Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-01

neutrality-suspicious. OF Gazette and journal
BLooMLAND, FLA, Oct. 21.--You will
not find Bloomland on the map, but il
is the name l have bestowed on my
Florida home and it Is my ambition 10
make tho place eventually worthy of
the designation. At present Bloom-
land is chiefly undeveloped-a young
grove, dwelling and outbuldngs,
some tolled trees, more woodland and,
most charming of all, the lake shore.
We, OF this neighborhood. are very
proud of our beautiful lake, which bears
the unromantic appellation of West
Crooked Lake. 1t is located just be-
| yond the outskirts of the thriving town
of Eustis, in the lake region ot Lake
county, practically in the geographical
center of Florida,a beautiful rolling land,
very different from the monotonous
tatness and lowness of much of the
State seen by the average tourist. In
fact, within fifteen minutes ride of
Bloomland is Mountain View, claimed
To be the highest ground on the
Florida peninsula, though this claim is
contested BY two or three other ,coun.
ties,
West Crooked Lake is about half
mile in extreme width and length and
| possesses the rare attraction, among these
little lakes, Of clean, sandy shore. Adj
| joining, and in time Of freshet connected
with IT by channel usually dry, il East
| Crooked Lake, of about the same dimen.
sions. Little more than furlong to the
southwest of BloUmland is the larger
Lake Woodward called after the manwho
nineteen years ago homesteaded the first
claim on its shore and who still lives on
the home he then carved out of the vir.
gin forest. Within less than three hun.
dred yards to the south of Bloomland is
| little Lake Minerva, and quarter mile
or so farther to the southeast brings one
to Lake Gertrude, nearly two miles
| long, upon whose banks the south
Florida Uhautanqua is located. There
arc other lakes near by, not to speak OF
the larger lakes, three, four and five
miles across, such as Lakes Eustis, Grif.
tin, Dora and Harris, from which the
county takes its name,
| These smaller lakes are peculiar In
| having, generally, no discoverable
sources or outlets, being, in effect,
gigantic springs. We of West Crooked
Lake-there are eight families of Us
who are domiciled on its shores for the
year round, besides several who alter.
nate between town and country-think
our own the paragon of lakes and arc
proud of its clear bright water--some.
times as deeply, purely blue as the
| choicest ultramarine, a sapphire set in
emerald; sometimes rippleless, mirroring
It's shores and the sky and roseate clouds
with tidelity unsurpassable;s sometimes
turbid, dark and even billowy under
stormy stress; under bright moon,
opalescent-we are proud of our lake;
proud Of the orange groves that margin
It's sloping shores; proud even of its
occasionally visible alligator in which
we feel proprietary interest. He Is
not much OF an alligator--l speak of
him in the singular though he is re.
| ported to he plural-not more than four
or live feet long, but he is our alligator
and when We sec mis- snout moving
along just above the surface we feel like
shouting: Long may he wave!
You may think Of us as pioneers an ID
backwoodsmcn down here, but there is
no lack Of the little refinements and Gull
ture Of civilized life. There arc pianos
and parlor organs here, US well as plows
and harrows, and there are farmers
daughters on the shores of our lake who
are not only well up in music, but who
can discuss the tariff as falnlliarly as
the dairy aud to whom French and
herman are by no means unknown
tongues. Nowhere, perhaps, are the cur
rent periodicals read with more avidity
ana the latest fashions have attractions
even here Tor the feminine heart. Nor
90 their fathers and brothers neglect TO
Keep fairly abreast of the news of the
word and the issues of the day.
Most OF the West Crooked Lake people
draw their water supply for all purposes
drinking, cooking, washing and bath
lng-trom the lake. Our next neigh.
bors to the west have done so for seven
years; some Others for longer periods. I
do not fancy this thing of carrying from
| the lake all the water we use and / pro.
pose to put down pump as near the
house as practicable, but for some rea.
son pumps are not familiar objects here
about. In fact have not seen pump.
outside of those driven by wind or steam
and used primarily for irrigation, on the
shores of the lake, although water il
! HhAA " w iNtNNAlll Obttlllulilt uEfeADOuL
by driven wells. They have grown
used to the lake water and desire no
other supply. In warm weather the
water is cooled in stoneware lars sur.
rounded by wrapping kept moist or IN
porous jug known locally as q
monkey"
We have been quartcred here over a
fortnight ana are gradually getting
liked up" every one who has gone
through the ordeal of removal to new
home a thousand miles away will ap
preciate the expression. And, right
here, let me pay tribute to the gener-
GUS spirit OF hospitality in which we
were welcomed. Reaching here in nd.
vance OF our household goods, without
Il chair, bed or table, we naturally
expected to trough it, for few DAYS.
But these kind Floridians would have
nothing of the sort. They fairly over.
whelmed us with offers OF furniture, Of
bedding, of table ware, of everything
they thought we might temporarily
need. Anything You want, let us
KNOW said they can never saw too
much in recognition OF this cordiality
with which We were welcomed 10 our
Florida home. Had we been Old friends
instead oil utter strangers, our neighbors
could not nave done more for us. Even
yet not day passes that some one does
not drop in with words Of good cheer
and little offerings Of fruit and flow.
crs or jar Of delicious guava
jelly, accompanied by nyitati ,ns to help
ourselves to anything We wish from
their groves. Gnavas are tao fruit Of
the season and have learned to relish
them; you may recall that, wear ago. /
reported this fruit as tasting like In
dia rubber stewed in molasses. They
taste all right now; can get outside Of
| hoIf n dozpn pf thp la -, "