The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-02-05
WHAT THE BOYS HAVE BEEN DOING
Down In tho "Land OF Flowers"-saii.
Ing Down tho Indian River IN tho
yankee Doodle"-Imprcssions of
Ono of tho Wheeling Tourists-old
st. Augustine Greatly Admired.
Big Catches of Fish aud Lots OF
Game.

country in the world aud not an orange
10 cat! This 10 tho situation OF tho
party that left Wheeling eight days
ago for a pleasure trip through tho In.
dian River country In Florida. From
the timc We loft homo US We would
meet an occasional traveller who WAS
supposed to know something about this
country we would hear, Eyes, a great
deal OF tho fruit crop was killed. but
you'll find plenty left" Then as VIC
came nearer and nearer /. would be, "as
you 30 farther sou,h you'll get all tho
frui. and new vegetables You want"
And hero We arc about 240 miles south
Of Jacksonville and We haven't seen an
orange, except iew frozen ones that
arc drifting along tho edge OF the water.
| believe thcro are moro good oranges
in any other state in the union than
.hero are here.
Leaving Wheeling Thur.day on the
Baltimore 4 Ohio we arrived on time in
Cincinnati. whore we met Mr. w. A.
Gorby. from Marion, Ind, who had
come in about five minutes ahead OF Us
on the "B!g Four" Our party then be-
ing complete we took supper ut the
Union depot whilo the Louisville &
Nashville people were getting our tick
cts rondy for us. Tho ride from Cincin-
natl to Jacksonville over their route was
via Nashville, Birmingham and Mont
gomery. On arriving in Jacksonville
Saturday morning at 7:S0 we began to
find our winter clothing rather uncom.
Portable, as the thermometer registered
- degrees in the shade, on the hotel
verauda. A very short stay in that city
is all that any one wants to make, Us
there is nothing OF importance to SEQ,
and the city struck US as being rather
behind the times, even for southern
city.
A short run OF thirty.eight miles took
US to ST. Augustine, the Mecca OF all
southern tourists and pleasure seekers.
Our party went direct TO the famous
Ponce DeLeon hotel. Gust the same as
il We had money!, where We were all
comfortably quartared in rooms en- suite
on the first floor. After getting lunch
we started ont to take in the sights.
Ono OF the nuisances OF the town is the
cabnen following you along and wor-
rying the life out OF you. tbs probably
all right for anyone who wants 10 do"
the town in few hours, but il they
have a day or two they can get along
much better without one, as short walks
will take one to all points OF interest
Fort Marion, $50 years old. the old
city gate. the narrow s;reets with their
old Spanish houses, the magnificent
hotels and numerous other quaint and
attractive points can be seen while
wandering around passing the time.
Our quarters were SO comfortable aud
tina surroundings so pleasant that we
decided TO stop over Sunday and re-
sumo our journey Monday instead OF
Sunday as originally intended. Monday
noon we took the train on the Jackson
vile, St. Augustine & Indian River
railroad for Tisusville, where all our
baggage and supplies had been shipped.
and where We expected to secure boat
to make our trip down the Indian River.
The ride down from St. Augustine is
devoid OF interest as the character OF
the county possesses too much o! the
"samenes,." to long hold the eye OF the
traveller, and it waa not until we heard
There is the Indian River" that our
party evinced much interest in their
surroundings.
From the head OF the river on to Ii.
tusvile We would see an occasional blue
heron. fish hawks, sea gulls and flock
after flock OF ducks. We found though,
that its one thing to geo ducks aud
another to shoot them. The Indian
River Hotel a. Titusville is not in tho
same class as the Ponce" in fact l
might say i. would be ''dis.anced" in 4
iurlons race. can't conceive how it is
possible to run such a poor house and
have the nerve TO charge $50 TO 500
per day. We struck our fret mosqui-
toes there, too.
After inspecting the boats at the dock
we decided 10 take an eight-ton sloop
yacht called tho Yankee Doodle" Cap.
tain George Cook; first and second mate
and crew, Andrew President (colored. J
The Yankee Double" has q cabin l0xl2
with two double and two single beds.
cook stove. refrigerator. and, in fact. q
complete outfit, probably equal. il not
superior, to the fittings OF the Nalkyrio
and Iigilant (?) Shc is full! sloop
rugged boat, lnairsail and jib, flying
jib and gaI topsail.
Sunday morning was devoted to load.
ing the boat with supplies, which had
mainly been brought from Wheeling.
about forty gallon OF distilled water and
plenty OF ice. When all was ship shape
we weighed anchor. hoistca sail and got
out at ll:j5 n. IN. Sunday from Titusville
bound for Jupiter. Sailincis nice sport
aud certainly delightful with such sur
rounGings rs we have had. but when
you are anxious to get to tho good fish
ing grounds you rather object 10 head
winds and that ia what we had for near
ly two days. Last evening the wind
shifted ''norcas" as tho captain said
aud we went booming for about five
hours when VIC anchored for tho night.
This morning We were all up bright and
carly md with fair wind are making
nice Roadway through tho ''narrows."
Tho shore through here il hcnped up
with dead lish, washed ashore after the
late freeze. 1t seems when Florida has
cold snap 1t leaves nothing. On tho
way down We landed few nice sea
trout, ak pounds boine the lowest.
One OF the novelties in the iiahing
line hero is 10 sec ono Of the natives
throw tho cast net. Our "llrst and sec.
ond mate and crow" Inst night wanted
10 show the boys how it was done, and
on tho second cast he haulcd in thirty
two pound drum iish. which after being
pulled aboard and examined and
weighed, wo threw back into tho water,
as thoy arc not considered good eating.
Our artist has taken n number Of
yiows OF tho scenery, fish and fisherman,