Year: 1878




Having returned temporarily from re-
cent visit to Florida, where / located q
homestead of United States Government
land and acquired during my travels in
the northeastern portion Of the State a
considerable amount of knowledge in re-
lation to matters in that region, wish to
make statement for the benefit of others
who may think Of removing to that part
of the "Sunuy South"


Florida is not the place for a laboring
man to move to, nor for poor mechanics,
except where their special trades are avail
able for that region, and where they are
not liable to have to compete with negro
labor in the same line. If man of fam
lily wants to go to try trucking or farming
he should have at least $500, as he needs
that much if he takes Government home
stead, so that his land only costs him the
fees for having it entered and outlined,
for he ought to have enough to support
him year, besides buying stock and i'm
plements


IF he can build his cabin, clear some
ground and fence il, and raise feed enough
the first year TO give his horse, COW and
pigs what is fairly their due, he will be
doing right well. For man or a family
to 90 into the woods to make a home and
living with no other capital than their en-
ergy and perseverance and few imple-
ments, is to begin life that is calculated
to discourage and dishearten the most
sturdy and determined, even when good
health is retained In spite of all said to
the contrary, Florida is not very healthy
region, though but few violent or conta-
gious diseases are known. Chills and
fever and few other disorders that are
generally found in low, warm countries,
where there is more water than there ought
to be, abound, and quinine is an article
that is in much demand United States
Government lands can hardly be had any
more near to towns, railroad stations or
steamboat landings, but State lands can
be bought very cheap, and some of them
IN convenient locations. But the way to
get land best is to have few hundred
dollars to buy ground that has been otcu-
pied, and is partially improved.


Many such places are offered for sale;
and, indeed, person knowing the amount
offered by land agents and others might
well suppose that half the State was for
sale. Florida soil is nearly all sand, and
there is very little of it that is healthy
enough to live over that viii produce
fair amount Of corn, cotton, sugar cane or
vegetables, without considerable fertiliz-
ing. Florida's chief glories are its climate
and its fruits. Tropical fruits and north
ern fruits, with few exceptions, flourish,
but oranges are now considered the great
est and most desirable aud profitable crop
in that line. 1t requires several years to
get an orange orchard into good bearing,
and such an orchard or grove, several acres
in extent and in good condition, is consid-
cred almost as valuable as o good gold
mine. On account of facilities for getting
supplies and for sending fruits or vegeta-
bles to Northern markets, / believe the
northeast part of the State is much the
most desirable to locate in.


am confident that this region will be-
come a wealthy and important one within
few years, aud that Jacksonville, its
principal city, is to become a prominent
and populous business centre. Yellow
fever has been doing some terrible work
this fall at Fernandina, but frost is likely
to end its existence very soon now, and |
think this viii be its last chance to make
such ravages, as the knowledge gained by
this experience aud the improved sanitary
and quarantine regulations that will be en-
forced viii keep it out entirely hereafter
The existence Of fever at that point should
not deter persons at the north from visit
ing other portions Of the State, if they have
occasion to do So When l went down to
Jacksonville expected to 90 over to the
the entering of my homestead myself, but
after getting there l found the quarar tine
regulations did not allow free intercourse
in that direction. Being in a dilemma
and hating delay, l concluded that I would
have to seek the services of some one of
the land agents there who profess to at
tend to such matters for parties who want
to thus locate. had been warned of
their wiles and devices, but was inclined
to talk the matter over with some of them
anyhow. Chance led me first into the
Office of -, and after talking to him a
while, / concluded to give him his fee of
s25, to give me the information and pay
the land Office fees, that would enable me
10 secure Government lands. believe
this was a wise thing to do, though, had /
been more wary and less precipitate, l
think | could have secured land in loca-
ton that would have suited me better than
the land | have. Northern and Western
people, with enterprise and capital, are
going into Florida pretty fast, and there
seems to be some good chances for specu-
lation in lands, as well as the mercantile
chances that are incident to an improving
country. Good fish are very abundant in
all parts Of the State, l believe, while ven
omOus insects and reptiles are not sufh-
ciently numerous to amount to much.
Where there is society, it appears to be
good, and there are few places where the
native or ultra Southern element asserts
itself with much of its former spirit 1t
viii be but few years before the State
win be entirely controlled by her emigrant
population. If very poor men from the
Northern cities or States are bound to 90
either West OF South, / suppose they can
60 more cheaply and do as well in Florida
as in the West, as timber is plenty and its
genial and winterless climate is compen-
sation for its thinness of soil. But if such
persons 60, they ought to realize, at the
start, that hard struggle and long
course of severe selfdenial is before them