The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-03-31
MAGNOLIA SPRINGS, FLA.
+. Pioneer Southern Resort. Its Attrac
lions, Scenic and Otherwise. Birds and
lowers.
Correspondence of The journal. !

MAGNOLIA SPRINGS, FLA, March 6,
1904 Magnolia Springs is situated on
Jhe ST. Johns river some % miles from
Jacksonville, via the Atlantic Coast
Line or may be reached by the daily
ste amboat lines down the river. The
pl ace was settled many years ago, and
is ella med to be the first winter resort
IN the south. The first hotel gave way
20 the present one more than twenty
We ars ago. The St. Johns river at this
DO int is more than three miles wide
and affords an unobstructed view eight
mile south and twelve miles north. II
has the appearance of beautiful lake
The air is very salubrious and free from
dampness both night and day and the
northern visitor soon realizes that
excavation does not follow, as is usual
the transition to a Semi-tropical eli
mate. In fact the air has something
OF a bracing, tonic effect. The hotel
and grounds here are the property of
q. y. Seavey & Co., and there are five
Gotta geS in connection with the hotel.
" lille the river affords fine fishing,
sailing and boating. the favorite amuse-
melt is golf and the extensive nine-hole
grounds are among the best in the State,
4ue and half miles in length. The st.
Johns is a very sluggish river and has
the peculiarly of lowing north. Its
waters ara usually quiet and afford
safe boatiHg, Nhife the alligator, a com
Iii o. sight is of never-ceasing interest,
although the sport of shooting them
mas ong since been discouraged, Fish
and game are plentiful here, and quail
~llua and WO0dcock are found in large
numbers not far from the house. The
INIT shoot of - quail is a daily affair
HlI!e larger bags have been seen by
tile writer. Larger game can be secured
1y a trIp into the forests, where the
villa turkey abounds and where deer
dYe often fc md In the river are trout,
ced and black bass, the latter very
plentiful. pickerel, and other small fish
Among them is fish resembling an al
Hgator in color but about the size of a
Goldfish and called in the south ''nud
isl. In the winter this fish burrows
4 cGe mud ard lives upon air and what
il Is able to draw from the mud This,
nsh 5 used mainly when dried, like dry
cod. very few eating them fresh.
The water supply here is very fine,
coming from artesian wells with great
force The hotels and grounds are
thus supplied with beautiful, soft water,
which also has medicinal properties.
M analysis gives it 2.3S775 grains of
mag nesia and 2,3G17 grains of lime.
The water has proved very beneficial
IN many cases and is now bottled and
shipped north for medical purposes.
The hotel grounds are prettily laid
cut and the house has accommodations
Tor over 200 guests. Good bathing is
afforded in large tank in the base
meut Of the bail room, 75X4O feet, and
= feet i'll depth. There is also Il
smaller open air tank, where the water
IS always warm and inviting.
The -Four Friends Orchestra" of
Providence II. l., furnishes music for
thr daily concerts, and with all the ac-
oessoMes Of a modern hotel life here
passes pleasantly, The place is ex-
elusive 1t is one and half miles to
the nearest settlement, which is know n
As Gleen Cove springs, and was once
one If the most attractive of the ST.
Johns winter resorts. 1t lad several
arge hotels and business blocks and
was growing rapidly under the guiding
land of the .Bordens of condensed milk
Fame. Its principal attraction was a
beautiful sulphur spring, some forty
feet III depth and which is a thing of
the business center and the hotels have
since been closed, and the place is fast
going down.
An interesting sight, especially at
night, are the forest fires which occa-
sionally spread through the pine for
ests. Sparks dropped from the engine
near here one night recently caught in
the grass and burned acres and acres
before it could be stopped. The fire
lourns rapidly in the dry pine spills and
can be seen creeping along steadily,
with now and then pine stump left
burning. Very little grass grows in
this section and what there is, is cuiti-
waited and carefully preserved The
soil is very sandy. Cattle run to their
hearts content in the woods and get
&heir living in summer and winter as
9est they can. The hotel grounds are
now quite green, but the uncuitivated
grounds will remain barren for some
time longer
The mornings here are made pleas.
ant 10y the songs of birds, and already
great variety may be seen. Promi-
nent among them are the merry brown
thrush and the hooking bird. The
latter picks up the songs of its compaE
10 rs ard fills the air with its sweet
tones No bird in the south can lead
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