Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1907-03-01
lazewell Men IN the
"Flowery Land"
Mr.. EDIroR:

NN0VNa
niagara Falls and then tried to put
your thoughts into words-remember
ing how many great minds and great
talents have fallen down under the
task So il is with one writing OF
Florida.
When you drop n mountain "sager'
from the red brush hills OF Virginia
into the lap of Florida, with her ten
thousand wonders and delights. he is
lost in amazement and words fail to
express his impressions.
would not undertake to write OF
its floral or vegetable kingdom. Drop-
ped from the sleet, ice and snow drifts
OF these old January hills, here. int,
the sunshine-yea, perpetual sunshine
howers and friends OF that Sunny South
land, you are lost in amazement and
JOY aud you don't care il you are.
Who could put his thoughts in,
words as he views from his car wind
ow for the first time-orange grove
alter orange grove spreading out ON
either side with car loads-yes. hun
dreds OF car loads OF oranges. Crane
fruits and all the different kinds of
citrus fruits, growing in the greatest
abundance aud profusion, and over all
TINS, that eternal sunshine. brighter
IL possible, than any May day we have
mere and along with this view, flowers
vines aud evergrecns in the greatest
varieties and profusion But for the
whistle OF the engine or the presence
OF your companions like Joe Meek,
you might think you had entered an
enchanted land or expect suddenly the
golden gate 10 swing into view.
Thus we rode IN wonder and amaze
ment for hundreds OF miles now
through orange groves, Villages and
towns-then for miles through the
pine forests whore only the white sen.
tinels (the turpentine blaze) kept his
lonely vigil.
we were finally dropped at the little
town OF Homosassa. This is the part
OF our trip We started out to write
about-namely, the fishing and hunt
ing. The town Homosassa is situated
on the Homosassa river, six miles in
land off the Gulf.
1T is built on lands once owned bv a |
Frenchman named U-Lee, and we were |
irst informed it was our own Fitzhueh |
Lee, but later found this to beincorrect
Here at the beginning OF the Civil War
was an estate of several thousand
acres under cultivation. Here. also. was
the home OF more than one Thousand
slaves-if that is the proper way TO
express it. We were told that four
hundred acres were cultivated In
sugar cane, and tho ruins of the old
sugar refinery are still standing. WAS
ieeply interested I'm all this while / m
ierstood this had been Fitzhugh Lees
property, and from notes taken OF
'hese old ruins, find every thing In
good state OF preservation. There were
i've kettles used--two OF these remain
furnace where used. They are eight
eet in diameter, made OF iron or steel
'late rveted together. Between these
wo kettles cedar tree Is inches in
llameter is now growing. The plant
nd every thing connected with the
state was destroyed during the war
he boiler used is still In case OF stone.
nd is about fifty feet long. Ashes ,
rom the fires, kindled by these slaves :
lore than forty years ago, still re- {
lain; and stood and thought OF the {
egro songs sung around this old :
lrnace, and the melody that arose as
hey worked this cane field.
The engines, massive rollers and c
ther machinery lying scattered around
yer and above this, and all the rest 90
nat fine old estate, has grown ND a
)rcst OF all kinds Of trees, vines and 4,
riars-and you now find good hunt ;
lg for all kinds of game, even incIud- {
lg the bear and panther. This stands c
8 another reminder, a monument to
hat the South suffered during the
'ivil War.
The fishing on the Homosassa river
fine-just how large the fish are and
Ow many we caught I will not ,ndar-