F SOMK ACCOUNX OP B ECLAIR, Aleari)ig, and fruit of best quality as a market lemon. Rind sweet — standing the test of both hot and cold water for twenty-four hours without developing bitterness. These are the choicest for Florida among thirty varieties im- ported and tested since 1874 by General Sanford. Citrus Medica Limetta. — The Lime, ■ The lime succeeds well on soil where an orange would starve; Is perfectly at home with judicious cultivation in South Florida. The Tahite is the finest in cultivation. A strong grower, and a very early, and heavy bearer. Fruit large, and has a strong, rich acid ; nearly thornless, or becomes so with age. Citrus Aurantium. — Ber^amiiun. The Bergamot Lemon. Fruit pear-shaped, pale yellow, with green marks ; sub-acid, firm, fragrant, pulpy; fruit and foliage distinct; grown in 'Southern Italy, (Reggio) where the fragrant oil of bergamot for Eau de cologne is obtained from the rind. Citrus Medica Cedra. — The Citroyi of Commerce. This fruit produces the prepared citron of commerce ; fruit very large, often weighing five pounds ; inner skin i to i}4 inches thick; ; a low growing shrub, rather more tender than the orange. Tangerine. The tree, unlike the other varieties, resembles the sweet orange in size and foliage, though it retains the aroma peculiar to the species, and is of deeper color. The Kumquat. A small species much cultivated in China and Japan ; the plant is a shrub, the fruit is about the size of a large goose- berry; the rind is sweet and the juice acid; it is delicious and refreshing, the Chinese make an excellent sweet-meat by pre- -serving it in sugar. 20 Embiguo, or Navel Orang-e. Fruit of large size; dark orange color, with blossom end showing a protuberance presenting an umbilical appearance^ usually seedless; ripens in January, and is one of the best when fully ripe; a vigorous groover and early bearer, with peculiar foliage, and nearly thornless; is a shy bearer, but not to the extent commonly supposed ; its lar«;e size is against it in the markets at the present. Eriobotrya Japonica. — T/ie Loquai.— Japan Medlar. One of our most valuable fruits, blossoming in winter ; the fruit ripens in early spring, and brings fancy prices in any large city ; has been long cultivated in the South, where it seldom attains a height of more than fifteen feet, though in its wild state it forms a lofty tree ; was introduced into Kew Gardens in 1787 ; the fruit is the size of a plum, yellow and of delicious taste ; one of our most beautiful, broad leaved^ evergreens. Olea Europae. — The Olive Tree. The olive tree and its uses are too well known to need de- scription; the tree will stand 10 degrees more of cold than the orange ; it succeeds well at Belair, where there are large bearing trees, and several varieties. Diospyros Kaki. — The Kaki, Japan Persimmon; a Bate Plum. This tree has been fruited at Belair long enough to deter- mine its value ; the fruit is delicious,, the tree grows and bears well, almost irrespective of quality of land ; ripens from August to November ; the surplus fruit can be dried, in which state it is considered superior to figs. Morus Alba Multicaulis.— 77/6' IVhile Mulberry. The Mulberries are well known and valuable trees for shade, timber and fruit, besides furnishing the food of the silk worm^ this variety is the best for silk worms, and was introduced from. Lombardy. Chrysophyllum Cainitum. — Star Apple, West Indies. The Star — Spanish, Cainits — and what is next like an ever- green peach, shedding from the under side of every leaf a golden light — call it not shade; this tree finally attains a height 21 of twenty feet; bearing large quantities of round, purple, some- times greenish, fruits tlie size of a small apple, ripening in April and May; the fruit cut into halves transversely, discloses a purple pulp, with whiteish star shaped core, and from four to ten seeds; a first class fruit. Pomegranate — Paunica Nana. A dwarf variety of Pomegranate ; well grown specimens attain lo feet in height, by five in diameter; plants of this size in bloom are truly magnificent, the color of the flowers is a peculiar shade of orange scarlet, a very rare color, brilliant in the extreme; the plant blooms from October to December, as it is deciduous after blooming; perfectly at home in Florida. Tamarindus Indica. — -Spanish, Tamarindo. A beautiful tree with delicate acacia-like foliage, and small, pinkish white blossoms, followed by pods enclosing a pleas- ant acid pulp ; much used preserved in syrup or sugar, as the basis of a cooling drink, being rich in fornic and butyric acids; one of the most magnificent trees known when full grown. Ceratonia Siliqua. — The Carob Tree, or St. John's Bread. Spanish, Algaroba, this beautiful tree has proved hardy in South Florida. It is extensively cultivated in countries bordering on the Mediterranean, and especially in such as suffer from periodical drouth, its long roots penetrating to a great depth in search of water; it is called " Algaroba" by the Spaniards, and " Karoub " by the Arabs. The pods contain a large quantity of agreeably flavored mucilage and saccharine matter, and are commonly employed in the South of Europe for feeding horses, mules, pigs, etc., and occasionally, in times of scarcity, for human food. Erythroxylon Coca. — Peru. This extremely interesting plant is of great officinal import- ance in South America, where its leaves are largely employed as a masticatory under the name of Coca. When taken internally, it acts as a powerful stimulant of the nervous system, and when under its influence, persons are able to perform long and rapid journeys without exhaustion ; what- ever the nature of his occupation, whether employed in the mines, the fields, as a muleteer, or domestic servant, the In- dian gives himself four times a day, the pleasure of Coca chewing. 22 Cardamon. — 'Ajnommiun Cardamomum. The true Cardamon plant, producing the Cardamon seeds of commerce, native in Ceylon where it is extensively cultivated. Agave Rigida. — Sisalana: The Sisal hemp, cabuUa or sasquit jene quin of Central America and Yucatan, producing one of the most valuable known fibres for rope, cordage, etc. When capital and manufacturing enterprise shall have been more directed towards the fibre interests of Florida, and people have begun to consider other sources of wealth than the orange and lemon, thousands of acres of otherwise worthless land will be planted out in Sisal hemp in South Florida. Acacia Arabica. — The Gum Arabic. The Kikar or Babur, North and Central Africa, also in South- west Asia, growing in dry, calcarious soil ; this small tree can be utilized for thorny hedges ; it furnishes the best gum arable for medicinal and technical purposes. The lac insect lives also on the foliage, and in the Scinde the lac is mainly yielded by this tree. Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis. — Shoe-Black Plant. Chinese Hibuscus. These showy and well-known plants are among the most valuable lawn or garden plants for Florida. They stand but little frost, but are of such quick growth from a well established root, that even the occasional loss of the tops is not a serious matter. Sterculia. Several of the Sterculias furnish a valuable fibre, and of some the seeds are edible, as many as eleven of the brilliant, scarlet fruits may occur in a cluster, and each of them may contain as many as ten or eleven seeds. Vanilla Aromatica. And what is this delicious scent about the air ? Vanilla, of course it is ; and up that stem zigzags the fleshy chain of the Vanilla orchis. The scented pod is far above, out of your reach, but not out of the reach of the parrot or monkey, or negro hunter who finds the treasure. — Kingsle\ . 23 Eugenia Jambos. — Jambosa Viil^aHs. The Rose Apple or Jamrosade. This beautiful evergreen tree promises exceedingly well in South Florida. The tree is a native of the East Indies, but has been long grown in the West India Islands. Is ordinarily- very husky, never growing higher than twenty-five or thirty feet. The leaves are long and narrow, very thick and shining — in shape, much like those of an Oleander. The fruit resemble a very large Siberian crab-apple. Is white or yellowish, some- times with delicate red blush on one side. Is rose-scented, very fragrant, and with the flavor of a ripe Apricot. Feronia Elephantum Yellanga, or Elephant Apple.— Mountains oj Loroviadel. Flowers white, with reddish anthers ; fruit large, about the size of an apple, with a greenish rind ; the pulpy part is uni- versally eaten on the coast of Coromadel. Achras Sapota. — Sapota Maviviosa. Sapodilla plum of the West Indies, almost equal to the mango, can be compared to the russet apple, with the taste of a rich, sweet, juicy pear with a granulated pulp ; the taste does not have to be acquired, and it would be appreciated by any one who likes fruit. The tree is perfectly at home in South Florida. Laurus Camphora. — The Camphor Tree, or Camphor Laurel of China and Japan. This tree, and the Dryobalanops Camphora of Sumatra fur- nish the camphor gum of commerce. It is hardy in Florida, and it is a handsome, broad leaved evergreen. To pre- pare the camphor of commerce, the root, trunk and branches broken up, are treated with water in closed vessels ; the vola- tilized camphor being sublimated upon rice straw. It is further refined on its arrival in this country. lUicium Religiosum, Illicium Anisatum, The Star Anise. — China and Japan. A handsome ornamental shrub, reaching a height 6 to 8 feet, and producing Anise seed, — a well-known condiment. In Japan, bundles and garlands of this tree were used as offer- ings to their idols, were placed on the tombs of their friends, and the bark burned as an incense. The plant is also said to be highly medicinal — one of the Royal palms. Oreodoxa Granatensis. A very ornamental pinnate-leaved plant, introduced from the United States of Columbia ; the stem is smooth and the leaf pinnate ; with long, narrow leaflets, which are more or less drooping. It is a very elegant plant, and in the young state is admirably adapted for table decoration. Phoenix Dactyliferae. The common Date Palm of North Africa and Southern Asia. This species has produced fruit on Belair Grove, is well adapted to the soil of Florida, it ordinarily reaches an age of ten to twenty years before producing fruit. According to Von Mueller, trees from loo to 200 years old continue to pro- duce their annual crops of fruit. Phcenix Canadensis. One of the finest and most hardy; native of the Canary Islands. This palm is perfectly at home and matures fruit in Florida. Phoenix Leonenses and Phoenix Reclinata stood the freeze of '86 without so much as browning a leaf, though to- tally unprotected. Phoenix Rupicola. This is one of the most exquisite and graceful amongst the smaller palms, and in elegance takes a similar place among Phoenixes to that of Cocos Weddelliana among Cocos. It is of acaulescent habit, with wide-spreading, arching pinnate leaves, broadly lance-shaped in outline, with long narrow pin- noe, the lower of which become gradually reduced to spines ; it comes from India, and is a most valuable acquisition for col- lections of ornamental plants. Latania Borbonica. The Chinese fan-palm, South China, the most popular palm in cultivation for decorative work, and perhaps deservedly so, as it stands neglect well, a considerable amount of cold, and is one of the handsomest of the fan palms. The palm-leaf fans of commerce are made from the leaves of this species. Prichardae Falamentosa. The fan palm of Southern California, attains aheight of fifty feet, is very hardy, and succeeds well in Florida. 25 Raphis Flabelliformis. — China and Japan, which suckers from the roots like a bamboo, and forms a dense clump of canes; a delicate and graceful plant lo to 15 feet in height when full grown. Corypha h.