Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 February 1902 — FLORIDA LETTER. [ARTICLE]

FLORIDA LETTER.

Stevensville, Fla., Feb. 2. Editor Democrat:—We are still camping on the banks of the Steinhatchee, waiting for the uprising of the sunken flat boat to ferry us across the river. We were told before we came here that it was a “little old, sorry flat,” and such seems to be the case. But it’s probable that time and patience, perseverance and a “nigger” will bail it out and raise it and carry us to the other side, if we don’t sink it again on the way. We two and Mr. and Mrs. Valentine, where we are camped, went fishing one day last week on the river in a row boat. The party caught 16 fine salt water trout ot which Mrs. Myers caught one. Myers did not fish but busied himself taking off the fish and baiting the hooks. We got so interested in the fishing that we kept him out till half past two without any dinner, and he nearly starved to death. Yesterday the same party went down the river about four miles to nearly the mouth, then branched off into Porpoise creek and followed that till we came out into the Gulf of Deadman’s Bay. We went for oysters but did not find any very large ones. The freshet of last summer had killed all the old beds. However, we got enough for a good mess all around and plenty enough to get our hands all cut up gathering, culling and opening them. We went out the mouth of the creek and around outside into the mouth of the river with the windr blowing a good stiff breeze outside but iu the river, under the bank, we were more sheltered. We saw a great school of mullet jumping and feeding, and Myers nearly went into spasms because we did not have the gill net with us. We trolled a spoon hook way behind us on the river and caught three big red fish. On our way home we stopped at “Old Man Jim Stephens,’” who is known far and near, up and down the coast; owns thousands of acres of land, has thousands of dollars in the bank, so the natives tell us, and they also tell us that he has killed two men and suspected of killing the third; that he had been in the chain gang, and many more bloodcurdling tales. He owns the river side land both sides the river for miles and makes the fisherman all pay him $lO a year for the privilege of landing on his land land disposing of their fish. We I found him to be a very shrewd old 'duck, of the very proper speaking (old school of Southerners. He says he is entirely blind, goes with one eye open and one eye shut which gives him a rather crafty look, not consistent with his patriarchal style of countenance. He keeps a general store in one. room of his log house, and the ! way he gets around and finds I I goods and weighs and measures! I them off to his customers is al- ! most as great a triumph of science ] over nature as is the education of I Helen Kellar. Mrs. V. gave him ! a silver dollar for some merchandise and he took it, went to the scales, balanced them, set them for some weight, 1 could uor see what, then threw on the dollar, saw that it balanced and pocketed it contentedly. It seems he once i had a bogus dollar passed on him. and since then he weighs every one he gets. The store itself was a never-to-be-forgotten nightmare. Two hundred dollars would buy everything in it but the dirt, but he said he was “just out” of everything asked for, ns “the steamer is expected in to-morrow or next day.” The steamer comes in the river every two weeks from Cedar Keys with freight for “Old Man Jim,” for Stephensville and for Jonesville, two miles up the river. Flour jjells here 28 pounds for a dollar; sugar, 13 pounds for a dollar; Corn, $1.20 a bushel; meat about the same as at home. Farmers are getting ready to plant corn. They plant it in rows about eight feet apart with one stalk in a hill and plant peanuts or peas between. All farm work is done with a single horse, mule or ox, and with the most primitive machinery. This country is of very peculial formation. The limestone rock comes nearly to the top rail of the fence. The small creeks that run into the river run part of the time ont in the open air and part of the time under ground, or rock out of sight. There is a large fissure in the rock near the river about three blocks from camp where a man can walk in and stand up. From the upper end of this comes two springs side by side about a foot or two apart and from one spring comes pure limestone water and from the other sulphur and magnesia water. There are places along tne river where the odor of sulphur water is very strong, so there are probably more : of these sulphur springs. The niggers are all crazy to have their “pitchers” (photos) taken.

I think a photographer with a small, or multiplying camera, could get every penny they earned here. We are going to the turpentine camp some day and round up the little “nigs” and get a picture to take north. There are 20 or 30 of the children, all sizes and colors. Mr. Johnson of the Turpentine Co., has promised to go with Air. Myers soon on a deer hunt. He has some fine dogs and is a great hunter.

MYERS & MYERS.