Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-01-21
UNDER SOFT FLORIDA SKIES
Mrs. Paterson's Body Was Con-
signed to the Tomb.
WAS A SISTER OF BISHOP TAYLOR
The Current Season Propitious
With Promise.
No Weather Cold Enough to Hurt the Ten
derest Vegetation = watermelons Grow
ing Wild in BIoomiand-A Boom in Peach
Cultnre-Town Election in Eustis.

Special Correspondence OF Gazette sud Journal
Bloomland Fla, Jan. 5.-Under
such a sky as is surely never surpassed
outside of Florida the body of Mrs.
Rachel d. Paterson, nee Taylor, was
yesterday consigned to the tomb.
The day was so perfect that every
one felt the aptness of the illustration
when one OF the clergymen likened 1t
to the heavenly day upon which the
departed one was entering. Outside
bees were droning lazily among luxu-
RANT masses of roses while gentle
zephyrs toyed deliciously with the
balmy air in which the fragrance of
even a few cherished ripening oranges,
forerunners of hoped, for crops TO come.
was perceptible.
1t was the first funeral in our little
community, in the circle clustered
+ around our beautiful lake, since We
came TO Florida. The departed one
was the sister of Bishop Taylor, re-
Gently superannuated from long service
in the African missionary field. Like
her talented brother, Mrs. Paterson was
an exemplary Christian, not in the
conventional but in the highest and
fullest and completest sense of the
word. Her whole life was wrapped up
In religious labor and conscientious
performance of duty.
Mrs Paterson was in her 59th year.
Her married life, OF 36 years, was
childless. Her home circle numbered
but three, her husband, herself and
her niece. For 10 years she had been
afflicted with cancer of the stomach.
For 40 days preceding her death she
had not taken mouthful of solid food.
A nsar neighbor, among those who
spoke at the funeral, whose beautiful
home is the chief architectural adorn-
ment of our lake. the Rev. Dr. Pendle-
ton, is double son in. law of the Rev.
Alexander Campbell founder of the
Campbellite church, having married
and outlived two daughters of that
distinguished divine. Largely through
the efforts aud aid of DIR. Pendleton,
still hale and hearty, though venerable
in years, and of his third wife, who is
likewise untiring in church work, the
Complexities have built within the
past three years the finest church
{. edifice 10 Eustis. DIR. Pendleton spent
the disastrous heated term Of last sum
mer in Cincinnati. where he found il
difficult to convince sweltering hu.
mainly that fatal case of sunstroke
has never been recorded in the history
of Florida.
The current season has thus far
proved the most propitious we have
experienced here. The lowest drop of
the thermometer was on Christmas
morning, to "a degrees, and that did
not affect the tenderest vegetation. As
l write vagrant watermelons-they
grow practically wild at Bloomland-
are putting forth young fruit in evil
dent unconHciouaness that there is such
thing as winter ON earth. Peach trees
are in bloom, have in fact been bloom
ing more or less for two months
past, and young peaches, ranging from
the size of peas up to marbles, are
already plentiful at Bloomland. We
cannot reasonably expect these venture.
some little peaches to safely run the
gauntlet Of the six weeks to come, but
If they should some extra early fruit
will certainly go North. Strawberries
are ripeuing; tomatoes are growing
plenty in local markets, while string
beans and peas have been abundant
for month or more.
In this immediate neighborhooC
quite little boom has sprung up il
peach culture, this winter. Many arr
anu u
generally in small, experimental
way, but the aggregate will be con
siderable. 1t is an experiment whict
certainly promises well. While we arr
too far South to successfully grow th,
famous Elberta peach of Georgia anc
Northern Florida, yet we have il
seedlings of the Peento strain, tn,
Angel, Waldo, Bidwells, Lottie, ant
some others specially adapted to thi
section, fruit by no means to br
sneezed at and that will bear shipmen
we'll. And the trees come so early int,
bearing. Trees at Bloomland, PLANTED
in January, 1895, mere switches of |.
to Is inches, at that time, grew lik
weeds and last spring, the first yea
from planting, hung so full of frui
that the most of it had to be thinneC
out Some of these trees are now L
feet high and three or four inches il
diameter at the stump. And the vel
lows is unknown here; not one farme
In dozen has probably even heard O
such disease.
Eusti0 held its municipal election
to-day. The matter was run IN
thoroughly harmonious and neighborl
way. There was but one ticket, name
in town caucus of such citizens a
chose to attend, and the election wa
the mere formality of endorsing tina
ticket. Politically Eustis is strongl
Republican, about $50 to 80, but har
PLY as yet party "cuts no lce'' i
town elections here. Judge,