The Kosciusko star. (Kosciusko, Miss.) 18??-1898, 1895-01-18
Letters From tie People

| will fulfill seveitl promises to W. te
by C.y. Nc some Of NV o, .rvai ons and
thoughts throu I yoI, columns.
On the mo- D = of the l3,h of De-
,e nOer We boarded the ifain at Kosei.
uslo for 'orda end on the morn'n of
the 18th, arrived at this place, having
left Mrs. j. at Birmingham for a few
days with sister.
| found everything green and flour
islng here, as if winter was almost IN
known and unexpected. Vegetables
of various kinds Wee plentiful and
SEINE spring vegetables in good state
of growth English peas were in all
stages from the bud to the bloom, and
| saw some on the market, but brought
from further touth. Orange trees,
where tie frat had not been gath cred
were generally full of the golden oran-
ges-though some were not ripe-and |
began at once to pluck and eat oranges
from our own trees. The weather was
delightful, though rather warm at times
for work. and continued thus Ill the
night of the 9th when the blizzard
came down on us and continued 10
blow furiou,ly for about three days,
running the mercury down 70 the low
est point in Florida records, and freez-
ing most everything in he State--not
excepting Clear Water and the Tampa
region. Al fruit remaining on the
trees was frozen and ruined, and much
that had been gathered WAS damaged.
Sc that the loss of the crop of ~ was
great and will affect Florida about like
Act cotton affects Mississippi. Before
this Florida was in some better condi-
ton financially than the cotton States.
We hardly consider this a cotton state,
though cotton grows here, and, formerly
long staple cotton was extensively cui-
tivated In some parts of the State. |
have not seen a cotton bale in this
State-but have seen many bales OF
rthern hay and it is fed to northern
horses which is not very compliments
ry to our agriculture, though it does
not prove the incapacity of the soil to
produce necessary hay, grain, etc.
There is land here that will produce
good crops of almost every kind, but
there is much more that will scarcely
produce any crop without fertllzlng
The sweet potato and most othel
root crops do well and thtse va
! pl.as,1. cI mate, goo 4
health. and good range for stock
make it easy for people of limited ener
gy and ambition to i've. Lands are O
many grades and differ in capacity am
value noe than in any other country
ever knew. A large portion Of tEC
State is for sale at 81 % per acre, whill
some of it is worth from so to 500 pr
acre.
Our town is some larger than Rose.
usko, estimated by the number ant
size Of houses ani extent Of corpora
ton limits; but not so H. &c estimateC
by mercastlle business and permanen
Inhabitants. We have large fine hotel,
and some dwellings owned or used, b,
parties who spend only part Of th'
winter here, leaving those house, near
ly vacant about nine months u til,
year We have fine spring Of medic
nal qualities, OF the banks of St Johns
river, beautiful, pleasant and healthy
location, but the opening up of so man,
new. places farther south has led the
| tide of travel and immigration there
causing this place to suffer loss in pat
ronage, business, and population, il
spite of its natural advan ages as wei
as railroad and commercial convenient
ces. Property is low here, and can be
bought for less than the cost of build
ing 1t is, on that account, a gooc
place for poor man to get home, art
any one seeking health, pleasure, or {
home would do we'll 10 stop here. Then
if he dees not like well enough to r.
main, it is cosy to get away hy land oil
water. We. ale well supplied VIII
church and school facilities. bnt, IF n
my observations, | ion't see taat th'
attendance of either is very compli
mentary. l would be glad to have
some OF my friends here and would ap
preciate passing call from such AZ
may travel this way. Mrs .Jshnsol
did not arrive here till the 2Sth of De
cember, in the hight of the blizzard
but. strange to say, she was not sicl