The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-03
PIONEER LIFE
IN FLORIDA

FLORIDA MORE THAN FIFTY
YEARS Aoo-NEoRoEs TREATED
KINDLY IN THE EARLY DAYS.
Writing in the Palatka Times Herr
aid, John Francis Terry tells of early
experiences and early Life la Florida ~
follows:
Several people have requested me 20
write my personal experiences and inn
preston Of Florida commencing with
the year 1860. Having kept no diary
Or memorandum. what shall be able
to write will naturally be wandering
rscolIect1cns that may have no his
tcrts intsrsst for ms deliver into the
past, and only serve to amuse those
and observations
The writer came to Florida in the
winter Of 1855 by steamer from New
yosl<. his f1Est landing being IN the city
Of Savannah. Ga, where he saw for
the nrst time negro slaves at work on
the wharves. Their movements were
20 slow and listSess; 80 entirely unlike
t1doss Of the meL We were accustomed
to SEQ that II Attracted our attention at
once. From Savannah we took an m
nAnd steamer for Jacksonville. Florida.
The steamer ran inside the coast
islands until It reached Florida, when
we put out to sea for the mouth OF the
st. Johns river. To say that the trip
was q delightful one fails to tell one
shalk The story. The immense salt
Marshes, with here and there groups
lef palmetto trees. the abundance Of
aquaffc birds. and occasionally huge
alligator. with the ever varied scenes
a. We wendAd out way down the
crooked chAnn,l, made an impression
never to be fosgotten.
How s<aAs Locked.
mouth Of IA 81 johns river . fellow
|. yasssng9, pointing TO the shores, In
formed me that Z had seen al Flor
/ Ida" meaning that the whole state
was nat and embarrassing, like what
saw.
In due time We reached what they
called Tho City Of Jacksonville" but
|: what was simply little village-and 8
poor one at that. There was one good
shotsi-the. Judson house-run by o. i.
Ksens; two saw mills. two good stoves
s---one was built Of brick. the only brick
building In the city, and run by C. l..
Robinson; q few scattered dwelling
houses here and there: postoffice, bar
room: but had not arrived to the dig
nifty OF sidewalks or paved streets. In
fact. few II any streets but Bay street
were clearly defined, and a person
could follow COW path into any quar-
ter OF the city he desired to go. All
beyond the little st. James Park was a
wilderness, with no settlements north
SCI the present viaduct across the rail-
roads.
= We were received with hail fei-
low well net air. BY everyone. There
was evidently plenty Of room for Us
without Inconvenience to anyone.
> After few days rest in Jacksonville
we started on trip to the Oclxlawaha
river country to procure cypress tim
Der that grew on Six Mile creek, from
. man named Ward. We spent the
first night at Orange Mills. at that
time a thriving place, with large saw
mill that was run at its full capacity.
Here we got the best meal we even
ats. We had our breakfast in Jack
until nearly sunset Of the next day
We had killed some fox squirrels, &
duck. had procured some flour. pota-
toes and onions. with which we made
a dumping stew" over fire on the
ground. Our long fast, the exercise OF
hunting and the excellence Of the stew
made q meal 1T for king. We made
the trip from Orange Mills to the Ock.
lawaha river country on foot. crossing
the river in a dug out" passing
through the city Of Palatka. believt
they called it city then; but it was
actually not much but hamlet. We
reached our man on the Ocklawahz
about midnight. After getting lost II
.-4he woods for time, as there was no
"a single settlement on the road w.
travelled. The next day we took {
mule ride over the country, ant
my mule having fallen to his knees
allowed me to proceed over his hea.
for about twenty feet on all fours. rip
: ping my pants leg In twain for two
thirds Of It's length As there wa.
I neither store, seamstress, needle u
{ thread IN any part of that country, w
were forced to board the good steamc
Darlington at Welaka in that uncon
sssyentional attire. AZ the boat wa
( crowded with well dressed men an.
! women. we took a back seat, as mucl
out Of sight IS possible. where we ga
in sorrowful contemplation Of the vicis
situdes Of life. and torn pants in par
z ticular, when all OF a sudden we re
!, ceived whack on the back almos
I hard enough to break 1t, and Captain
Brock wanted to know. What in h
was the troubleT exhibited my tori
/ pants and then began series Of storie
that soon called the whole blesse,
y crowd around us. could hide my tor;
clothes no longer. and arrived in Jack
sonville unfit to enter polite society.
~ Transportation Facilities.
! will stop here to mention NOR
fully Captain Brock and his steame