\\.s\.V3X\s—Sloiv Grower. The best of foreign fan palms is Corypha Livingston Aus- tralis, of Australia, which grows rapidly, attains a height of a hundred feet, and is nearly as hardy as our cabbage Palmetto, a fan-leaved of great beauty, being of robust constitution, withstands without injury a low temperature. Cycas Revoluta. Perfectly hardy in Florida, of slow growth and very beauti- ful, sometimes called the Japanese Fan-Palm ; the trunks of Cycas admit of transportation even at an advanced age, and like the stems of many kinds of tree fern, they can be shipped on very long voyages packed as dead goods in close wooden cases. But it will be most highly prized in Florida for its peculiar property of making tough beef tender; this is uniformly prac- ticable in the tropics; the slice of meat may be placed between bruised leaves of the Papaw for half an hour, or even less, or rubbed with the rind of the fruit ; it will be found to have a good effect in the case of even the toughest Florida beef. Anona Cherimolia. — The Cherivwya or Jamiaca apple ; Spanish Cherimoya. This delicious fruit varies from the size of an apple to six inches in diameter. In its native home, Peru, it is said some- times to attain a weight of from fourteen to sixteen pounds; it has proved hardy in the milder coast regions of Spain. A more upright grower than the sugar apple; fruit generally with a bright red cheek, though this is wanting in some speci- mens; grown commonly in Key West, under the name of Jamaica Apple ; main crop of fruit ripens in April or May. Anona Squamoa. — Tlie Sugar Apple or Sweet Sop, Spanish-Anon. A delicious fruit, much grown in Key West, and to some ex- tent, on Manatee River and in other parts of South Florida, and has produced fruit as far north as Putnam County, Florida, 2(T fruit resembling an inverted cone, of a yellowish green color when ripe or a small pine apple minus the crown. As it grows in the form of a bush, it could be easil}^ managed under shelters except in cases of such a blizzard as that of January 9, 1886. It sprouts readily from the roots when killed by frost. Carica Popaya. — The Papaic or Melon Papain {^Spanish — Papaya^ The name carica is from Caria where the tree was first cul- tivated. A native of tropical America, Asia and Africa; the tree finally attains a height of twenty feet, the leaves are large, seren lobed and terminal after the manner of Palms Diaecious; the plant grows very fast and strikingly odd and ornamental, very tender, but ordinarily survives the South Florida winter; the green fruit is said to be sometimes used as we use the tur- nip, the buds are used for sweet-meats and the fruit is sliced and eaten like the musk-mellon, which it resembles in size, color and taste. Musa Cavendishi. — The Chinese or Divarf Banana. As for the plant on which they grow, no mere words can picture. Tke simple grandeur and grace of a form which startles me whenever I look steadily at it ; for however com- mon here, it is so unlike aught else, so perfect in itself, that, like a palni, it might well have become, in early ages, an object of worship. And who knows that it has not, who knows that there have not been races who looked on mondamin, the maize plant, as a gift of (iod — perhaps the incarnation of a God; who knows ? Most beautiful is it ; the lush fat ; green stem ; the crown of leaves, falling over in curves like those of human limbs ; and below, the whirls of green or golden fruit, with the purple heart of flowers dangling below them, and all so full of life, that this splendid object is the product of a few months. — Kingsley. Musa Ensete. — The Abyssinian Banana. A native of the Mountains of Abyssinia. This magnificent plant attains a height of 30 feet. The leaves occasionally reaching the length of twenty feet, with a width of three feet, being perhaps the largest in the whole em- pire of plants, exceeding those of Strelitzia and Ravenala, and surpassing even in quadrate measurement those of the grand water plant, Victoria Regia. While also excelling in compar- 27 ative circumference the largest compound frond of Angioptens evecta or the divided leaf of Godwin;^ gigas, though the com- pound leaves of some palms are still larger, the inner part of the stem, and the young spike of the Ensete can be boiled to serve as a table esculent, but the fruit is pulpless, the plant produces no suckers and requires several years to come into flower and seed when it dies. Like the Sago plant, the Caryota palm, and others which flowers but once without reproduction from root, Musa Ensete prefers a clay soil, and will luxuriate in all the manure one dares to give it ; it is the only known re- sult of the Abyssinian Expedition under Lord Napier. Ananassa Satina. — The Pine Apple. This noble fruit has derived the name of Pine Apple from its striking resemblance in shape to the cones of some pine trees. It is probably the richest and most luscious of fruit. Three hundred years ago, it was described by Jean DeLevy,a Hugue- not priest, as being of such excellence that the gods might luxuriate upon it, and that it should only be gathered by the hands of Venus. Some say that it is a native of Brazil, and found its way from that country to the East. It is, however, oiot clearly determined to what part of the world we are in- debted for the Pine Apple, and there is little doubt that it is also a native of the West Indies, for many of its varieties are found growing wild on the continent and those islands. The superior cultivation of the Pine Apple has always been regarded as one of the greatest triumphs of horticulturists. Improved practice is perhaps as much apparent in pine apple •culture as in any branch of horticulture. Superior results are now attained in eighteen months, which required twice that time to produce in the recollection of the writer Varieties of Pine Apples. In making a selection of varieties, it is not necessary to have many in order to keep up a constant supply of first rate pines. I believe I am correct in saying that nearly all pine growers have discontinued the practice of growing so many varieties as were commonly grown many years ago, and will not, there- fore, give an extended list of some sixty varieties imported by •General Sanford, but will enumerate and shortly describe those which are considered the best as to taste at Belair. Black Antique. Leaves very long, narrow, acute, of a clear bluish green, the inner ones much tinged with pale brown, very mealy beneath. 28 slightly so above; spines large, placed widely apart, flowers purple, fruit cylindrical, inclining to oval, of a dark yellow color; pipes very large and prominent, flesh pale yellow, sweet, very juicy, pleasantly acid, and highly flavored. Brown Sugar Loaf. Leaves broad, pale bluish green, tinged with brown, slightly mealy; spines middle sized, flowers lilac, fruit pyramidal, dull reddish orange, almost without mealiness; pips large, flesh firm, deep yellow, very juicy, rich, and of high flavor, a hand- some sort, attaining the weight of from five to six pounds. Envill . — Smooth -beared. Leaves moderately long, rather broad, bluish green, very mealy; spines middle sized, irregular, thickly set; flowers lilac, fruit pyramidal, deep orange, with pale copper-color scales, crown small; pips middle sized or rather large, slightly promi- nent; flesh pale, yellow juice, rich, sweet, perfumed, but not high flavored; weighs six to seven pounds. Moscow Queen. differs from the Queen in having furrowed leaves, with the veins beneath destitute of meaiiness. Broad Leaved Queen. Leaves very short, broad, of a bluish green, very mealy, spines strong, set widely apart, flowers lilac, fruit cylindrical, of a rich deep yellow, pips middle sized or rather small, prom- inent, flesh pale yellow, juicy, sweet, rich and excellent; it weighs from 3 to 6 pounds, and the variety is one of the best and most generally cultivated. New Black Jamaica Leaves long, narrow, light green mottled with dark green ; spines small ; flowers purple ; fruit pyramidal, slightly mealy ; color dark orange ; pips middle sized, prominent ; flesh pale yellow ; sweet, rich, and highly flavoured ; it generally weighs from 4 to 5 pounds, and is best adapted for summer fruiting. Ripley Queen. This differs from the Queen in having leaves of paler color, and less mealy ; the pips also are fatter. 29 Moontserrat. Leaves rather long, broad, reflexed on their margin, dark green, much tinged with reddish brown, mealy ; spines middle size, very mealy at their centre, rather prominent ; flesh pale yellow ; sweet, rich, and of an agreeable flavour. The Mogul. — One of the nezv Pine Apples from India. Leaves large, purplish red ; spines large : flowers lilac ; fruit oblong, tapering a little to the crown, reddish chocolate ; pips middle sized, slightly prominent; flesh, very pale yellow, tender, juicy, 'rich, and sweet, and one of the highest flavoured Pine Apples in cultivation. Abakachi. — Brazil Leaves long, broad, dark green, much tinged with brovvn ; spines middle sized ; flowers lilac ; fruit cylindrical, dark yel- low ; pips large, somewhat prominent, flesh, deep yellow ; very juicy, rich, and of high flavour ; a handsome sort attaining the weight of from 4 to 8 pounds. White Pole, differs from the Queen in having furrowed leaves, with the veins beneath destitute of mealiness. Smooth Leaved Cayenne. Leaves long, smooth, or Avith very few spines ; fruit very large ; pyramidal dark orange ; flesh pale yellow, rich and ex- cellent ; a very handsome fruit, averaging 8 to 10 pounds. There is a prickly cayenne, but it is inferior in quality to the above. General Sanford. Leaves very long, reflexed, broad at the base, and 'tapering regularly to the apex ; dull green, much tinged with reddish brown; mealy, spines numerous, middle-sized, flowers lilac, fruit of a tall, conical form ; pips large, slightly prominent, flesh pale yellow, sweet and well formed. This is perhaps the largest sort; the fruit has attained in Kelair, the weight of 15 lbs. It was discovered by General Sanford in an upland val- ley of the Andes, in ^857, and imported by him in 1873. 30 Trinidad. Leaves long, broad, light-bluish green, spiries small, numer- ous, ilowers purple ; fruit oblong or oval; verj'- mealy, reddish yellow; pips large, nearly flat ; flesh white, sweet and juicy, but not highly flavored. The fruit attains a very large size, frequently weighing as much as lo or 12 pound=. The variety is cultivated more on account of its magnificent appearance than its flavor. Charlotte Rothschild. Resembles the smooth Cayenne in size and habit of plant, but its leaves are streaked with strong spires ; fruit large, flavors good : is a splendid winter Pine — in this respect almost equal to the Cayenne, is a certain fruiter, and grows to a large size ; has been grown at Belair weighmg 10 pounds. By DONALD HOUSTON, Supt. Belair Grove. The accounts of two notable visits to Belair will properly complete this description : the one of the Ohio Editorial Excursionists, ISth December, 1882 ; from the many descriptions published in the Ohio newapai^ers, that by Major Bickham, the veteran editor of the '■'■Dayion Journal,'''' \s selected, and our readers will enjoy his deliciously fragrant, racy sketch ; — the other, an extract from the Report of Mr. Wm. Saundees, Superintendent of the Agricul- tural Department, to the Commissioner of Agricul- ture, of his visits to Belair, in Februarj^ 1883, is of a more serious, practical character, — a recognition of the first Acclimatizing Station in Florida, if not in the South, and what has led up to action of Congress ; and it may be stated in this connection, that Gen. San- ford, in speaking before the Committee on Agricul- ture, of the House of Representatives, in 1881, to urge a Government Experimental Station in Florida, offered to give one hundred acres in Middle or South Florida for this purpose, stating that a good half of the remarkable collection of Economic plants in the Conserv^atories of the Agricultural Department could be cultivated, according to his experience, with many of them, in the open air in South Florida, and would open the way to many new and valuable cultures and products and new sources of wealth to the South. It is gratifying to know that Congress