The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-02

| absence Of President II. II. Cabaniss was
very deeply regretted, but Vice President
| Triplett was equal to the occasion, ana
with Editor Douglass Glessners aDle as
! sistanCe he soon had everybody well quar-,
| tered and happy. In Manager Catto's aD-
sence. his charming wife gave her specla
attention to the ladies' of the party Tor
whose comfort all necessary arrange
ments had been made.
A good nights rest and fine breakfast
| this morning put the party in GOOD trlm
| to view the noble St. Johns river see the
| immense beds of water hyacinths hoatlns
| to the ocean and also drive or walk
about the city and so out to the famous
| PaIatka Hights. At 1879 o'clock the spe-
cial East Coast train carried a delighted
party away in the direction Of Miami,
there to take ship to Nassau
Al the same hour your correspondent
boarded the Southern railway train for
Ocala SUPERINTENDENT w i. Denham
has widened the gauge Of this road and
made many desired Improvements, ana,
under the present mana cement, this route
has become quite a popular one between
Jacksonville and Ocala, via Palatka. 1t
passes through a lovely section of coun-
try one that is rapidly recovering from
the effects Of the freeze.
Before that disastrous event the groves
along this line from Palatka to HaW-
thorne were among the largest and hand
soonest in the state, having the benefit of
numerous fresh water lakes. Nowhere in
the state have l seen so many fine groves
being properly cultivated and presenting
evidence that the owners were not in any
way discouraged by their past losses. The
young trees and new shoots are making
a fine growth, and will soon lose all evil
dence Of the damage OF the freeze.
Some of the grove owners are giving
their groves heavy fertilizing and gener-
lei cot t1,t .1par h.s-
tween the rows. about Evinston and
Macintosh aud few other points there
are few orange trees, but large vegetable
crops for market, especially cabbage, large
shipments of which are now being made
A considerable acreage of watermelons
has also been planted, and this crop prom
ises to be q large and profitable one as
the strawberry crop has been.
At lnterlachen, some sixteen miles from
Palatka, we saw the Interlachen hotel,
that has been offered for a national edi-
tors home, and which is to be visited this
week by the committee on selection of To-
cation of the association. 1t would be
hard to find a prettier town or more In
Wiling scenery, and the hope is INDUCED
that Interlachen may win the prize. We
were surprised to find at Edger, twenty
two miles from Palatka, the remarkable
kaolin mine. the only really pure product
in the south. A large force of hands
IS employed in mining the kaolin and pre-
pairing it for shipment. 1t has to be
washed by steam machinery, then pressed
into thin cakes, which are exposed to
the sun TO dry, after which they are bag
ged for shipment to the potteries, where
they are used in the manufacture of the
finest grades of crOckery. The industry
Is a rare one, but its growth is assured
and it viii prove a valuable one to that
section of the state
IN Ia Il 10 10 30
there are many signs of activity in warn
GUS Industries that indicate a revival Of
the old-time prosperity in a few years.
| No portion of the state shows a greater
| per cent. of oranges being properly cul7i-
waited and restored. The Plant system
| has taken hold of the Florida Southern
railroad in a way to inspire confidence
! on the part of property owners, and i'm
| provements are being made as fast as
| possible. Supt. Denham is in full sym
| PATTY with the people along the line and
| endeaVors to foster in every possible way
! every enterprise, old or new, that depends
| in any manner upon cheap and rapid
| transportation for its success.
President Plants Improvements here in
| Ocala are of a most substantial charac-
| ter, especially in and about the Ocala
| house. Under Manager Phil +. Brown
| formerly of the Markham house in At
lanta and for more than twenty years
proprietor Of the Blue Ridge Springs (Va)
summer resort, Ocala is getting the bene-
fit of one of the best conducted hotels in
| the Plant system.