Middletown transcript., 1895-02-09

Efirst merchant in the place was Mr.. G. A
tDreka, of Sassafras, Md. Lots of you
sxreaders know him and his father. He cam
Nhere in 1878. Then there was 10 railroa
SSsouth of Jacksonville, save a sort of one
whorse affair that ran over to st. Augustin
,Afrom the st. Johns river, made q run O
Sabout IA miles in all hour and half or tw
8hours, and charged $3.50 one way or s5.O(
Mfor the round trip. Now look at a map ant
see how many railroads South Florida has
q DeLand is very live town now, built b,
Northern people, with many fine bricl
blocks, water works, electric lights, tn,
John b. Stetson University-the best edu
Hcational institution in the State, and is sur
rounded by the best kept and handsomest
lSorange groves have seen in Florida. Mr.
|3Stetson, of Philadelphia, is the leader as an
'zoWner of groves, he having acquired one
|Safter another until he owns about 400 acres
4 in orange trees. His groves have the best
4of care, are literally fed and yield hand.
3some return.
! MIR. Stetson is man of very liberal spir.
it and has done great deal for DeLand.
He is just finishing one of the handsomest
1zhotels in the State, which occupies whole
3block in the centre of the town. But his
= Institute which occupies seven or eight fine
abuildings and is conducted in progressive
3and liberal way, is the biggest thing for the
4 3toWn and the greatest monument to Mr..
3otetson's generosity. Mr.. Flagler has been
5praised great deal by some Florida news.
spapers, but he has never done in Florida
what Mr.. Stetson has done in DeLand.
DeLand is a little more than 100 miles
south of Jacksonville, and is reached by
the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West
Rallroad, known as the Tropical Trunk
Line" and the most liberal, best managed
and decidedly the most popular railroad in
aFlorida. 1t was the first to offer low rates
| TO orange growers after the freeze, and the
] j1rst to offer free seeds fos replanting to
these of its shippers who had lost their
vegetable crops.
have found in DeLand several former
residents of Middletown or its vicinity.
Associated with Mr. Dreka in his general
merchandise store is MIR, Victor Fountain,
Ia young man we'll known and much es.
teemed among your people. They have the
pest general store south of Jacksonville and
|do very large and profitable business.
Both Mr.. Dreka and Mr.. Fountain are also
owners OF orange grove property and inter-
ested III other enterprises. Mr. A. II. Wood
all, OF Kent County, Md. is with them in
their store and thinks there is no other
place like Florida for business and climate.
Mr.. Harry Howard, also of Kent county,
Nd, is in DeLand engaged in business and
prospering, and, having married a Florida
girl, is now too closely tied to the State
ever to leave it for his old home.
MI. John Crano, formerly of Middletown,
is part owner of the largest livery aud sales
table in DeLand, is prosperng and thinks
The region can't be beaten, even by the
Maryland and Delaware Peninsula.
'DeLand has population of about $500,
supports four newspapers and is putting
iown about ten miles of clay and shell on
lriveways. The yield of oranges at De,
land this season, had the freeze not come,
would have reached 100000 boxes. AS it
vas, only about $4,000 boxes were market
d, the rest being caught out in the cold.
About five miles south east of DeLand is
ne of theg gems of Florida. refer to Lake
1elen, also laid out by Mr.. DeLand and
amed in honor of his daughter. 1t occu-
les picturesque location, has a most de-
ghtiul and home-like hotel, its native
eauty has not been too much marred by
nan, its populption is of the best, and its
ealthfulness is unsurpassed anywhere.
is orange groves show the very best care
nd are famous for the quality of their
'uit. The region also yields peaches, pears,
rapes and other fruits and vegetables in
bundance.
But Lake Helen is worthy of more than
lis passing notice. shall write of its
harms more fully in future letter.
Before closing this letter which is al.
lady much longer than intended, want
} refer briefly to two of the evils of Flor.
Ia. One, and the greatest, perhaps, is
legislature. Other States are afflicted with
lie same thing. If we could have one
'nsible Legislature to repeal all the bad
ws, but enact no new ones, and then have
suppressed forever, and elect U. s. Sena.
RS by direct vote of the people, the coun.
y would go on a great boom.
A Legislature is worse than a freeze,
orse than drought, worse than a flood
forest fire. 1t is an instrument of the
'vil, and ought to be suppressed. For ex-
nple, the last Legislature of Florida had
'ssed law prohibiting any town of less
an twelve hundred population from i'm
'unding wandering cattle in the streets.
nat is enough to make any sensible per-
IL wish there was an open season for
ooting Legislators. "They never would
missed"
Another evil met with in Florida on the
ain lines of tourist travel, is the boy from
e North in sawed off pants, seeking
lom he may devour. He not only owns
3 train; he owns the earth. Often he has
tn him $3.50 gun, with which he is
rfectly reckless but never shoots him.
f. But if he would go out and kill
If dozen members of the Legislature
I could tolerate him.
Vow we will drop the evil and refer
efy to some of the good. Florida is
lding beautiful churches everywhere.
looks as if the devil was not going to
We any show here at all. and as if most
rybody was doing his best to avoid that
ure climate where the orange crop never
,zes.
,ustis has just finished handsome brick
Irch that would look we'll in a city of
100 people, though she only claims 1000.
m Beach, only two-year ole, is building
churches,each to seat about 400 people.
vtona has Just dedicated a fine church,
third in the town. De Land has seven
riches for white people with popula.
l of less than $500. Several of them
large and handsome brick structures
t have recently been completed, Lake