The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-29
THE FLORIDA OUTLOOK.
Orange Trees blooming Bishop
WhippIe Well Again.


Maitland, Fla, Jan. 2S.-There is a great
feeling of relief on the part of orange
growers to-day over the failure of the two
predicted freezes to put in an appearance
in this section of Florida. The first one
passed off up the Atlantic coast and gave
New Y rk the coolest snap ever recorded
there. by the government weather sta
ton The last one, due, here during the
past three days, swept off into the Gulf
of Mexico, via Mobile; and so far as known
neither of these waves struck any part
of this state with severity. The only
damage this winter has been from four
white frosts, early in the season, that
came I'm lump. all during one week.
Instead of a cold wave Sunday night
we had one of the heaviest rains of the
past eight months, and as 1t had been
preceded by several heavy all-night thun-
der storms. 1t found the ground, sandy
though 1t be, well filled with water. 1
cannot recall winter in which we have
had so much ana such heavy rain. If we
have escaped any danger of future freeze
this winter these heavy rains will prove
great blessing; while on the other hand,
should a freeze come later on 1t will find
the orange trees in the very best pos
sible condition to be killed outright The
sap is rising rapidly and new growth APP
pearing that gives rich promise for the
future, If no set-backs are met with.
Grove owners seem hopeful and many
who have been inactive up to the present
time are now giving their trees prompt
and needful attention. and this, of course,
inspires hope in others.
Rev. DIR. James Little, distinguished
Presbyterian divine of Richmond, Va, for
merly of Jacksonville, has arrived here to
give his groves personal supervision for
a few weeks. He is chaplain of the Young
Farmers Club of the Southern States, and
was one of the earliest purchasers of real
estate in Maitland, his groves running up
into the city and ending opposite the Plant
system depot. The late DR.. j. p. Logan,
Capt j. A. Grant and other Georgians
purchased the land on the opposite side
of the then main road into town from Gen
Alfred VERSIONS place on Lake Faith, and
sold out later on, but through all these
years Rev. DR.. Little has never lost his
faith in Florida and orange growing, with
all its disasters, and has always declined
to sell all or part of his large tract of
land, with or without groves, at any low
vestm ent for the future.
Some surprise is felt that our big hotels
are not filling up as rapidly as was ex-
pected they would after the Christmas
strange, for hundreds of families who
have elegant winter homes here
have not yet arrived, notably
whose, magnificent winter home on
Lake Minnehaha, called "HiaWatha
Grove is one of the costliest and most
a rule, like the best paying guests of our
big hotels. such as the St. James, Ponce
de Leon, Tampa Bay and Royal Poin-
ciana, do not come here until the last of
January, and spend only about two or
three months in our genial climate to es-
cape the severe March weather at the
north.
The many friends of the venerable
Bishop II. 3. Whipple of Minnesota will
he glad to know that he has recovered
from the sudden illness which prevented
his trip to Washington to meet the In
dian commission, of which he is a valued
member. He was not only able TO Off
ciate on Sunday last as usual al the
Church of the Good Shepherd Opposite
his winter home here, but a few DAYS be-
fore rode over to Orlando and gave the
convocation a short but timely and APP
preciated address. His presence and ad-
vice made the occasion notable from the
fact that 1t gave to Jealous and hard
working Bishop Gray the presence and
encouraging help of Bishops Weed and
more ardent missionary advocates and
workers in the Episcopal church
While ! am in full sympathy with the
sentiments of H. Parker of Valdosta, Ga
on the Cuban revolution, I must enter a
solemn protest against the last two lines
Of the first verse of his poem, The Span
Morning News:
"A curse wherever it finds root,
A pest meath sunny skies"
Now the truth is, as any visitor to this
state knows, that this awful pest. the
Spanish Bayonet, is the one plant that Is
universally found on the grounds of every
attractive winter home in Florida. 1t is
especially desirable on each side of a
gateway, where its stately and magnifi-
cent bunch of beautiful white flowers
looks like the Snowy white shakos of a
towering sentinel Unfortunately however,
1t blooms only in summer and our winter
visitors fail to see it when in very truth
it is the king, in majestic beauty, of ali
our tropical plants. The hardest and
held its place on the ground of every at
traetive home in the state. 1t has as the
poet says, its sharp spear points just as
the lovely rose has its sharp thorn.