has, linally, be- come alive to the importance of this work which, it is to be hoped, will have full development with thor- oughly scientific methods. [Fkom Sanford Journal :] OHIO EDITORIAL EXCURSIONISTS — THEIR VIEWS OF FLORIDA GENERALLY, AND THE SANFORD GRANT ESPECIALLY. Absence for our parliamentary duties at Tallahas- see has prevented us giving to our readers, as we had intended to do ere this, some of the comments of our Ohio brethren on the occasion of the memorable visit of the Ohio editors to Sanford; so we give to- day some, a very small contingent, indeed, from among the many letters and articles in the Ohio press to which their visit gave rise. To Belair, as "the specimen brick" not only of the Sanford Grant, but of Orange County, and we may even say, of Florida, as an evidence of what culture and intelligent a])plication of labor and means can do on our pine lands, wiiich have at- tracted the most attention, we give the most sy^ace, not only on that account, but in the description given as likely to most interest our readers : 32 [From the Dayton, Ohio, Journal, Dec. 1882:] Sanford is destined to become an important com- mercia] city. It is at the head of through naviga- tion on the St. Johns River, on high ground, on the south side of Lake Monroe. It is the principal ship- ping point of the best developed country in South Florida, and is the distributing point and repository for a rapidly developing region, not excelled for fertility anywhere in the State. The uninterrupted navigability of the St Johns from Sanford to the Atlantic is a material advantage of which it cannot be dejjrived. Its elevation affords good drainage; a tine lake several miles away will furnish an unfail- ing supply of pure soft water, and saline breezes from the ocean, twentv-five miles eastward, invio-o- rate its salubrious atmosphere. Its princijial pro- prietor and founder, General H. S. Sanford, formerly United States Minister at Brussels, is a. gentleman of liberal attainment, large wealth and enterprising spirit, who is devoting his personal attention to its improvement and the development of his twenty- three square miles of surrounding territory embraced in the Sanford Grant — originally derived from Spain. Ten years ago Sanford was a pine barren. Now, it is a modern city of a thousand inhabitants, gen- erallj^ Northern men of energy and some means. It is laid out at right angles, with broad streets, and enjoys the accessories of a city — schools, churches, a public hall, a ten-acre embryo x)ark and a commo- dious hotel corresponding in proportions, conven- iences and luxurious appointments with fashionable summer resorts in the North. From its broad ver- andas there is a commanding view of the pleasant lake, pleasingly intercepted by a pretty semi-tropi- cal garden, embellished with a stately colonade of graceful i)almetto. Two long piled docks for the accommodation of shipping — one constructed by the South Florida R. R. Company — extend into deep water, and the railroad penetrates to Kissimmee, with a future destination on Tampa bay. The water and rail facilities of communication are manifest, and the 33 advantages of this point as a place of resort from December to May are enhanced by pleasing drives through pineries, yatching, boating, fishing and hunting. To demonstrate the value of his lands for the pro- duction of tropical and semi-tropical fruits, General Sanford has exhibited a most liberal and enterprising spirit, and complacently displays to admiring guests the most extraordinary orange and lemon groves in this country, if not in the world, embracing all the valuable known varieties of these fruits in the orange and lemon producing regions of the globe. But of this hereafter. His grove is the gem of the conti- nent. VISIT OF OHIO EDITORIAL PARTY TO BELAIR. Emerging suddenly from a sedate and sandy pine barren into a lustrous lemon grove, where fragrant blossoms chase arorhatic fruits in perennial beauty through ever-radient seasons, was like awakening from a prosy dream into buoyant morning. The joyous party had dismounted at a rustic station, where Gen. Sanford waited with transportation for the ladies and lazy men, while those who chose ram- bled through a path among gallberry shrubs to Bel- air. Entering a broad gateway into a shady avenue, we loiter along with fancy dazed with profusion of novel images, and senses confused with a combina- tion of sweet perfumes. The pure, fresh air is am- brosial, and the va'-iety of trees but lately ornamental to us, but here deliciously uniting the utile cum dulce, suggests that we have been mysteriously wafted into Araby the blest. Somewhat accustomed now to resembling scenes, we were yet like children to whom the artificial glories of the Christmas tree are suddenly exposed, and alike unmindful of the wonder work of the magician, while rapturously con- templating his wonderful magic. There are date palms on either side of the gate, imported from the Nile at large cost ; an embryo 34 orange hedge inside the fence ; then masses of dark green, glossy foliage, on every side, brilliantly re- lieved with white and pnrplish blossoms, and golden globes of aromatic fruit, mncli too numerons in variety for my impoverished horticultural vo- cabulary ; — reminders of the isles of the Mediter- ranean, the carapagnas of Italy, the valley of the Nile and fertile basin of the Amazon. Like the bee that Hits from flower to flower, we are tempted to taste of each, here a rich lemon from the Tyrol of the valleys of the Andes \ now a pretty Tangerine of Africa and China, quaintly complimented as the " Kid glove orange," in recognition of its neatness in handling — dry, but very sweet, and musky flavor; now the aromatic bergamot, glittering with aural brilliance, yet difl'ering f rora the splendor of its shin- ing congeners only as one star difl'ers from another in glory ; here, under protecting shade, the more deli- cate banana, whose palmy leaves sadly shoAv where the frost line had been sharply .drawn, though the fruit is yet unharmed ; yonder you descry a hoyden- ish thicket of guava, wliich runs wild in untamed luxuriance ; hard-by Japanese plums of delicate yel- low, the size and form of a robin's egg. Hence we pass to a grove of thrifty olives — sacred once to Pallas Atheufe, the Greek emblem of chastity, and even now has a pretty signiflcance. Its form is lithe and graceful, with dark green leaves above, whitish or hazy beneath, and of willowy shape. And now the luscious pineapple, absorbing attention because it is rare and delicate. Long beds of them — called i)ine- ries — are cultivated between rows of oranges and pro- tected against frost by leafy canopies. Many have been gathered, but splendid bulbaceous reddish fruits remain to demonstrate their successful culture under the twenty-m nth parallel in Florida. One superb speci- men weighed ten and a half pounds; others not culled measured eighteen inches in diameter around the top of the cone. Botanists describe the fruit as a soroHs^ which is an ascription all pretty women will ridicule. But, why further attempt description of B5 the indescribable, or try to sketch this dazing confd- sion of richness, sweetness and beauty; of sensuous fragrance and exquisite Havor, of the delicacy and delightsomeness of graceful arboral form and the splendor of fruitful magnificence. Our accomplished host, with the thorough tact of a man of the world, had just committed the gen- tlemen to the intelligent direction of his skillful superintendent, when the lady of the manor, accom- panied by a bevy of agreeable companions, suddenly emerged from an orange avenue with her arms full of roses, which she couteously distributed, and com- pleted the waking dream of Arcadia. The easy transition from the stiffness of formal introduction to the repose of happy self-possession, which is al- ways communicated by cordial greeting from a gra- cious hostess, promptly found expression in a happy loquacity that filled the groves with melody. Hence- forward joy was unconfined. We were enjoying a ftte cliamrpUre in an orange grove on the 18th day of December ! Ye denizens of the Miami Valle}^, with mercury about zero, have our tropical sym- pathy. While General Sanford's good wife and her friends were contributing to the pleasure of our ladies, the ed- itorial gentlemen were racing through the grove with General Sanford and Mr. Phelps, stuffing themselves wdtli oranges and information, and it transpired in the course of the lecture that General Sanford had sacrificed something of the truth to his modesty in •assigning all the credit of his paradisiacal groves to his capable superintendent. For it appeared that while Mr. Phelps was in Florida studying soil and climate. General Sanford had personally studied all the citrine literature from the Mediteranean to In- dia and the Amazon, visiting the best groves of Eu- rope, Africa .and South America, acquiring knowl- edge of the different species of citra, their habits, modes of culture, and the like, with determination to demonstrate at Belair what might be accomplished in citrine in Florida. The splendidly satisfactory 36 . results are beginning to reward liis jDatient enterprise and liberalit3^ He lias discovered the varieties of oranges and lemons best adapted to tliesoil of Florida, and enjoys the rarest grove in the State. Many importations vi'-ere discarded, but some twenty or thirty of the most valuable merchantable varieties of oranges, and eighteen of lemons have been re- tained. He especially congratulates himself that he has succeeded in growing the thornless orange- tree as perfectly as it is cultivated in the best Sici- lian groves — an advantage appreciated by experts in orange culture. Mr. Phelps was delightfully oblig- ing in communicating his extensive knowledge, which was extremely interesting, although it would not be expected to find otherwise than transitory lodgment in the minds of his busy and peripatetic x^'U^ils. Of one thing, however , there is assurance. Every Buck- eye who possessed the most primitive knowledge of physiology, Avas soon instructed to distinguish the famous naval orange from its citrine relatives. Thus the morning passed pleasantly till afternoon, when, by a sudden movement, General and Mrs. San- ford surprised and delighted their guests by leading them into a bower of orange and lemon trees, with an undergrowth of pine-apples and other plants, where— " The board was spread with fruits and wine ; With grapes of gold, like those that shine On Casbin's hill, bananas full Of melting sweetness, and the pears And sunniest fruits that Cabul In all its thousand gardens bears. * * * * * * Of orange flowers, and those berries That wild and fresh, the young gazelles Feed on in Erac's rocky dells." Of all our pleasant surx)rises in the land of fruits and flowers, this was the most daintj'' and recherche <, reminding some of us at once of sketches of General Sanford and his graceful wife in their charming cir- cle at Washington. The novelty of the time, and the almost oriental surroundings, were delicious. 