Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-27

of Palace Cars.
! JACKSONVILLE ON THE ST. JOHNS
THE sUWANEE SPRINGS AND TIL
FAMOUS RIVER--SoIL-CL
| AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS-FRUIT
AND FLOWERS OF THE SUNNY
LAND--CHARLEsToN, THE Me
TROPOLIs OF THE PALMETTO
STATE.
From Rockledge, on the Indian
river, where we stopped for dinner
on the 29th, we reached Jacksonville
for breakfast on Thursday, the 3Oth,
and spent the day there taking in
the sights of the city and enjoying a
ride on the st. Johns river. Jack
sonville, named in honor of Gen.
Andrew Jackson, seventh President
of the United States, is situated on
the beautiful and majestic st. Johns
river, seventeen miles from the At
lantic coast. In 1850 its population
was but 400 in 1860, 1000; in 1891,
$4,000 but today il has population
of about $4,000, is the largest and
most important city in the state and
the most metropolitan in character
of any city of its size we have ever
seen. 1t is the terminus of six rail
ways; four steamship lines afford
communication with the outside
world, and the noble st. Johns with
its tributaries gives a thousand miles
of inland navigation. 1t has large
and growing commerce and Bay
street with its beautiful and hand
some stores is one of the most at
tractive thOroughtares to be found
in any Southern city. The town has
over 100 factories, many handsome
public buildings, 4S churches, and
its hotels, in the excellence of SER
vice and general appointments, COM
pare favorably with any met with
in our travels. Chief among them
may be mentioned the Windsor, the
st. James and the Everett. The
United States government has ex-
pended million of dollars in con-
structing jetties at the mouth of the
river and the county Of Duval three
hundred thousand in deepening it's
channel so that there is now 18 feet
OF water from the city to the ocean.
The ST. Johns is said to be the only
river in Florida which flows north.
The others all flow south, southeast
or southwest. Among the attentions
shown the quilldTivers during the
day spent in the city was delight
full ride on steamer ten miles down
the river. An elegant lunch was
served on the boat-punch, ice-
cream and other whilst
band of stringed Instruments, and
a choir of young ladies and gentle
men of the city gave us delightful
music. On our return to the city we
stopped to visit some of tho places of
interest on the South side of the
river. At one of these we saw live
oak which measured % #. and 8 in.
around the trunk, covered quarter
of an acre and whose branches
reached out toa distance of 81 yards
on one side and 32 on the other
measured from the base of the trunk.
We dare say that thousand people
could stand, without being crowded
under the shade of this majestic tree.
We failed to speak in its proper
connection, of the Suwanee river and
the springs of the same name where
we stopped for supper and remained
several hours, on the night Of the
18th. All have been thrilled by the
melody of the sweet old sing "Way
Down upon the Suwanee River"
but, we dare say, many who have
heard the song do not know where
the river is found. 1t rises in south
SouISG
south, through southwest Florida,
and empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
1t runs, for the most part through
forests of stately pines and along its
banks, particularly in the vicinity OF
the springs, the great Florida live
oaks are found draped with the
beautiful hanging moss of which we
have heretofore spoken.
The Suwanee Springs Resort fronts
on this famous river at a beautiful
and desirable point in the northern
part of Suwanee county and on the
main line Of the Savannah, Florid,
and Western Railway. The superin
tendent Of the Springs claims tha
the water possesses rare curativ,
properties, and has been tried fo