
that few miles from Palatka on the Plant
S. ste m r. r., there are swamps containing
many thousand acres owned by the general
COVE rnment in which slavery still exists in
full force. This land was never fully ex
plored by white men and the Iadians
have these dalkies in these islands or
high ground and make them do their work
and hire them to contractors of railroads.
Many kinds of wood grows here. Cy-
press, mahogany, palmetto, sour orange,
ETC., while the dense bushes and muddy
shores along the streams and rivers abound
in alligators, crocodiles, wild hogs, wild tu'-
k vs., bears, deer and snake as thick through
as mans leg. The alligator has pointed
nose The crocodile has flat head with
large scales. At saloon in Pala,ka there
is an alligator mounted which is some 80
feet long inside of which was found the
skeleton of man or his bones, his pocket
book, leather with name, and bills, gold
watch and chain, check for his
baggage, besides money and knife. His
boots were still in shape and the SUPPOSE
Ii IN is he was swallowed alive. This is
pretty sure to be the fate of anyone who
fall. overheard in the St. Johns river at
the Everglades.
A gentleman had been building road in
southern Florida and wanted the boys TO
come up to the end of the plant system and
help him as they wanted TO extend it, and
as he had paid the Indians for the
boys that had helped him he supposed he
could hire them, but the told him 'Massa
would follow us AMI most kill US if we
should run away"
Such is life in Southern Florida-where
we are having plenty of strawberries, green
peas, cabbage, sweet potatoes, onions and
garden truck. The flavor of all these things
is not as good as that of the came kinds
raised in Maine.
Yours truly,