37 The cynosure of the beautiful table was a great swelling pyramid of liowers and all the rich fruits pf that superb and variegated orchard, capped with volujjtuous pineapples, with all the profusion of liora and fruit arranged and harmonized with exquisite taste. It was a feast fit for the gods, who had come down from the fatness of Ohio to see the new land of promise. Needless to say that it was pleasant to us to drink the health of the gracious hostess in nectar mixed with the juice of succulent lemons, which we plucked from the trees that shaded our sumptuous table, and to lespond fervently to the compliments tendered to General Sanford in orange wine, pressed from the golden fruit that had glittered in the grove around us. I sometimes feel that the 18th day of December at Belair was a delicious dream. [from the SANDUSKY Reglsie)\ by Mr. mack, pres- ident OF THE OHIO EDITORIAL ASSOCIATIOIN".] We had been invited by telegraph to lunch at Belair, which we reached a few minutes before twelve. There we met our host, Gen. H. S. Sanford, and his Superintendent, Rev. Lyman Phelps, with car- riages in waiting to convey us to the orange grove, a quarter of a mile distant — our objective point for the day. Entering the gates, we were driven through a long avenue of oleanders, crowned with pink blos- soms. Upon alighting from the carriages, General Sanford directed Mr. Phelps to take charge of the gentlemen, and requested the ladies to folloAv Mrs. Sanford. We were then conducted through avenue after avenue of orange, lemon, citron, guava, olive and other trees, with here and there long beds of jjine-apples, covered with their beautiful fruit. Mr. Phelps, who is not only an eathusiast but a scientist in fruit culture, ])ointed out to us between thirty and forty ditt'erent varieties of fruit, imported 1^8 from nearly every country in the world prodncing citrus fruits. He explained the results of ten years investigations — the analysis of the soil, wood, fruit and fertilizers, from which had been produced the highest type of each variety. He led us to what he was pleased to call the "experimental acre," from which 81,000 w^orth of fruits had already been sold, and 8500 more would be realized when the entire crop is gathered. Upon this acre had been ex- pended during the year $300 in labor and fertilizers. This will give a nett gain of $1,200, proving the wis- dom of methods pursued. In explaining his theories, Mr. Phelps cut and handed to us samples of each kind of fruit, calling attention to flavor, giving history of the tree, chemical qualities of fruit, wood and soil, and pointing out the improvements brought about by the system of culture. While thus engaged, Mrs. Sanford, with two lady friends, was conducting the ladies of our party through the more ornamental portions of the grounds— the green-houses and gardens, which are marvelously kept. They were shown beautiful tlow- ers in great profusion, aild many strange varieties of fruits and plants ; the cinnamon, the camphor, the bergamot, the date palm, the banana, the Japanese plum, the pepper, the coffee, the tea, the Chinese lichi and the olive trees, with their peculiar shade of green standing alone in color — all growing in the open air. There was a great wealth of flowers, es- pecialh^ of roses. Each of the ladies was given a generous cluster, and a houtonniere for the gentle- men. As if by accident, the two parties met at the same time on the "experimental acre," near the centre of the grove of 125 acres, where we found a banquet table spread with the luxuries of the season, and fairly groaning under the wonderful displays of fruits — the choice selections from the most highly cultivated garden in the South. Aftera blessing by Mr. Phelps, in which we all joined, the tem])ting dishes were soon disposed of. We were refreshed 39 with lemonade made from the fruit of trees, whose heavy-laden branches hung within reach from our table. After refreshing ourselves, we had an opportunity to examine our surroundings. . The table was spread over a row of enormous pineapples planted between the frnit trees, and covered with a canopy of dwarf palm-leaves as a protection against frost. The lar- gest pineapples in this country are raised here, and it is a curious fact that this fruit was discovered by Gen. Sanford in 1857, in an upper valley of" the Andes, where it had been acclimated to a semi-trop- ical temperature, which it is supposed accounts, in part, for its extraordinary and rapid development in this region. Almost within arm's length were the golden orange, the red tangerine, from Africa, the yellow mandarin, from China, very properly called Kidglove oranges, because of their delicacy and the ease with which they may be prej^ared for eating without danger of soiling the gloves, and the citron, the lemon and guava. We had a May-day temper- ature and a cloudless sky. It was hard to realize that it was the 18th day of December — that the whole North was firmly held in the icy clasp of the frost-king, and we enjoyed fUe cliampUre in an orange grove. EXTRACT FROM THE REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT WM. SAUNDERS, TO THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, 1883. I left De Land about noon and proceeded up the Saint John's River to Sanford. Gfoing southward, the cypress trees were showing young leaves, and the palmetto trees were seen in great profusion, and in beautiful si^ecimens 30 and 40 feet in height. The extremely Avinding course of the river is at lirst novel, then becomes monotonous ; the monotony is at once dispelled on reaching Lake Monroe, which (probably because of the great contrast between the 40 irritating scenery on the river), appeared to me as one of the most beautiful of possible lake views. About eight o'clock this evening (1st February, 1883), the thermometer v^^as 76°, but the cool breeze made it more comfortable to sit indoors than out. Having called on General Sanford, arrangements were made for visiting his and other groves the fol- lowing day. General Sanford's estate of Belair is a few miles south of the tovvn. On reaching it I was met by Mr. Houston, superintendent at Belair, who accompanied me and imparted much information re- garding the experimental tests which have been made in the culture of the Citrus family and other semi- ti'opical plants. There is much of interest, as well as of instruction, to be found in a visit to this plan- tation. General Sanford has spared no expense to procure from all parts of the world everything in the way of economic plants that gave even the slight- est hopes of successful culture in Florida. In this respect his operations have been of much value ; even his failures, although they may have been unprofita- ble to him, have been profitable to the State, inasmuch as they serve to prevent further loss by other experi- mentors. Among the plants which seemed to flourish were the Jambos apple, Eugenia jamhosa., which I found in full flower. The star apple of the West In- dies, Chrysophyllum cainito; several species oiAnona; the camphor tree, Cmnplioraofficisnarum; the Mexi- can pepper plant, ScTilnusmolle,' the New Zealand flax, Phormium tenax ; several species of Cinamomum, but not the cinnamon of commerce ; the arnotta I)lant, Blxa Orellana ; several species of bamboo; the wanipee, CooMapunetaia; the tropical papav/, carica papaya; the tamarind, Tamar Indus indica; various Australian plants, such as Macadamia ternifolia, Gremllea Banks ii^ Ficus Australis, Eugenia Aus- tralis; several species of i)alms, among others Pr/^c>^- ardia Pacljlca, Coryha Australls, Oreodoxa regiay Seaforthia elegans^ Flicenix dactiUfera, Phoenix re- cUrutta, Chanioerops excelsa^ Chamcerops humilis, and Latania borhonica. 41 Camelias, Chinese azaleas, oleanders, Chinese hi- biscus, Chinese tea, the loquat, the arrowroot pLant, acacias, and many other siniihir phmts endure tlie open air with little or no injury, A small plantation of olive trees seemed to be in perfect health ; indeed, their very luxuriant growth has probably prevented them from fruiting, which they have not done so far, although they are of good size, and under less favorable conditions for growth would doubtless be bearing fruit. Root- pruning would stop excess of growth, and favor fruit produc- tion, and the operation might be performed upon these trees with advantage. The collection of the Citrus family in this grove is very extensive. Everything of promising value is procured and tested, and none but those which reach the highest standard of excellence and adaptability are increased. Much exi)ense, time, and attention have been devoted to lemons. The greatest fault which has been found with lemons grown in Florida has been their very thick, coarse skins. Some have supposed that this is occasioued in some degree by climate, and give as a reason that even the finest Sicily lemons, when grown here, lose their delicate thin skins, and acquire a bitter taste. It is much more probable that the fault has been in the variety rather than in the climate, although the latter may exert an influence as suggested. General Sanford has made selections from his numerous varieties, and. he now feels confident of producing lemons that will meet the requirements of the American trade in this fruit. It is probably safe to say that there is no finer collection of lemons in Florida than can be seen in this grove. Oranges have been equally subjected. to crit- ical tests. The opportunity is here presented of a comparison of the delicate peculiarities of flavor, sprightliness, and texture of these fruits, of which I found a large variety in bearing. A sweet, pleasant, tasted orange, wdiich one would pronounce as good, is made to appear quite insipid when compared with the 42 rich, brisk, full, fruity iiavor which is realized in eat- ing a properl}' ripened fruit of the Jaffa orange. The Majorca is but little, if any, inferior; next in order comes the Maltese oval, after which I would place a variety which was named Mediterranean Sweet. There seem to be several varieties of this name, and they are designated by numbers. The St. Michaels, which is a favorite variety at the Azores, does not stand very high in Florida. It is, however, a fairly good, rather small-sized fruit, and specially productive. The Bahia, as distributed by the Dej^artment about ten years ago, is but little known, and the opinion prevails that it is not so productive as other oranges. As to flavor, it takes a high rank. I found that buds of it had been in- troduced from California, where it is i^rized above all kinds in that State. There it is known as the Washington Navel, and more lately the name has, in some cases, .been changed to that of Riverside Navel. As there seem to be several varieties that receive the name of Bahia, or Navel orange, some confusion may exist. I have seen a very inferior fruit which was sent out as the Bahia. Those im- ported by the Department from Bahia were distrib- uted both in California and Florida, and while it is claimed as the best variety grown in California, it has not proved of sufficient rtierit to attract any at- tention in Florida. I think that it is doubtful whether any of the trees of this varietjT" which were sent to Florida by the Department liave yet fruited. There have been several importations, in former years, of orange plants from Bahia into Florida, and these may be different from those imported and dis- tributed by the Department. Pineapples are cultivated to greater perfection here than I have seen them elsewhere in Florida. An ex- tensive assortment has been collected fiom all jiarts of the world wdiere pineapple plants were to be found, so that the op])ortunity is ])resented of selecting those varieties which prove best adapted to the climate and conditions of culture here. The only drawback seems 43 to be the likelihood of a check of growth and matur- ity of the fruit from cold nights in early winter. To guard Hie plants from extreme injnry they are pro- tected by a covering of palmetto leaves, which an- swer admirably, and much better than the almost absolute shade which results from a covering of boards. A slight shade even in summer is found to be of advantage to the plants under this artihcial treatment. The covering consists of a horizontal trel- lis, supported by posts elevated a foot or so [now 10 ft.] above the top of the plants, and thatched with the large leaves of the palmetto. On looking under this cover the plants were seen to be in good, healthy con- dition, and many of them bearing large, nearly ripe frnits. The ripe apples are gathered once or twice a week, and several dozens of tine fruit were shown me in the fruit house. Some of the kinds bear as large and as handsome fruit as I have seen. One turned the scales at ten pounds. This was a splendid speci- men, not often excelled under any system of cul- ture. ****** A letter from Prince von Bismarck to General Sanford, acknowledging the receijot of some Belair oranges, which we are permitted to copy, has special interest as showing his application of Belair to his efforts for colonization in Africa, and finds properly here a place in concluding this sketch of it : BEKLm, March 20, 1885. Deak Sik : The oranges you kindly send me have arrived, and proved to be equal to their Sicilian an- cestors. Please accept my best thanks for this fra- grant gift, which, to me, is a new proof how success- ful the labor of Northern peoj)le, if seconded by wealth and energy, may be in every climate. I hope that Africa will agree with my countrymen as well as your semi-tropical latitude does with your Swedish and Norwegian employees. Believe me, dear sir, yours truly. Von Bismarck. 