The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-02-13
A TRIP TO FLORIDA.

A Good Mans Interesting I.etter--tifv
OF Sanford Remarkable i'm Many
Respects Meeting Old Acquaint'
ances- New MISUNDERSTANDING Oi
PrOducts-The Palmetto, In Senti-
ment and In Fact.
Editor Press and Banner:
Having just returned IRON three'weeK
visit to Florida, possibly letter giving an ac-
count of our trip might not be unlnteresllug
10 some OF Your readers -
our ob bircilye poi int was San ford, the "Gate
City OF South Florida" where our daughter
lives 1t Is beautifully Situated midway BE-
tween Jacksonville and Tampa on tne SCUM Ii
side OF Lake Monroe. through which the 81.
Johns river flows. Its competitive AuVau-
tage of both rail and. water transportation
gives II a supremacy over most interior towns
II is located ou broad plain, rising with re.
markable evenuess from the sandy SHORES ol
Lake Mon roe, ascending 10 an elevation or DO
feet TO the mile, which settles the question az
10 perfect drainage. IL stanus abreast Win
other modern progressive cities, having full
city government, an organized nre depart.
ment, public schools, churches. Masonic and
eral lines of railroad, lines OF river steamers.
telegraph and telephone lines, water and gas
works, banks, car shops. Ice factory, livery
stables, steam laundry, &C. IL mas 10 business
have the lowest death rate or any city OF
equal size In the Union-6 TO ,OoO population.
In addition TO city water WORKS there are q
number of artesian wells in the streets and
private lots. The water from these flowing
wells" which by subterranean force Is lifted
to an elevation OF from D to 10 feet above the
surface, Is highly charged with snlphur-is
perfectly clear and healthful, and flows con-
tinually, day aud night.
Fishing and hunting are fine. The fisheries
are an important industry, ana are the source
u OF considerable revenue. The catch In the
several fish houses averages each ,1U or l,5OO
los. per day.
the palmetto leaD contributes TO the trade In
terests of Sanford. It's weekly distribution of
wage money is large. 1t is said to be owned
by The Diamond Match Company. But, per.
haps the largest contributor 10 tne circulating
medium OF the city IL the machine shops OF
the Plant Railroad System. They employ
many skilled laborera, and their payroll Is
large. ouo, ,,o oro,oe ,rd,s,rr NJ,
this section Of country was almost the sole
source OF revenue, four-tiiths Of the popula-
tion being supported by II. But one sad night
in 1895, this business was swept away. Rich
men became paupers streets that once teemed
with human life grew up Ia grass magnif
cent stores, with iron and plate glass fronts,
were given up, and many OF the best citizens
moved away. 1t ia said that no other State in
the Union could have maintained Itself dur
ing this critical period without assistance
from the Government. Some OF the citizens.
with tear-dimmed eyes, yet speak OF 1t as a
calamity exceeding that Of the Civil War.
We visited q widow, Mrs. Beck, (favorably
known by some Of the people OF Abbevilie
county, who lives mile out OF Sanford, and
was rich In orange groves. We could not but
sympathize with her as she spoke Of the
.'freeze," and of the ruin and desolation II
brought. Pointing to grove In front OF her
home, she said, -! was offered, the evening
before the freeze, 81 $50 for the oranges on the
trees" She Is a nne old lady, aud we hope
some day TO see efagain In Due West. Many
OF the people we're SO discouraged that they
gave up the orange business entirely, while
q hri Groves. nrntaoti 10
the young trees with boxing and canvas and
building up mounds OF soil some three fee,
high around the body OF the trees; we saw
acres SO protected. To protect the larger trees,
we noticed pine wood boxes piled between the
rows, ready to be fired In case OF extreme cold.
