The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-24

learned doctor.
FINE FISHING.
At Sanford the ST. Johns river and
| lake is eight miles wide and II simply
abourds with fish of large size. 4 cat
| fish just caught was shown us .nat
was sail to weigh fourteen AMI three
fourth rollrIs. The water is s. clear
YOU can see numbcrless ones only wait
| ing for the hsherman's bait and hook.
Turtles are numerous also. Allgators
are found along the bayous and inlets.
| our curiosity WAS g-atifed in seeing
| them, like large dccayed logs, floating
| lazily along the river banks. They re-
main usually near shore and when
| cattle come too near the rivers edge
| To drink the "gater" will clutch a leg
| or tail and sometimes draw the entire
| animal beneath the water. Captain
| Shaw of the steamer City of Jackson
| Vile, pronounced one that was laying
close to shore to be fifteen feet long.
| The small boys at these stations have
| them for sale at fifty cents each. w.
X. Nixon of Chicago shot and secured
one that measured eleven feet.
Around the south side of .hn lake
there are sulphur springs, heavily
| charged, bubbling up through the wa
| ter Enterprise. just across Lake
| Monroe is one of the oldest settlements
| on the St Johns riveer. now a bright
| prosperous town, filled with hotels.
boarding houses and elegant cottages.
to accommodate the influx of winter
tourists and is a favorite resort. The
town Is located on one of the finest
| bluffs of the river. The land back of
| Enterprise is high and rolling. and es-
peCially adapted to orange cultivation.
| All tropical fruit is found here in pro-
| fusion. The DE Barry and Bodine
| groves are worthy of special mention.
| The former contains several thousand
trees mostly bearing and on it are the
celebrated White sulphur springs. Col.
| j. H. Bodine's plantation comprises the
fig, cocOanut, pineapple. banana, lem
| on, pomegranate and sweet bay trees,
besides the palmetto. cypress, India
| rubber, CamphOr, cinnamon. strawber-
| ry, etc. Within a space of ten feet are
| three mineral springs, iron, magnesia
| and sulphur. The latter spring is
highly impregnated and bois up from
| pit that has been sounded at 80 feet
| Quail, snpe. wild ducks and small
| birds abOunds here, while wild turkeys
| and deer are numerous. and the hunt
| or gets a shot occasionally at n bear
and Florida panther. This truly Is
| the hunters and fisherman's' paradise
| Alligator hunting and bird shooting is
| the favorite sport. Acres of wild let
| tuce float on the surface of the water
| the year round, Bonnet lilies OF con-
| tinuous growth with stems fifteen feet
| long cover large areas, while the shore
| Is lined with crt"eSS ana palmetto
| trees, which mainly compose the prim-
ilivn forests along the st. Johns for a
| hundred or more miles down towards
| the sea.
ST. JOHNS RIVER.
This historical and famous water
| course drains the whole interior of
Florida and is navigable for large
steamers for 80 miles. right into the
very heart of the state. Its source,
however. is in the northern edge of the
Everglades. some four hundred miles
from it's mouth--"Its waters bring the
romance of that mysterious region
| through many sunny lake and shady
defle. beneath palm and oak and mag
nolia." The tourist is hardly satisfied
| with the gimpses of this noble stream
| lToHl llS So-tdTeu source AT SANFORD,
but would plan a steamboat trip down
its crooked windings and witness its
picturesque features to Jacksonville, as
was our privilege. The distance is %,
miles and the run by the steamer City
of jacksonville is made including some
thirty-eight landings, i'm seventeen
hours. The fare. including two meals
and stateroom, is SS.75. There are few
streams in the world that present a
more tropical appearance along their
whole course than the st. Johns We
leave tropical scenery with tropical
vegetation and for 100 miles pass
through narrow, tortuous and strange
passages which in turn open into beau
tiful lakes and are charmed with the
, novel scenery and ever changing pan
Drama, and at night. illuminated by
the powerful searchight of the steam
or, lit becomes sort of fairyland
to the travellers eye" The waters OF
this noble stream are of dark blue
color and slightly brackish in taste as
far up as Lake George. though clear as
, crystal so that fish and other objects
ar" seen al great depths. Wepass orange
/, grOVes-bitter and sweet--dipping their
gold dappled houghs into its tepid wat.
ers. Along its banks rise the stately
magnolia. in all its pride, sleeping the
atmosphere in its perfume with here
; and there a succession of magnifcen,
reaches, or inland seas. the shores lined
with forests of live oak, sweet gum
pine, magnolia and palmettos. Thou.
= sands of visitors are scattered along
its villages and towns every winter
| while some few bring camp equippage.
t and pitch their tents in the picturesque
forests. Proceeding we pass through
lakes Reresford and Dexter the land,
> ings for the fourishing district about
: Deland, Lake Helen, Orange City. anC
. to Lake George, which is 1l5 miles
> from Jacksonville and the grandes
, sheet of water in Florida with an ares
= of ono hundred square miles--l2 miles
, long by miles wide and in it are
= number of islands. There are tive
landings on this lake.
: PALATKA.
= Palatka is reached in twelve hour!
from time of sailing, Here Is a thirty
{ ing city, located on the west
. bank of the river which makes
, a deep bend here and forms 2
, splendid fishing and boating grounC
7 with complete security. Palatka is tht
most important town in the interior o
= the state-the headquarters of business
A ! for large district and the prinCipa
1 | railroad center for all the middle par
0 of the state, Also favOrita winte
{ resort having large hotels and board
I ing houses Ga further description viii
,. appear later on). From Palatka 4
2 JaCkSOnVille, 90 miles the river broad