The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-02
ORANGE COUNTY. FLORIDA.
Orange Groves Wen Watered-Win-
ter Visitors in Lnr.-,. Nrn,1,o


ter Visitors in Large Numbers.
Maitland, Fla. Oct. While deeply
sympathizing with all other sections that
were visited by the recent terrible storm.
we are glad that we live in a favored re-
gion SO far as cyclones. tornadoes, etc,
are concerned. Orange county lies nearly
equi-distant between the Gulf coast on
one side and the Atlantic coast on the
other, and while we usually get a stiff
breeze of a variable character when a
big storm IS on the coast, it seldom does
any very serious damage. Orlando has
more frequent blows of this kind, being,
apparently, on storm line. For health
and safety we claim that good old Orange
county Is the place to live.
Maitland claims, with Winter Park and
Altamonte Springs, to be a garden
spot in the country, having high, rolling
pine lands and plenty of fresh water
lakes. After Mr.. L. f. Dommerich. the
New York millionaire, had spent some
$4,000 on the Swope place. on Lake
Minehaha, he and his cultured wife made
a tour of the Gulf coast and the east
coast, viewing all the most attractive
points of interest, and yet they returned
home better satisfied than ever with their
inves tment here. The same is true of
wealthy gentlemen who have lately erect
ed or purchased elegant winter homes in
the region covered by the three places
above named. This winter Maitland
promises not to have a vacant residence.
The Willetts of England viii rebuild the
Haskell house is engaged and so is the
Episcopal rectory, which alone insure
many charming people.
A short dry season has been followed
by heavy rains and cooler weather, and
the ground is now full Of water to keep
our orange trees pushing ahead. The
groves are in all stages of advancement
according to what has been done to them
in the way of clearing dead limbs away
and pruning judiciously the new growth
There will be, it is now safe to say, no
general resumption of the orange traffic
The groves will come into bearing in
squads, large or small, just as they have
been properly attended to and advanced.
1t may take three or five years to secure
a really big crop of oranges outside of
few sections where the freeze did little,
if any, damage In the meantime, our
people are using their land for other
money crops and products for family use.
At first people were inclined to laugh az
Capt. Billy Shaw's "hullaballoo," about
the water hyacinth pest, but now every
body interested in river transportation is
alarmed, and more so because no feasible
plan has yet been suggested to get rid of
the obstruction. Mr.. J. E. Merrill of the
big ship-building and engineering works.
in Jacksonville, has been up the river to
NoluSia bar and his idea is that it will
require millions of dollars to clear the
river. Why? He does not say but I can
state that the recent storm turned loose
acres of water hyacinths in the upper S.
Johns, where they originally started 10
grow, and Lake Monroe has been covered
since. These huge masses are now on
their way down the river, to give Capt.
Shaw the biggest dose he has yet had
and to show him that the work of clear
ing out this pest must begin at the upper
region of the st. Johns river, the fount-
ain head of the nuisance
The political contests in this county are
pretty lively, but we have had nothing in
the way of inducements to attend the
meetings of the various candidates be-
yond the usual barbecue and brass band
music, and these old familiar methods
don't draw the crowds as they once did
ty, Independent candidate for county SUI
perintendent of public schools, seems TO
have hit upon new and more attractive
method. At Red Mems hall, in South
Jacksonville, he made a speech in his own
behalf to a big crowd, drawn there by the
announcement that his charming daught-
er would give choice Rotations, followed
by vocal and instrumental music ice
cream, cake and lemonade. Then the
string band played for those who desired
to have dancing. Our young people in Or
ange county are very anxious for some
such liberal methods to be adopted here
before the campaign closes.