This seemed an unequal contest against the
We met MIR. Seth Woodruff, Of Orlando; he
is filing his second term as Treasurer or Or
ange county, and Is graduate OF Erskine
College. He put many interesting questions
about the people of Due West and the college
boys OF eighteen years ago. A few years ago
he married rich society belle OF Orlando,
and is well off In this worlds goods. When j
saw him ae was just returning from deer
hunt, bringing home supply uf venisop.
Ny stay with my daughter and her bus.
band, Mr.. Frank L. Woodruff, was exceed
1pgly pleasant. He. too, is an Erskine boy.
Colleges. Besides bis grocery, grain, hay and
fertilizer business, he Is engaged In insurance
and cattle raisipg-his brother and be owning
more LlEn l,uUU Q6dQ. rOT SOIu6 years ne 09k
held a responsible position In the city govern.
ment-has been Instrumental In bringing
about some notable reforms, and Is being
strongly urged to run for the mayorship. He
ia q busy man, but never seems so happy as
when singing to and nursing his two little
boys. He knows everybody and is known by
everyoody.was heavy loser saIo by the ne freeze"
dict for him brighter day, when the clou d.
roll by"
w
pupil OF the Due West Female College, gradu.
ating In 1882, under the skillful management
of President j. p. Kennedy. Mrs. Kennedy,
Mrs. l.. Nj. Bonner, "Mss LEGAL" and Others
She 10 q fine talker and entertained us with
"reminiscences Of her college days. She was
one of the handsomest Indies we saw in Flor
ida. She has two manly little boys, and her
husband, Mr.. Woodruff, is engaged In the
lumber business.
On account of the mixed population there
are q number Of churches In Sanford. We at
tended service In the Presbyterian, Methodist
and Congregational churches, and were i'm
pressed with the devout demeanol of the
worshippers. We have seldom seen congre-
cations as a whole WHO appeared more thor
measure up TO the standard. AS we entered
the church one beautiful Sabbath morning
the congregation, accompanied by the organ
sssas SINGING that grand az e, oId tune. old Hun
choir al Due West. We must not omit to saw
they know how to treat strangers.
The city authorities are now taking steps to.
wards erecting new and up-to-dale school
building, in which a number OF teachers will
be employed-sa lares ranging from SIOO TO
$1,000 AS the Due West colleges furnish such
q large per cent OF teachers, would 1t not be
we'll for some OF them 10 "let their light shine
In Florida?"
1t costs something to live In Sanford We
found everything higher than here-for In
chickens from 30c to SOC, shoeing a horse 81. 80.
There seems 70 be plenty of work but scarcity
OF labor-wages OF common hands being 81
per day. On account of high wages and asso-
cation with Northern people, the negro In
Sanford is making rapid strides. though the
races seem 10 get on we'll together. They
must be law.ablding people, from the fact
that they have no organized police force.
Some Of the streets and sidewalks are made
of shell, and furnish fine tracks for driving
and bicycle riding. We visited the bed from
(ike the two mounds near by) Is acknowl.
edged TO be an uuiathomable mystery. 1t ap-
pears TO be inexhaustible, and is conn posed
entirely of small shell. We see from history
that these mounds are found In different sec
tions on either side of the Mississippi River
from the Great Lakes 10 the Gulf. Their or.
lgin Ia prehistoric, and who the mound
builders" were, or what their object, is beyond
their origin has proved unavailing, the In
dams disclaiminK all connection with their
building; They seem TO antedate the exis.
which we saw we're some ID or 20 feet high and
so feet in diameter-were covered with grass
and scattering oaks, festooned with Spanish
moss. The land on which they stand is
owned by Mr.. Whitner, q prominent man
once q prince merchant of San ford; he has
had varied business career. He Is a nephew
OF the late Judge Whitner of Anderson. He
dined with Us one day; we found him a re-
markable man, clever, and the personifica
tion of politepess. He Is far.signt ted, and 1t IL
said be now has project on foot TO connec
the st. Johns with Indian River, by cutting
four-mile canal he is we'll known In Wash