The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-29
THE ORANGE SECTION.
The Most Beautiful Part Of the State
Of Florida.


vannah, Florida and Western.
Maitland, Fla, Sept. $50 far as I
can judge this has been the wettest sum
mer known in Orange county for years.
With a slight intermission of about a
week we have had showers daily for over
three months, and of late the showers
frequently run into steady rains for whole
days or nights. Probably the severe
storm, which commenced Monday after
noon, will close our prolonged rainy sea-
on, and then it may be three or four
months before we have another shower.
"A REGION OF LAKES"
My first visit was made to Maitland
in March, 1879, and the above was the
heading TO my descriptive letter of that
date TO the MORNING NEWS. There was
no railroad in all South Florida then,
and ] rode over from Sanford, where the
steamers landed passengers from Jack
sonville, in a buggy with the late DR..
Spence. On all sides were to be seen
is fairly dotted with them. l
then designated this section as
the garden spot of Florida
for health, contentment and the ordinary
pursuits of life, and have become more
firmly fixed in this view after my recent
four years residence here in search of re-
newed health. Their are, ! think. more
Georgians residing in this county than
any other in the state, and they are peo-
pie of culture and means as a general
rule. We are safe here from epidemics
disastrous storms, destructive frost
and dangerous Overfiows. About this
time year we have quite lively storm
and that ends 1t.
RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
The track-laying gang of the
South Florida division Of the
Savannah, Florida and Western
placing the mile or two gap of small rails
with 70-pound steel rails, and it reminds
me of my second visit here about a dozen
years ago, when a little narrow gauge
railroad extended from Sanford to Or
lando. The difference in the rails and To-
comotives then in use and those
of the present day is like
that of monkey and an
elephant. The little locomotive then
used is still preserved at the shop in San
ford as an object worthy TO be studied in
connection with the wonderful railway
development in South Florida during the
past ten or fifteen years. And yet we
have demagOgues IN Florida who seek to
array the people-the dear people,
against railroads as dangerous things to
be allowed their freedom. But for rail
road enterprise South Florida would to-
day be back nearly where it was when
first saw it over fifteen years ago.
SAVANNAH AND FLORIDA BUSINESS.
The relations between Georgia and
Florida have always been close and fra
ternal. In her early struggles, when op-
pressed by political burdens and having
very limited means of transportation for
the development of her unsettled vet de-,
sirable regions, Florida found in Savan-
nah and the MORNING News steadfast
friends and ready helpers Now that
railroads permeate every section of the
state, and Jacksonville has grown to be
quite metropolitan city and an
Important seaport, it is hardly Just for
political demagogues to cry out against
Savannah as an enemy to Florida because
of tie fact that her abundant facilities
for handling all kinds of products draws
certain amount of business from this
state. Not many years ago large steam
ers-the City POinta and the Dictator
used to carry IL direct from Palatka to
Charleston. Now much of it goes by rail
via Jacksonville and other points to Sa-
vannah, and simply a change from water
to rail and from Charleston to Savannah.
RICH MEMS ORANGE GROVES.
During the past week the packing house
of Heard and Rails has been shipping
lemons from the famous Dommerich
grove, formerly the property of Supt.
Swope of the South Florida railroad. II
suggests to me to note the fact that rich
men 90 not buy orange groves in Florida
simply for their own enjoyment. MIR.
Dommerich paid about $50 900 for this
grove and has already expended
over that amount in an elegant
family residence and in an extensive
1rrigating plant, etc. And then. like
George Vanderbilt with his North Caro-
lima mansion and park, he is making
everything help reduce expenses. His
oranges and lemons, etc, go regularly to
market and are sold with even more
shrewdness than the poor man displays
IN selling his crop, In fact, l am con
WINGED that the rich man is about the
only one who really makes money out of
his grove-and yet he does not need it.
OVER IN ORLANDO.
A recent visit to Orlando gave me sew
eral surprises. Hon II. II. Dickson.
formerly an Atlanta publisher and printer,
and his able assistant, A w. AGREE from
South Georgia, have added an orange
packing house to their other business
This is the way enterprising Georgians
do IN this state. Orlando win soon have
something to boast of-three banks on
three opposite corners. The first Ma
tional Bank has bought the wooden build
ing on The corner opposite the Orlando
Bank and will put up a brick banking
house. Then three of the four corners in
the heart of the city will be banking
houses, something that can be said of
very few cities of large size. Corners are
generally gobbled up by druggists and
WHISKY men who always have an eve to
the best location for business. Orlando
is TO be congratulated on this fine ex-
ample of breaking the record in this re-
spect.
1t is always pleasant to chronicle the
success OF country editor from Geor-
gia, who has come to Florida with his
family, especially when he is an humble,
earnest preacher Of the gospel
Rev. ). ID. Smith of Dahlonega, Ga,
came to Orlando few years ago and took
position on the Daily Record now a
part of the Reporter), under
Editor Crabbe. The final collapse
Of that Journal left him somewhat
discouraged, yet he held on to his new
citizenship, and identified himself with
other enterprises until good luck "struck
him heavy" in very simple, yet valu-
able invention-the joining Of several cans
TO movable pipes from the bottom of
pan OF boiling water, thereby steaming
the contents of the cans for sealing. This
little canning cooker is making Brother
Smith rich and happy, and he has lately
bought tne residence for his family in
Orlando
STUDENTS WILL STOP 1T.