Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-01-21
FLORIDA BRIEFS.


The holidays have gone and scarce.
ly have their echoes died away before
the tourists begin to flock to this
sunny land for health, comfort and
pleasure. The visitors are more nu.
merous now than they have ever been
before this early in January, and ap.
pear to be enjoying themselves i'm.
mensely.
The report of collections by the
office of tire collector of internal reve-
me for the month of December, 1897,
hos lust been given out for publication.
II shows total collections Of S37 TOP. 70.
The collections for the year is $780,
495 .97, as against S472 y60l.2 Tor the
year 1896, decrease of Sl3, 10j.3O.
President Mckinley recently up.
pointed central committee to solicit
aid for the Cuban sufferers. The com.
mittee wrote TO Governor Bloxham to
know what might be expected of the
people of Florida in this matter, He
informed them that he would appoint
every mayor in the state to receive
contributions, and asked the commit
tee to name point in Florida where
the donations would be received by
them.
The phosphate mines of Levy coun.
ty for the last four years have been
the abiding place of the state convicts,
with Albion as stockade headquarters.
The last legislature appointed COM
mittee TO visit the different convict
camps and report on the condition of
the prisoners, and the outcome was
change of lessees to take effect January
/. On January 3 the eonvicts were
sold to the following lessees: j. A.
Crawford, s. l.. Varnado, W. y. Camp
and West Bros, for the next four
years, with privilege to sublet them,
81 900 being the yearly revenue the
state derives. On the morning Of the
One Of the most disastrous calami.
ties that ever occurred in Leon county
happened at the plantation of Il. Ct.
Rawls, six miles north of Tallahassee,
the past week. He had steam gin,
which was run by twenty-five horse
power boiler Soon after firing it up
it did not seem to work satiSfactori-
~, and some one tied the safety valve
down. As result of this unusual
proceeding, the boiler exploded,
wrecking the engine, gin house and
engine house, killing the engineer and
scalding and manning six other nell
all colored. A piece of the boiler was
found three miles from the scene Of
the explosion. The loss to Mr.. Rawls
is about $4,000, with no insurance.
Adiutant General Houstoun of the
Florida state troops is devisinG
plans for making the malitia more
efficient and raising all the companies
to n higher standard of excellence of
practical soldiery. He has recently
instruced Colonel w. $. Proskey, who
is at the head of the ordnance depart
ment, to prepare regulations with this
end in view. These regulations are
being put in form, and will soon be
promulgated to the troops. The IDEAS
that are to be embodied in his report
involve the bringing all the companies
Of the various battaions up to uni
FORM high standard OF excellence in
general, and more particularly with re-
gard to craftsmanship.
Preparations are rapidly going for.
ward for the national fishery congress
which is to meet in the auditorium Of
the Tampa Bay hotel on the 18th inst
and continue in session one week. The
Tampa board Of trade and the city
officials have arranged a programme
which is likely to make the visit of
the delegates one of great pleasure
and long remembrance. The Plant
system has rendered the use of one of
its steamers which will enable the Wis
itors to take trip down Tampa Bay
to Egmont Key, The exposition build
ing is in readiness for the displays to
be made y the government, individu-
ais or companies. Governor Bloxham
has received responses from twenty
1ve other chief executives, all of whom
have expressed their intention of hay
ing commissions present 70 represent
their respective states.
,t.,ll