CHAPTER XIX. 



THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA. 



JACKSONVILLE A CITY OF ORANGE GROVES ON BOARD THE "PAS- 

 TIME" MRS. HARRIET BEECHER STOWE'S WINTER HOME HIBER- 

 NIA MAGNOLIA PALATKA "THERE'S AN ALLIGATOR!" FINE 

 SPORT LAKE GEORGE MANHATTAN WILLIAM ASTOR'S ORANGE 

 GROVE AN ALLIGATOR THIRTY FEET LONG DR. SPALDING'S 

 TROUT ST. AUGUSTINE, THE OLDEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES. 



As every sportsman who visits Florida will, of course, 

 visit Jacksonville, and as he may perhaps wish to know some- 

 thing of this, the commercial metropolis of the State, before 

 coming here, I shall give a brief description of it. 



It is situated on the St. John's river, twenty miles from 

 its mouth, and has become in the past few years an important 

 railroad, manufacturing and commercial center. The 

 Atlantic & Gulf, Jacksonville, Pensacola & Mobile, Florida 

 Central, and the Atlantic, Gulf & West India Transit rail- 

 roads, all contribute to its prosperity. 



It has grown to its present magnitude almost entirely 

 since the war. In 1865 it had a population of only 1,800, 

 and to-day it numbers within its corporate limits nearly 

 12,000 souls. Mach of this growth has occurred even within 

 the past five years, and a majority of the best residences and 

 business blocks have a new and fresh look about them that 

 contributes largely to the beauty and attractiveness of the 

 place. Nearly every yard in the city is ornamented with 

 rich tropical and semi-tropical shrubs and plants. Orange 

 trees are used for shade-trees in door-yards and along the 

 sidewalks in front. In many places you will see rows of these 



171 



