Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1902-02-15
LETTER FROM FLORIDA.
r1r. Johnson Writes OF the Climate,
Fruit, Gators and RaZOrbacks.
Clermont, Lake Co., Fla,

This town is in the central part OF
Florida, III miles south of Jack
sonville, IS miles from the Atlantic
coast and about the same number of
miles the fromGulf Of Mexico, and is
the highest point land in the state. 1t
is located on the south shore of Min.
nicola lake, a body Of water two miles
long and one and three-tourths wide,
and is rs free from low marsh and
swamp togs as Silver lake in Bar.
nard; in tact, the shores are covered
with white sand The water is pure
and free from vegetable and organic
matter, and is much like Dearborn
spling water. All the people Of
Clcrmont and Minneola use it for
all domestic purposes and pay IS
cents barrel delivered at their
doors.
No one has malaria here-it is the
healthiest town in all Florida-and
no more can YOU find more con-
genial, social and hosptable people
than in this little town, particularly
Mine Host Daniel II. Markham and
wife Of Hotel Clermont. In looking
over the place one is reminded of
mining towns in the West, where
towns were built up in day and
went down in night. About 20
Years ago, then Il wilderness, this
town was laid out in modern city
style Gin squares) and from then up
to 1895 it had nearly forty houses,
all occupied, and no one could hire
Il house for love or money. During
this time people had planted orange,
peach, lemon and grape fruit groves
in large numbers, and besides these
fruits there was a vegetable business
sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cab
bages, lettuce, etc. Grange groves
had grown up to be of great value,
some being held at $4,000 to $780,
900. On the 9TH day of February,
1905, the trees were in full bloom,
white with blossoms and sweet with
their perfume, which filled the air
for half mile away. On the after
noon of that day the temperature in
the shade was nearly IS, but on the
of the Sth it had fallen to
I3 below freezing point. This trozc !
the trees to the ground and all was
lost. Many men and women who
were worth their thousands at night !
were penniless in the morning. 1t
was the same with orange groves)
all over the state. 1t has been SAID
that had all the buildings in the +
state burned, the loss would not
have been as great.
But the inward tide has already
set in. Real estate is changing
hands, houses are being repaired,
roads clayed, and orange and grape
fruit groves are being set out. Grape
fruit trees are the best paving, and
from four trees the little SUM OF
p2Io has been realized.
Over across Lake Mlnneola is the
little town or village Of Minneola,
located on the northeast side. This !
is in plain view from Hotel Cler-
mont. two miles away. In thi $
pleasant little ham let | found Lucian
w. Palmer, once superintendent of
the Passumpsic railroad, and was at
one time interested in a western
road. He is nephew of the late
DR.. David Palmer, who was presi-
dent of the Woodstock medical col .
lege.
We are having fine sport fishing
and hunting. The lakes abound
with black bass, perch and aliga-
tors. BY the way. Mr.. Benson
from home his Winchester
rifle and is having great
sport with gators, bringing in two
Of them the first days Of February.
One measured 5 feet in. long,
the other 9 feet 3 in. long. The
large one weighed nearly 225
pounds. This ones hide was taken
off and sent to White River juno
ion to be tanned. ] think Mr.. Ben
son will have some fine goods in the
near future.
Farmers have been planting for
two weeks; in fact they plant all
times OF the year. They raise some
large vegetables. If | should stay
here during the summer the Florida
soil might produce something which
would compete with DR.. Henry
Boynton's famous pumpkin story.
Think the doctor will catch on to
this all right; Just ask him about
it.
Cattle and hogs run wild here,
but not in large numbers. Each
owner has his cattle branded and
his hogs marked on theil ears. |
might tell you good fish stories, but
as YOU are accustomed to them they
wouldn't be very interesting. But |
will give one on the razorback hog.
They are peculiarly built, have IL
very long, thin head with Il sharp
nose and Il very long tail. One of
these famous hogs when well fatted,
7 or s months old, will dress 10 to
50 pounds. They have peculiar
way of testing them for the market.
They just go into the pen and take
them up by the ears. If their hind
parts balance down they are fat !
enough; but if the head and nose
goes down they drop them and .
give them more sweet potatoes.
They will jump sky high, but this
is not the worst trouble to keep |
them in the pen. If there is the
slightest crack between the boards
they will get their needle nose into
it and away they will go for parts