Year: 1868

has funnel or cone shaped hopper. Into


that he put his corn and fastened the bag


to the lower end of the mill. Now with


each hand hold of crank-there being one


at each end of the shaft-he toiled away


until the contents OF the hopper had be-
come meal and was deposited in the bag
below. He then put the meal into the
kettle on the fire, fried a little 'sowbelly'


(bacon) and then he had sowbelly, hom
my and coffee, which formed their meal.
When one calls at a farm or planter s
house at meal time the first salutation is
Stranger, have ye ?"-answer yes
Take stool, sit by and skin later y
Thus you may see how the poor live.
With the wealthy it is otherwise. They
have all the comforts-aye luxuries-of
llte, yet you will see mullet-a very choice
tish-and hominy on the table in all the
best houses. both public and private, on
the coast They almost invaribly have
sweet and Irish potatoes, either boiled
or roast beef, pork and beans, with boiled
rice or rice pudding, for dinner. As far
as business is concerned there is nothing
inviting here For health there is every
thing that could be desired. We do not
expect to find mines of gold, or the won
derful elixir that will transform old age
to youth and beauty or endow us with
supernatural powers. That has been
too long the theme of the Spanish col
onists. We do expect, however, and
fully believe, that every vegetable, fruit
and flower can be cultivated here with
the least possible amount of labor and
almost to perfection, and that for q win
ter resort, ST. Augustine will become as
fashionable as Saratoga, West Point and
Newport are for summer, and that the
climate cannot be equalled. The air
balmy, fresh perfumes being sent hither
and thither on every breeze-yet fresh
and bracing. There being more or less
wind every day, particularly after s o clock
a. m., thereby driving off the oppres-
sive heat which is found in the interior. 1t
is free from ague and fever and scourges
of the valleys. The summers being equal
ly as healthy as winters, and not SO hot
as other places, either North or South.
A stranger may ask what has kept the
country back that has such Superior adj
vantages. We can answer Slavery. We
hope and trust that the monster has bled
itself to death and that ST. Augustine
will Phoenix like from centuries of war,
blood, and, above all, the blighting curse
of slavery. There are ten companies of
u. S. Infantry stationed here. They
have a fine brass band with them
which discourses some very fine music to
this otherwise monotonous city. They
play alternately at the barracks and city
at 9 a. NJ, and p. m. OF each day.


The country abounds in wild game
Bear, Turkey, Quail &C., and the ocean
and inlets in an abundance of very fine fish
and bivalves, which can be caught and
gathered at any and all seasons of the
year. Before the late war a Railroad was
in process of construction from Tocoi
about 50 mills above Jacksonville on the
st. Johns river and this place, to be called
the Tocoi and St. Augustine r. K. 1t
was ready for the rolling stock with the
exception of about four miles. The war
not only put o stop to the work but de-
stroyed what had been completed. We
understand that parties are now negotia
ting for the road and if successful intend
to put it in running order at all early day.
All that is wanted here is northern energy
immigration There is plenty of United
States and State lands some within
three miles of the town. Wanted Yankees,
Germans, Dutch, Danes, Norwegians,
Irish, in fact any nation that viii; work,
and such as are daily filing up the North
west, to settle here. They can raise
TWO AID three crops per year and with
very much less labor than in the North
west. all the cereals and vegetables that
grow north can be cultivated here i'll win
ter and summer, or both. Those that
are not too lazy to work are now Illustrating
in green peas, cabbage, radishes, parsnips
Sc During the winter the town Is tuli OF
mort hern people, who come here for the
double purpose Of enjoying the balmy
which glides imperceptibly
from one season into the other and to in
vigorate their lungs, which in very many
cases the vicissitudes of the northern win
ters have very perceptibly deteriorated.
Strangers from the north have just begun
to arrive. Senator Sprague from Rhode
Island and his wite-formerly Miss.
Chase-weIe here last week and left
again for Washington. There are per-
haps hundred or more strangers In
town, none that you would know were
to mention their names-saye one, MIR.
Howard and family of the Howard House
notoriety of New York MIR. H., like us
is trying to get foot hold here. How
he will succeed, time alone will tell.


Before we came here, we were caution
ed over and over again about Aillgators.
We have been on qui utUe ever since we
have been here and not peep can we
get of one. There are plenty of two leg
ged ones about though, and these we will
try and shun, the other sort are trying to
>hun us, We guess.


NoYL.