44 THE (TTY OF SA]VFOKD. Sanford Grant is bounded on the north for five miles by Lake Monroe, — through which the St. Johns river flows; on the eastern border is the city of San- ford, and near the centre Belair is situated. It is an old Spanish Grant, dating from the Spanish occu- pation of Florida, foimerly known as the Levy Grant; was purchased in 1870 of General Finigan by General Sanford, at that time Minister of the United States to Belgium, when on a visit to Florida. He had previously bought of Colonel John Hay a grove in St. Augustine (which he had acquired when Sec- retary to President Lincoln), and, on a visit to it, proceeded up the river to Mellonville (a hamlet of three or four buildings), then the end of the line, and, attracted by the country and its climate, and especially by the charming site on Crystal Lake, now known as Belair, he bought the whole Grant, cover- ing about twenty-three square miles, at the head of navigation of the St. Johns, making Lake Monroe "the mouth of 'New York Harbor," as he then ex- pressed his assurance that this was the natural dis- tributing point for Northern markets. Foreseeing the wonderful possibilities of the future for this, the real centre of Florida, he at once proceeded to found what is now truly called the Gate City of South Flori d a — S a nfo rd . A wharf and a sawmill were built, a fine road cut through into the back country, and a large store erected, which soon attracted the "crackers,'- with their ox-teams, for several days' journey from the interior, — eight or ten of their camp-,flres being not unfrequently seen of a night around it. Mr. H. L. Deforest, then a mere lad, in failing health, with 4.-) only one lung, was General Sanforcl's agent in aid- ing to carry out this work. A post office was established — moved from Mel- lonville there — one of the two Post Offices in South Florida. A bitter, if unsuccessful, feud and oppo- sition was the result against this' so-called " Yankee nest." Many wild scenes were enacted there by the cowboys in their drinking frolics, when revolvers were in frequent use. In ten years from that time this little post-office had become the distributor for forty-six offices in the interior. Among other im- provements, the General established (for those times,) a "mammoth" orange grove of one hundred acres,'^ at a point west of Sanford, which he called St. Ger- trude, — known at present as the St. Gertrude Addi- tion to the city. — and, labor being scarce, he imported from middle Florida some sixty colored laborers for clearing and planting the land. This was resisted by some of the natives, who, declaring it was "a white man's country," one night attacked their camp with shot-guns and drove the men away, killing one and wounding several. This persecution stopped the further employment of colored labor till General Sanford was strong enough to defend his rights, "by arms if necessary," as he asserted, on a subsequent occasion, he would do, when similar treatment was planned on his establishing the suburb in the town, for colored people. This attack was, however, the cause of much benefit to Florida, for, failing to get native labor. General Sanford sent an agent to Sweden and en- gaged 100 adults to work a year for their expenses, *The only " large" grove in the State then was of six acres — the Hart grove, opposite Palatka. 46 including the heavy cost of their passage. It was a strange and notable sight, the arrival of this body of brown-coated, white-headed, red-cheeked Scan- danavians, the forerunners of that valuable immigra- tion which has since steadily continued, and peopled the State with so many good citizens. But here new difficulties arose. Certain Rei^ublicans of Jackson- ville commenced a series of persecutions and annoy- ances against what they called another kind of slavery. The Swedes were incited to run away ; the agents who went for them were arrested, and vexa- tious law-suits, persecutions and other annoyances were promoted by these so called philanthrophists. Meanwhile, Mrs. Sanford, with the help of north- ern friends, had commenced building a church, at that time the most important and artistic in South Florida; in the construction of it, some of the Swedes were employed. A notice was found posted on its door one morning that unless the foreign laborers were removed it would be burnt down! The work of the Swedes, however, continued; they faithfully fulfilled their contract, as the General did his, and the Swedes' Colony of New Upsala, near Belair, bears witness thereto and as a notable evidence of wiiat northern races, without other means than their hands, can do with thrift and industry in Florida, — for General Sanford gave a five acre lot in the colony to each man who chose to remain, and Belair has ever since been supplied with Ijjbor therefrom. New Upsala has a Scandinavian Church, a school, and a club-house, and is now an almost continuous orange grove. The steward of the Swedes' mess- house (J. B. Linburg), who, like the others, came without a farthing, and who had been induced to 47 run away by his Jacksonville "friends," subse- quently returned repentant, and sold, after a time, his holding for $5,000, and is now Postmaster, and owns a store on the East coast. This same man was the si^okesman on behalf of the Swedes on a visit to the school at the Colony, when all in the neighbor- hood were assembled, with the Swedes and the U. S. Flags decorating the crowded building. "We were poor and friendless," said he, in his imperfect lan- guage. "You were like one Father to us ; you gave us work and homes — -and now look around you ! all are prosperous ; the land you gave us is one orange grove, not one Swede has required or received i)ublic assistance ; I have read in your books that he is a great man who has made two blades of grass grow where one grew before ; but I tell you. General, you are a bigger man, for you have made the orange tree grow where the wild Saw-Palmetto only nourished." Seventy-live more Swedes were brought from Stock- holm in 1881 for the Company which General Sanford formed to take over his lands. An interesting fact marked the end of that year : At a Christmas din- ner, given by him in the town-hall where 145 Swedes were present, sixty rosy, chubby children, born on the Grant, bore striking evidence of its healthful- ness, and were made happy by Mrs. Sanford' s Christ- mas-tree. The Sanford House, the first large hotel built in South Florida, with a large boarding-house — the Monroe House (afterwards Doyle's store), followed in 1875 upon the building of the store. A weekly paper, the " South Florida Journal,'''' now " SanfordJour' nal,^'' had already been established by him, and th(^ town was then laid out on the broad and comprehen- 48 sive plan upon which it is now built, with the aid of an accomplished engineer, E. R. Trafford. The Fair gioiinds were also made a gift by the liberal owner, who instituted prizes for encouragement of agricul- ture, from his own pocket, and his personal influence secured at Washington the establishment at Sanford of the U. S. Signal Office. Sanford was the first "dry" town in Florida. From the outset, the sale of liquor was forbidden by its owner, and every deed or contract for sale of land bore the prohibition on its face, with pain of nullity of the sale if violated. To Mellonville, therefore, went the dealers and the rowdies, and by the time Sanford had arrived at the dignity of a Town- Council and Mayor, — to whom was turned over the right to decide on this question, with the recommendation of high license, — Mellonville was ruined, and has never recovered from the license which centered there with the worst elements of the population. In 1873, after heavy outlay, finding the land at St. Gertrude was unsuitable for oranges (owing to "hard-pan" near the surface, ) the grove was removed to Belair, and fortunately, for tlie growing needs of the town ; a large northern emigration followed in upon this pioneer movement in South Florida. Business increased rapidly. In ten years from the date of building Sanford wharf, eight or ten steamers could be counted at a time, where previously but two came a week. The need of a railroad was soon felt, and on the visit of General and Mrs. Grant to Sanford in 1880, he turned the first sod for the South Florida railroad, tlien the southernmost railroad in the United States. This road, projected by E. AV. Ilenck, and undertaken by the Boston Herald Syn- 49 dicate, at the head of which was the enterprising and regretted Col. Pulsifer, was most liberally aided by General Sanford in lands, lots and constrnction ; he having graded and tied the first three miles across the G-rant. At this time, Mr. James E. Ingraham was General Sanford' s esteemed and valued agent, who ably seconded his views and plans, and remained in his employ as such 'till he became President of the railway, which he had, under the instructions of his chief, so actively promoted. The growing wants of the hour required extended and costly improvements : waterworks, hotel exten- sion, drainage, streets, connecting roads, &c., and General Sanford organized in London, among Eng- lish friends. The Florida Land and Colonization Com- pany, to secure new influences and needed capital to carry out his plans. He was elected, and still con- tinues to be, President of the company, in which he took and holds a majority of stock, and which, since March, 1881, has carried on the business of develop- ing the City and Grant, and handling the 100,000 acres of land it owns, chiefly in South Florida, and which, at present, is under the management of one of our most respected citizens, MajorFred. H. Rand. The town has now about 4,000 inhabitants, with seven lines of railroad centering there ; with two banks, numerous churches and hotels, public library, public schools, three newspapers (two daily), and all the ax)pliances of a thriving business town ; its water works are probably the best in the State, con- sidering the plentiful supply of pure water and pres- sure for fire purposes. A complete system of drainage will soon follow, and large iiublic school buildings, a mortgage bank, &c. Its reraarkable healthfulness was lately demon- strated, while the yellow fever prevailed, the past winter, in Jacksonville and other towns farther North, Sanford had not a case, and an average mor tality of two deaths a month demonstrated (as the United States Government physician, who visited it to report on a suspected case of fever, w^rote) to be the " healthiest town in the State." The official report of the mortality of Sanford the past year shows but six deaths per thousand inhabitants, and of these one-quarter from unnatnral causes, and but two from fever — an almost unexampled showing of healthfulness. [Note. — In a recent number of the " S>infi)rd Daily Mascoite," with a sketch of the Gate City, is given, from otficial sources, the mortuary- list of Sanford for 1888, with causes of decease it showing 24 deaths, but it is unnecessary to repeat il here. Its remarks and sketch of Sanford are here given: By reference to the above, it will be readily seen that there is not a community in the United States of like population wiiere the death-rate is so low. Computing the percentage on a basis of only 4,000 people, it will onl}^ make our mortality list at six in one thousand from all causes. Six, or one-fourth of this number, died