The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1908-04-09

drank from spring which is We
flowing M St. Augustine and from
which yOn too may quaff eterna
youth tor ) cent per glass.
Ii taste, nos unlike all the
countless springs h>re, strongly
of sulpher and magnesia. q
course it IS very healthy. Instead
of physician prescribing sulphur
IN the spring as he would iR other
places. he would better say drink
certain quantity of water al such
intervals. Every drink is so fumed
with sulphur one finds himself
wondering if the region Of fire and
birthstone is not directly beneath
but the benefit to your health is
SO gratifying as TO dIspel all fears
or prejudiCed taste and you find
yourself joining the throngs of
drinkers in the cause of good
health without a question.
Truly nature here is most prod
igal in her handiwork particularly
III her lavish supply of water,
streams, springs and lakes making
the whole land one babbling, rip
ping fountain; perennial III its
beneicenee. A sad contrast to
the old story of the fountain OF
youth is the number of old people
one sees here. In the land OF
eternal bloom one is brought for
chilly to consider that man is but
the creature of a Short span and
must pay the debt to nature and
pass on at the appointed hour,
though the, many travellers here
are seeking TO prolong that span
by escap ng the long, cold winters
OF the north and west.
A marked contrast between the
day and night is now noticeable.
From midday till 3 o'clock it is
hOt-no other word expresses it
but the evenings are cool, o cool
as require u wrap if you sit out
side. The natives claim this is
true all through the summer but
l have my doubts.
A beautiful trip may be had by
steamer from Jacksonville down
the St. Johns river to Sanford, a
distance OF $50 miles. | do nC t
from a world wide expert
ercebut | am ready to wager no
other equal distance on the globe
presents so varied and beautiful
panorama as this. 1t would re-
quIre volume to fully describe
The journey and perhaps | shall
later ask HE JOURNAL for special
space for it. Now l shall men
ton III passing the natural life,
birds, animals, plants-the fora
and fauna is most unique ana
to view FROM the nearby
banks where the river narrows IN
the upper stream. Often one
may almost touch the overhang-
ing bOughs as the fiat bottom SIDE
winds her way up the
between islands and around
bends SO abrurt as to appear cul
de saCs a-momeut before they are
reached.
The shad fisheries in the stream
are certainly very different from
the methods OF my friends and
kinsmcn OF the Chesapeake wa
tiers. Even as far as Us miles
from the ocean we saw them haul
ing seine. These seines or traps
are set in the narrow bends of the
river in some place not over y
feet wide, and stretching from
bank to bank not a single shad
escapes unless the smaller ones
Just before the steamer comes
they have to draw the Sc ne uo
and the traveller always enjoys
tle novel sight of Seeing them fish
the seInes. THIS journey requires
eighteen hours bat were it twice
as long one would never have a
moment for inside. So enchanting
ard beautiful does nature here
portray her charms.
Sanford is the heart of the cell
cry raising industry and at present
is shipping thirty car loads daily.
One hears marvellous tales OF this
growth in past three years. Land
now selling at $1,000 per acre,
five years ago could have been
bought as low as 81 or So. That
of course was before they discov-
cred its adaptability to celery
growing by the underground irrl-
cation. These valuable lands ar
certainly within limits Of the city
water power but with the great
lakes stretching out for miles /;
will be easy to extend the water
power of the market price if the
product jusIifies it. You are told
in all earnesiness Of Mr.. Blank
who last year cleared 81, 900 of
1 I Il