The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-09-11
waldron On The Mountains.

" dluTOu On Lie mOuhbdluSs
Editor PALATKA News:
l feel right chilly this q. m. with
the mercury just at 80 degrees, and
thought it might take some of the
warmth out of those in Florida to
know now there is cool spot some
where. The days here are sunny and
pleasant with the nights dropping to
90 or 60 degree. The fine spring
water is so delightfully."- cool and
pure. We are now 80 miles from our
railroad terminus.
The stage ride over the fine noun
tain roads is grand, with good
horses and hacks that speed along at
a good gait up and down the sides
of the Blue Ridge, passing small fer
tile valleys with dwellings nestled in
their hooks. Many of the mountain
sides are cleared and make excellent
grazing lands. The place where we
are now, is a very rich valley about
two miles long and not quite that
wide. We are surrounded by many
good farms and all are we'll kept up.
They raise all they use, wheat, corn,
oats, potatoes, apples and all milk
products with plenty of fine vegeta-
bles. The farm living is the very
best. One will soon recruit here.
Just think of II poor worn out Florida
Cracker, like myself, with plenty of
everything good, and not thing to
do, not even to go out in the hot sun
to get mess of cOwpeas for dinner;
| can hardly realize it. / can't keep
track of the days-all seem alike to
me.
This is a cooling place to come to
and hope another season to see
more Florida people here. The peo-
pie here are industrious, quiet, good
hearted and welcome all. In coming
up through the Carolinas it was as
hot as in Florida, getting cool as one
struck the shadows of the mountains.
The crops in sight through the Caro-
linas were not as good as our COM
mon pine land crops; cotton small
and corn the same. We saw all along
good milk COWS tied out or watched
by small boys; no fences. i have
asked several farmers how they liked
the no fence. They said at first they
did not like it, but after trial it
proved to be a good thing. They
now keep better stock and it gives
them no trouble, and they have good
breeds of hogs, and keep them up,
have more and better pork, 40 eX-
pensive fences unless they choose.
| wish my friend, Hon. John p. Wall,
could take this trip, not only for his
benefit but as an object lesson for his
associates at Tallahassee. Here stock
is kept up about six months in the
year.
The Watauga river runs through
this valley, rapid and rocky stream.
Mountains and hills on all sides, cool
springs at the door, fine roads, good
horses, and nothing to hurry one; it
is an ideal spot for sanded cracker.
Mr.. and Mrs. Holmes Erwin, of PO-
mona, are also here, and enjoying
themselves as usual.
l intend to go over to Boon, the
county seat, and see what that is
like. There are many chestnuts
here though not yet ripe. Corn is
81 per bushel, wheat the same; butter
1919 cents per pound; hay $40 per ton;
good cows 500 to $50 and horses $l25
and up. 1 have not yet run across
any moonshine stills. The liquor
laws are getting quite prohibitOry;
that will produce moonshiners and
blind tigers. No liquor is allowed to
be sold within two miles of a church
and churches being erected every
where, so 1t goes. Hoping to send
you something else before gong to
Richmond and hoping you are get
ting cooler, | am as ever,
g. +. WALDRON
Vale Crucis, N. q. Sept. 1903.