from unnatural causes ; four were infants; two of extreme old age ; while only two from ANY KIND of fever. Does not this Report, of itself, answer the question: ''Has there been any yellow fever in Sanford ? '" more clearly than if every citizen spoke out at once NO ! Six per 1,000 ! Every intelligent individual who is seeking a new home will keej) this report for ready reference and be gov- erned by it. THE GATE CITY. Sanford has seven lines of railroads, over which more than lifty trains per day run in and out of San- ford, with daily mail service North, South, East and 51 A notable feature of this city is the suburb east of Sanford avenue, which has been laid out for the colored people (popularly known as Georgetown). Here the same policy was adopted of giving free lots for churches and schools, and long credit to indus- trious people for improvement of their homes. Here are three churches, a school house. Odd Fellows' hall, &c., and over a hundred neat buildings owned by their prosperous and contented occui)ants, and supplied with water, gas, &c. It required some nerve and will-power, as has be- fore been shown, to establish and protect these citi- zens of ''African descent," on their lirst appearance in this region. Their labor has proved to be of the West. Two lines of steamers on the St. Johns river, running daily between Jacksonville and Sanford. Two telegraph, and one telephone line, connecting with all the world. ^ Water works of the most approved system, furnish- ing an amx)le supply of excellent water for domestic purposes and also for lire protection. Gas works, by which the city, stores and resi- dences are lighted. Two banks— one National and one State — with ^mple capital. Four live newspapers, two daily and two weekly. Four restaurants. Eight churches. Two public school houses. Thirteen business blocks, and two more under con- tract. No saloons. Over 4,000 inhabitants. The lowest death rate of any city of its size in the Union. The most delightful climate in the world. No gnats, Hies or sandllies, and but very few^ mos- quitoes. 52 greatest value to the development of South Florida, especially for the Railroads : and while it can hardly be believed to-day, it would not have been safe at the outset of this enterprise (according to the spokes- man of a delegation of that race to the General, on one occasion) "for a colored man to go alone to Or- ando " — the County seat. Sanford has had, besides the visit of General Grant, that of two other Presidents. President Arthur came there direct from Washington, with several members of his Cabinet, in 1884, and remained three days the guest of the General. Last year President and Mrs. Cleveland honored the town and the South Florida Fair (then going on there,) with a brief visit. A beautiful location, on the banks, of Lake Mon- roe, one of the hnest lakes in th(^ State. Three machine shoj)s. Car shops of South Florida Railroad. An iron foundry and machine shop. - Two saw mills. One marble works. Two carriage factories. A fibre factory. An ice factory. Ten artesian wells. A bottling establishment. An orange wine manufactory. Two fertilizer factories. A moss factory. A fence manufactory. Good fishing and hunting. Good society. Low taxes. Good government. Good markets. Plenty of work. Good wages. What more do you want? 53 It lias ceased, in a measure, to be a pleasure winter * resort ; its former quiet being replaced by the bustle * of a busy town, and tlie clang of 50 trains of cars < coming and going on its seven lines of Railroad. But there is no more delightful spot in the State than the broad verandah of the Sanford House, looking across its tropical park and through the tall pal- mettos fringing its shore over beautiful Lake Mon- roe, the white buildings of Enterprise Just visible at the North, across its five miles expanse. The dream of its founder that it should have direct communication with Northern seaports may yet be realized, and recent events in the merciless quaran- tine against all Florida by reason of yellow fever in Jacksonville and two or three other towns, em- phasize the need of direct water communication. General Sanford had, at one time, on an address be- fore the Committee of Rivers and Harbors of the House, almost realized this by an appropriation by Congress for commencing the work of straighten- ing the River and imxDroving its navigation for a larger class of vessels, as agreed by that Committee ; but local jealousies near the mouth of the river, pre- vailed against it — for a time only, let us hope. Sanford is the natural outlet for the immense fruit- bearing region back of it in South Florida. 5,000 orange groves alone are within easy reach of it; and the supply for the whole country of bananas, cocoanuts, and jnne apples, as well as of oranges and lemons is, in no short time, to come from this productive re- gion. The only part of our country under our flag, with a climate capable of producing most of these, and needing the delicate handling that can only be given by water-transport, the time seems not far 54 distant when it shall hnd its way to the world's markets by sea-going vessels direct from the Gate City of Sonth Florida. Sanford has been visited by two conilagrations, the last in Sept. 1887, and the City, alive to the necessity of increased lire-protection, has now pnt itself, by pro- viding adequate pressnre andniimerons hre-hydrants, in a position to master any future visits of the fire fiend ; a lire limit for wooden structures has added to this securitj^ as well as to the solid aspect of the town : Brick blocks now filling up the burned district. The "Great fire" of Sept., 1887, destroyed four blocks including two hotels and numerous stores in the business portion the town. An indication may here be given of the conservative character of its people in the fact, that but two lots in the whole burned district were mortgaged, and this may be further illustrated by this other fact, that nearly all the houses in the town are owned by their occupants who have made on the spot the means to build them, and in most cases the independence -or wealth they have. It is one of the prettiest towns in the South, with tasteful residences along its wide streets and ave- nues ; several parks dotting its broad area, fringed at the back with orange groves capping the higher lands that bound it as an amphitheater, and in front the magnificent expanse of Lake Monroe, its waters edged with tall palmettos. IN CONCLUSION, it may may not be out of place, to give here the re- marks of General Sanford in reply to, and the ad- 55 dress of welcome at the Opera House, on the occasion of the last public reception, given him on his return from abroad, as reported in the Sanford Journal, 16th of December, 1886: Promptly at 4:30 p. m. the fast mail on the J., T. & K. W. R'y, rolled into town, bringing back to us, after an absence of nearly two years, General H. S. Sanford, the father of the Gate City of South Florida which bears his name. He was met at the depot by the band and a committee of citizens who escoited him to the Opera House, where a crowd of people had assembled. Dr. Harris delivered the following ad- dress of welcome: DR. HARRIS' ADDRESS. General Sanford: — I am the honored medium of the people of Sanford, of extending to you a cordial welcome on your return to this beautiful city, the outcome of your foresight, the creature of your in- ventive genius, the i;)roduct of your boundless liber- ality. For nearly two years you have been away from us. Part of that time, as we have been able to keep track of your movements, you have spent within the realms of Queen Victoria, in daily contact with those whose ancestors were our bitter enemies and oppressors, but who, themselves, are now our "lov- ing cousins across the briny deep;" and part in la belle France, whose Lafayette nobly responded to our call for help, and aided us in driving the invader from freedom's soil. During this time, Sanford has experienced defeats and enjoyed triumphs, but all the while we have longed for General Sanford' s pres- ence, his sympathy, his advice, his co-operation. But you have returned, and, as we believe, upon the threshold of a new and enlarged development. Your return at this time is opportune, for we believe, yea we know, that with your never faltering faith, your wise counsel, your generous sympathy, your kind, paternal watch-care over the destiny of your off spring, 56 Sanford, the Gate City, will soon realize the promise that her j)osition gives her, and wear the wreath that awaits her as the Queen City of this sunny land. Again, I welcome yon, and trust that yonr stay with us may be long and j)leasant. General Sainford replied as follows: Dr. Harris and Felloio- Citizens: "This is truly an unexpected pleasure, and I thank you, Dr. Harris, for your too flattering words as to my work here. I am pleased to see before me the faces of many old friends, and also many new ones, for I feel that when I come to know them we will all befriends. I have come back to put my shoulder to the wheel, and, with your co-operation, we will hasten that development which we all so sincerely desire. I am glad you still adhere to the name of Gate City, which I gave a number of years ago. It is the ap- propriate name of Sanford, situated as it is at the head of navigation, so to say, of this beautiful and majestic St. Johns. Sanford is, indeed, the Gate City of South Florida. It is the natural distributing- point for its products and for its supplies. It should be the commercial emporium of South Florida, as Jacksonville; has been of the State. It should be the manufacturing centre of this region. It depends upon you, my friends, — upon our Joint exertions, to make it so. We have our grip on this great water- way, the St. Johns; with it we can control prices and easy access to the world's markets. Ocean steamers, of the same system as Clyde's, are bound to come to Sanford; will come when needed, and when im^jrove- ments are made at a few points on the river. You know how I was thwarted in my effort for these when almost attained. We will try again, and succeed, for no representative of Florida will hereafter ignore the requirements of South Florida in that regard. I predict in a few years the advent of ocean steamers at our wharves. 