Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-10-11
Neutrality-suspicious. Of Gazette ana journal

set &ioW--The "Juuso" Again in
Florida.
neutrality-suspicious. Of Gazette ana journal
LEEsBURG, FLA, Oct. 2.-This is
election day in Florida and / have Just
been around to the polls. l wanted to
see for myself whether the colored man
was being intimidated, and if so to
what extent. found him fraternizing
with the whites to degree l never wit.
messed in Delaware-and voting the
Democratic ticket, as rule. / applied
to a gentleman seated in carriage for
Information, stating that l was just
from city where people were still to
be found who really believed that
negroes in the South were accorded no
political rights.
81, myself, am Northern man and a
Republican" he answered, "and l tell
you there is no hindrance here to any
man voting his real sentiments"
To-day, however, the issue is not
Democrats versus Republicans, but COM
mission versus railroads-in this town,
Alex. st. Clair Abrams versus the Lees
burg ring. My Republican informant
told me he was an Abrams man and
that the negroes were generally for
z Abrams, where they had not been
bought He pointed out one colored
man who, after webbing for several
days, had, he said, accepted $150-a
pretty steep bride seemingly-to work
and vote for the ring ticket. Abrams
has gotten out dodger in which he as
serts that he and his son, both being
unarmed, were menaced yesterday by
drawn revolvers in the hands of the
sheriff of Lake county and his deputy.
My last letter left us at Charleston,
en- route. After posting it we strolled
about the old city for an hour or more
while the Algonquin was discharging
freight. Making all due allowance for
its being Sunday afternoon, we united
in finding Charleston excessively dull
and unenterprising. In the business part
of the city the impression left on the
visitor is that of dozen years of som.
Violence. Streets, and buildings, look old
and much dilapidated. The street cars
looking nearly as old as the buildings
are drawn by horses, usually only one
nag to the car. The sea wall is grand
piece of work, but we found little else
to praise. We passed one of Governor
Tillman's dispensaries, closed; and
several "blind tigers"-open. asked
the bartender in one of these what ht
put the population of the city at.
"About 60,000," he replied; "includ-
ing 10000 niggers."
These old streets are generally well
paved with Belgian block and the side
walks are mainly of heavy flag.
We steamed out of Charleston harbol
past such ruined relics as Castle
Pinckney, Fort Sumter and Fort Moul
trie, still grim with the memories of &c
years ago-just as the Sunday sun wa.
setting, and, reaching the open sea
looked back through the shortened
Southern twilight, upon the beacon
light that now surmounts the dismantleC
ramparts of Sumter, with an exqui
sitely slender thread of new moor
just discernible over it, low down in thu
red sunset glow.
1t was grand night on the Atlantic
and many fingered late to enjoy it tt
the full. Barring the discomfort of Fri
days storm-wake roll, the voyage from
Coney Island to Jacksonville was trea
to the Algonquin's 40 passengers, anC
many of them stepped ashore in thu
Florida metropolis yesterday mornin!
with something of regret at parting from
ing home for five nights and nearly tiv,
days. Captain Pratt of the Algonquin
is known-and fayorably known-tt
many of EVERY EVENING S readers as an
old New Castle boy. 1t may be men
toned here, as justly due to the Clyd
Co. and 10 Captain Pratt that It wa
consideration for the comfort OF the pas
sengers rather than the safety Of til,
Hat lyxt,t Irr,,
anchor for SO hours in Grayesend bay
waiting for the heralded southern storm
to pass by. En- PEASANT, SO far as m,
observation has gone, the early report
by wire very much exaggerated tn
ravages of that storm.
found Jacksonville showing markC
signs of improvement and progres
since my visit of a year ago. The neN
friedrich pavement on Bay street is
big step forward. The city park, the
in decidedly ragged shape, now look
trim, neat and attractive. | called o
ex-Prothonotary Maxwell, now well II
in the management OF the h. G., ~ /
system of railroads, and found him tai
ing still keen interest in Delaware an
Delawareans. He told me that he Aa
spent three summers in Jacksonvill
aud had not suffered from the hes
nearly as much as he used to in Wi
mington.
sit is hard to make northern poop
comprehend this" he said, but il
true, nevertheless. And we have Ii
felt the panic at all here"
mot in the rural districts, | pr
sume;" said |.
mot even in the city of Jacksonville
he rejoined; 1--WE have not felt the pan
in the slightest degree
II wish" he added, that could q
the people of the North To understaI
how our Florida summers are. We
not have such extremely hot days as
have experienced there, while the nigh
are always cool. look upon the Flo
ida climate as the grandest ON earth.
would like to get about 80 New Cast
county truckers down here 10 sho
what can be done in this Florida san
/ know one thorough truck-grow
here, neighbor OF mine in Riverside
suburb of Jncksonvillel. lie cultivat
10 acres of land, and docs it to perfc
ton, and he has told me that he Ii
sold $4,000 worth of produce OF til
small plot in one year. And he do
all his work with the help Of one ms
end one horse" judge
Loyal to the Last.
Detroit Free Press.