57 "There was another appellation for which I am re sponsible — that Sanford was "below the line of in- jurious frosts." Well, I don't give that up, nor should we; on the principle that the "exception proves the rule," we may believe in our continued exemption for fifty years to come, as in the fifty years before that fearful cold of last winter. "I made it my business to look into this subject of "freezes" on our sister peninsula, Italy, and went there after our freeze last winter, to see how they af- fected our competitors in orange and lemon culture, and I found that in Italy they have a freeze, on an average, once in twenty years, and it takes two years to recover from the effects of one, unless in some se- vere cases when the trees are killed to the ground. I found no discouragement on this head; they were taking, along the Riviera, this loss of two-thirds of their crop very philosoxjhically, quite certain of ample returns another year. "Seventeen years ago, when I first visited this place, and waited three days for a boat, the old " Darling- ton," to take me down to Jacksonville — on the fol- lowing year, when I cut the first pine in these forests and planted the first orange tree at St. Gertrude — I little dreamed that in 1886 I should stand in Jack- sonville and choose between four lines of steam trans- portation to bring me back. "General Grant, who was an enthusiast about Florida, and who, on his visit here six years ago, turned the first sod of the South Florida railroad, on the Sanford Grant — then the southernmost railroad in the United States, was alive to all the possibilities in the future of this region. Said he to me: "You have on this tongue of land, jutting into the tropics, the only soil under our Hag capable of producing the rich tropical products the North needs, and must have, and must pay for. Poor as you are to-day, with the smallest amount of wealth per capita of your population of any State in the Union, I predict that within twenty years you will have the largest." The end of this decade will go far toward the reali- o8 zation of this prediction. We will do onr share to ward the attainment of this end. "You are now out of swaddling clothes. You do not need to lean on an 3^ individual, on any Company, but to take hold yourselves ; — Ave will all take hold to- gether to meet the requirements of this growing city. "We need more public schools ; we need a better system of drainage, extension of the water works, a mortgage and savings bank, a union depot for our six lines of railway, an improved waterway for ocean steamers, and — a point I have often urged and promoted — we need a great packing-house, with amrjle capital, that shall handle the fruit of Orange County, advance on, or buy, the fruit of its groves, and make this the great centre of that commerce; it would be the salvation of small growers, now at the mercy of Northern middle-men; it would be of immense im- portance to our City, where the proceeds of these groves would find ample opportunity for disburse- ment. " We are behind our European cousins in the art of handling our fruit. On my last visit to Italy I looked into this subject especially. In the smaller towns the leading merchants, or officials of the place, form themselves into a synclicate, pack and ship all the fruit for the small groves, paying careful attention to grading or classilication. The small producer pays his pro rata of the expenses, and receives his share of returns. In the larger cities and. in Sicily, capital handles the fruit, merchants with large means advance money to the producers, buy and ship all the fruit, classify and brand it all themselves, and turn to best account the business methods and appli- ances of large experience and resources. This per- fect system enables them to send fruit across the At- lantic ocean and compete with ours in the markets of the North, and they pay but twenty-four cents per box freight while we jjay iifty, "I would call your attention to the English Com- pany, of which I am President, and which I have seen criticised, but to which you are indebted for 59 much that you have in the way of improvements in late years. "Six years ago I found the strain on my health, on my purse, on my young family too great for what I wished to do. I wanted to build water- works, double the hotel, build a large mill, and extend the town; it required §100,000 more and constant labor here. I told a friend of mine, one of the best men that ever lived, a grand type of a Scotchman, Mr. Wni. McKinnon, my wants and plans, and interested him in a little statement I drew up about the possibili- ties of Sanford and South Florida. The return mail brought a letter stating that he thought my plans feasible, and would put in five thousand pounds (S25,000); and if I would print my paper and give him some copies and a map, he would interest some of his friends in the enterprise; and thus was formed the Company which furnished the needed money for the town's development, and gave me needed relief from overwork and care. I kept the largest share of the stock, and still keep it, and with it all the interest I have ever felt for Sanford ; only I have to work more at the other end of the line now, and by a slower process than of old. A Company cannot do things wdth the promptness and push of an individual. Directors must look after their re- sponsibilities to themselves and other stockholders. They are all honorable gentlemen of high standing and large means. T yet look to further improve- ments through them, one especially, about wdiich our friend, Mr. Shelton, is here, a mortgage and savings Bank, which the town and neighboring county needs. " No, my interest in the town audits development has never abated; it was my baby, my pet child years ago, and now, in its stalwart growth, my warm feel- ing for it knows no abatement, away nor here. I may say with the poet: " Where'er I roam, whatever realms to see, My heart, uutravelled, fondly turns to thee." "Again, my friends, I thank you from my heart for this cordial and unexpected manifestation of your friendship and regard." 60 In conclusion, — the worksthat are treated of in the foregoing sketches, will not die with their author; they will remain for coming generations, monuments of far-seeing, liberal and well directed enterprise. We will not speak of the Congo and its wonderful possibilities; but here at home. Belair is rapidly proving itself to be, as asserted in the Ohio Edi- torial Association Eeport, "the Gem of the Conti- nent;" and the 100,000 boxes of the choicest fruits of the Hesperedes, which it is to bear in the near future, will give ample, but well-earned returns for the costly outlay in time and money lavished upon it. And the City of Sanford is already rapidly devel- oping to its destiny as the Qaeen City of Florida, — as South Florida — of which it is the real capital — the onl}^ land under our flag lit for semi-tropical cul- tures, will surely become the richest agricultural region in our country, if not in the world. To the foregoing account of Belair, of the Sanford Grant, and of the City of Sanford, something about their founder would appear to be desirable in con- clusion, and the following clipping from the Pliila- delpliia Enquirer on his nomination in 1877 by Presi- dent Hayes as Minister to Belgium, is given with some corrections, as furnishing a condensed sketch of his busy life up to that time : Henry S. Sanford, LL. D., counts probably more years of dii)loraatic employment than any man in this country, having commenced his career as at- tache at St. Petersburg in 1847, and has gone through 01 every grade in tliat service — to which he has devoted great attention and serious study ; he has a very high and influential position in Europe, speaking most of its languages. He was born in Connecticut, the only son of Hon. NehemiahC. Sanford, — a direct descendant through his mother, of the lirst Colonial Governor of the State, (Governor Welles); his father was one of the chief founders of the large manufacturing town of Birmingham, and for many years a Senator of that State. • From him Mr. Sanford inherited an ample fortune. Ill health compelling him to abandon his collegiate course at Trinity College, he went abroad in 1841. Pursuing his studies in Europe, he won high University honors, and passed, in April, 1849, an ex- amination for Doctor of Laws at Heidelberg, with great distinction. In 1847 he was attache at St. Petersburg under Hon. Ralph I. Ingersoll. In 1848 he w^as Acting Secretary of Legation under Hon. Andrew Jackson Donelson at Frankfort. In October, 1849, he was appointed by President Taylor Secre- tary of Legation at Paris, under Hon. William C. Rives, and on the departure of the latter in 18r)3 he was Charge d' Affairs for nearly a year, until the ar- rival of the Hon. John Y. Mason. His resignation on that occasion, rather than to again wear "diplo- matic uniform," after the Secretary of State' s(Marcy) instructions abolishing it, and his apjiearance in con- sequence in citizen's dress, will be generally remem- bered. During Mr. Sanford' s stay in Paris he negotiated and arranged with the Post Office Department there our lirst Postal Convention with France — which was subsequently signed at Washington, with immaterial modifications, by Count Sartiges. He also made some valuable Reports to the United States Gov- ernment, notabJy, one on Penal Codes in Europe^ which was published by Congress, and is still in use as a text-book in the Courts, and a voluminous Re- port on French internal administration, also pub- lished by Congress. 62 On Mr. Sanford's return in 1854, he took np for his uncle, Philo S. Shelton, of Boston, the celebrated Aves Island case, conducting the negotiations for the Convention bearing that name to their successful termination. The correspondence, forming a large volume, was published by Congress. Some discus- sions therein of imjjortant principles of International Law attracted wide attention. The ground then first taken of the sovereignty of the United States over derelict islands led to the Act of Congress relative to guano islands, drawn up in the first place by Mr. Sanford, which has given millions of dollars to the agricultural interests of the country; and the doc- trine laid down as to Special Reprisals, and the ex- pediency of their adoption as a policy in our relations with our Hispano-American neighbors, may yet be vindicated. His pamphlet, "The Law of Special Reprisals," attracted at the time (1856-'57) consid- erable attention and criticism abroad. In connection with this, and other semi-diplomatic business, Mr. Sanford made several visits to Central and South America. In 1857, when the Paraguayan expedition— at great cost to our Treasury — was about to sail, he was selected, unsought by him, by Secre- tary Cass as our Commissioner, and so recommended to the Cabinet with the approval of President Buch- anan. Secretary Toucey, also from Connecticut, op2:)osed the appointment on the ground that Mr. Sanford was not a Democrat, and Mr. Buchanan, yielding to the objection, appointed Mr. Bowlin. In 1859, while engaged on his large and unfinished work on International Maritime Law — to which the previous year had been devoted — on the declination by ex-Senator Jones of the mission to Bogota, the President requested the Panama Railroad Company and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, as being the parties most interested in our relations with New Grenada, to recommend a fit person as Minister. Mr. Sanford was accordingly recommended by both Boards, and was about to be appointed, nlthough a Whig, when Mr. Jones recalled his declination. Mr. 63 Sanford was thereupon sent down with the sanction and support of the Government to negotiate for the settlement of the questions pending. Returning on the eve of the election of President Lincoln, and con- vinced of the gravity of the crisis, Mr. Sanford set himself actively to work to help avert it. His house in Washington during the memorable winter of the Peace Congress, 1800-61, was a place where eminent men of both parties met and discussed the vital ques- tions of the Union, etc. President Lincoln, immedi- ately after his inauguration, appointed Mr. Sanford Minister to Belgium, (his first foreign appointment.) He was conlirmed unanimously by the Senate and without reference, and within three days was on his way to Paris, under confidential instructions, and with a special letter of credence to the Prench Gov- ernment. He remained there until the arrival of Mr. Dayton, in constant communication with the French Government as the "trusted friend" of our own. During the war Mr. Sanford was employed in various secret and confidential affairs. In fact, as Governor Seward afterwards related, he was sent to Belgium as a central position from which to be made useful elsewhere; and again, on a notable occasion, he said : ' ' That man ( Mr. Sanford ) during the first year of the war was tlie Minister of the United States in Europe." On all these occasions Mr. Sanford acquitted him- self to the hearty commendation of the Government — notably in the matter of the purchase of military sujd- plies, which occasioned so much cavil by contractors and anti-administration organs. On the last occa- sion when, in the "Trent affair," the Queen's Order in Council Closed British ports to the exporting of military supplies, — with the approval of General Scott and other eminent men abroad, but on his own re- sponsibility, he bought up and shi|)ped to the United States Government all the saltpetre on sale on the Continent — a responsibility on which he risked his whole fortune. Had the war broken out, as was feared, this bold act would have had important bear- 64 ings in its results, for some 2,000 tons for our Govern- ment were locked up in England, and our snpph^ was short. In liis characteristic way, the President re- plied to the attacks of the Copperhead press on Mr. Sanford in relation to this business: " He deserves promotion," said Mr. Lincoln. In fact, his aj)point- nient as Minister to Paris after the death of the lamented Mr. Dayton, was determined upon, and so announced to him by Secretary Seward, but was finally deferred on grounds of local political expedi- ency. Then Senator Sumner reported, and the Senate passed a bill empowering the President to raise Mr. Sanford' s grade to that of full Minister. This bill, was defeated three times, going twice to a Committee of Conference— by the late Thaddeus Stevens in the House, as being an act of special legislation contrary to our traditions. He afterwards took occasion to express his regret at having procured its failure. Senator Sumner, who was very earnest in this mat- ter, then said that one vindication he, Mr. Sanford, should have, and he prei)ared and rej^orted the xlct now in force, prescribing citizen's dress as diplomatic uniform. During the eight and a half years Mr. Sanford re- mained in Belgium he negotiated and signed the treaties of the Scheldt (attending the Scheldt Con- vention as Plenipotentiary of the United States) of CoramerceandXavigation,of Naturalization, of Trade- marks; and the Consular Convention, the first ever made by Belgium, and a most important and needed one. The Extradition treaty he had discussed, only failed by reason of one point ( on the surrender of Belgian Citizens by Belgium and reciprocally,) — since yielded by our Government, but which he had de- clined to accept. Numerous Reports, confidential and otherwise, were also made to the Department, some of which were printed. Among them was a Report on the Revenue system of Belgium; upon its Excise laws, etc., upon its Courts of Audit and Ac- counts; upon Bankruptcy laws; upon the Recruit- ing System of Europe, and on various departments 65 of administration, etc., etc. He was for a time tlie fiscal agent of tlie Government in Europe, and had supervision of its secret service there during tlie war. He was employed in numerous delicate and confiden- tial trusts outside of Belgium, — amongst others to Caprera, in response to Garibaldi's intimation of a desire to take part in our contest, but where he did not offer the command of our armies to the general. As before intimated, the Department of State sus- tained its representative, with heartj;' commendation for the successful manner in which he had discharged these varied and responsible trusts. His generous drafts upon his private fortune during his mission to Belgium, whether in promoting the cause of the Union, or iu the exercise of a lavish hospitality, are well known. His salary for the first two years of the war was wholly contributed for the benefit of our soldiers. He also presented a Kru^^p cannon to his native State, and a battery of steel guns to the 1st Minnesota Regiment, as a recognition of its dis- tinguished bravery at the outset of the war, and as a compliment to the State that had enrolled him among its ''Old Settlers" and as a Major General in its militia. On General Grant's accession he nominated Mr. Sanford for the Spanish Mission, recalling Mr. Hale, under the previous charges preferred against him. His conhrmation, which was long discussed, was laid over, on the adjournment of the Senate, together with that of Mr. Jones, appointed his suc- cessor, on the ground of the recall of ex- Senator Hale before his answer could be heard, and in def- erence to his energe^tic appeal by cable. After the adjournment, General Grant withdrew his name and appointed General Sickles to Spain, on hearing which Mr. Sanford forthwith resigned his post at Belgium. Secretary Fish, while accepting his resignation, gave the highest and Avarmest testimony to Mr. Sanford' s efficiency and fidelity to the various trusts confided to him during the most critical period of our history, and his regret at losing the benefit of his services, 06 which he had especially desired at that time, in view of intended negotiations with General Prim for the acquisition of Cuba. Before returnin"; home, occurred the German war, and on the battle field of Sedan, wearing the red cross of Geneva, he brought from Brussels his gift of ice for the wounded, and, till after peace, was an active work- ing member of the famous Comitedu Pain (Bread Com- mittee,) which did such useful work in relieving the destitute both in and out of Paris. Convinced by what he saw at Sedan, of the use- lessness of resistance to the German Armies, he pro- ceeded thence directly to Paris and urged the mem- bers of the Provisional Government to make peace at once. It is a curious fact that the only military member of it. General Trochu, favored his view and made an inacceptable jn^oposition in that sense; — one of the last to leave the almost beleagued city, he straitway joined the Relief Society, before men- tioned, with which he worked till the end of the war. His unwearied energy has since then been applied in developing large interests in Louisiana and other Southern States, and notably in Florida, where he has resided since his return, and where the Sanford Grant, the town of Sanford, a large Swedish colony, and various other works testifj^ to his enterprise and the vast good he has done in his adopted State." To complete the above, a resume is here given of a biographical sketch prepared by a friendly hand for a forthcoming publication, bringing down to the end of the past year the principal events of his life from the period above given. Premising that the nomination of General Sanford as Minister to Bel- gium by President Hayes, on the recommendation of Secretary E varts, excited the old hostilities and rancor of enmities dating back to the war — of disapx)ointed arms-contractors and their friends; and that to them was added the opposition of dissatisfied politicians 67 pressing for more offices in reward for their services. The proposition, in this connection, of a noted poli- tician, anxious to satisfy this fierce x>ressnre — to ex- change the mission for three minor Florida appoint ments, need not be commented on here. The nomi- nation was withdrawn by the President, without al- lowing General Sanford "to be heard in Court," or given a coveted opportunity of meeting and silencing his detractors, should they have ventured to apx)ear. In June, 1877, General Sanford went as delegate of the American Geographical Society to the Inter- national African Association Congress, convoked by King Leopold II., at the Koyal Palace, Brussels, at which were represented, by its most noted Geogra- phers, most of the countries of Europe. Here was elaborated the philanthrophic, far-reaching plan of the King for opening up Equatorial Africa to civiliz- ing influences, and which has had such important results for Commerce, Civilization and Freedom, He was unanimously elected a member of the Executive Committee (of three, presidedover by theKing,) — rep- xesenting thereon the English-speaking races, and for eight years thereafter, especially during the time spent in Europe, he was assiduously occupied as such in aiding the furtherance of this great work, which, xiulminated in securing for Free-Trade the whole basin of the Congo, with its 50,000,000 people, and in the establishment of the Congo Free State in 1885 — "as one of the founders of which," wrote KingLeojwld II. to him on the occasion of his signing the now fa- mous Declaration of Washington, (18th of April, 1885,) "your name will hereafter be associated with mine in history." f18 He was created in 1878 Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold ; in January, 1880, he went on belialf of the King to meet Stanley on his disembarking at Marseilles from the "Dark Continent," with the offer of the position he subsequently accei^ted, to return and aid in opening up the Congo region. In 1880 he organized in England the Florida Land and Colonization Company, of which he is still the President and largest stockholder. In June, 1882, he was tendered by President Gar- held, on the recommendation of Secretary Blaine, the Mission to Rome, to be appointed so soon as vacated by the exx:)ected resignation of its venerable occupant, George P. Marsh; on the evening before the assassin Guiteau's attack (July 1st, 1882), on con- sidering with Secretary Blaine various pending ap- pointments, the President directed his commission to be made out so soon as Mr. Marsh's resignation was received, which, in view of the infirmities of the incumbent, he said he would himself ask for, through a member of Mr. M.'s family, whom he expected to meet at Williams College, where he was going the next (and fatal) day. In 1884-5, as Plenipotentiary of the International Congo Association, General Sanford negotiated and secured, at Washington, the recognition of its Hag as that of a friendly government, by the Declaration signed by him and Secretary Frelinghuysen, 18tli of April, 1884. This important Act, recommended by Resolution of the United States Senate of April 10th, caused the abandonment by Great Britain of its treaty with Portugal for the control of the lower Congo region (and thereby of the upper river), recog- nizing in it — in return for stipulated considerations — sovereignty over a region Great Britain had hitherto 69 sternly denied to Portugal. [Seethe Congo xjai^ers, published by Congress, for the correspondence and discussion of the important questions of interna- tional law involved, and the able Report of Senator Morgan.] This recognition and action excited very lively comment and criticism in Europe, where, however, every Government within a year, successively fol- lowed our example, commencing with Germany, in September following. It also lead to the assembling, on tile invitation of Germany, in accord with France— (which had a reversionary interest in the Congo region through an admission by King Leojjold) — of the Ber- lin Conference (13 November, 1884), where the United States and all European governments were repre- sented ; the main object being to assure for all time, by the sanction and agreement of civilized States, the important concessions obtained from the Inter- national Congo Association, — first accorded in the Declaration at Washington. Gen. Sanford was Pleni]30tentiary of the United States at this Conference, and signed (February 26th, 1885), with his colleague. Minister Kasson, the Acte General, securing freedom of access for our Com- merce and Flag, Free-Trade, the Abolition of the slave-trade, and Neutrality in the whole Congo basin (one-third greater than the territories of the Association). The proposition looking to the eradi- cation of the slave-trade in this region, by assimi- lating it to that on the seas, was originally made by General Sanford, but was subsequently changed, at his request for the present article, proposed by Sir Edward Malet, Ambassador of Great Britain, in the name of his Government. President Cleveland, on 70 his accession to office, did not, owing to a misap]3re- hension of its stipulations, as shown in his Message, deem fit to recommend the ratification of this import- ant Treaty, which still awaits the action of the Sen- ate. In 1886 General Sanford organized at Brussels, and dispatched to the Congo and its tributaries, under the charge of Lieutenant E. H. Taunt, U. S. N., the *' Sanford Exploring Expedition," for scientific and commercial discover}^ and information, and for open- ing up trade there — sending around the Cataracts in some three thousand loads on the heads of native porters, the Steamboats "Florida" and "New York," which M^ere put together and launched at Stanley Pool in 1887-88, and were the first commer- cial steamers floated on the waters of the Upper Congo. In 1887-88 he was occupied mainly in furthering this great work of opening up the Congo to civilizing influences and to commerce. ^ In November, 1888, the "Sanford Explorifig Ex- pedition" having arrived at its term, and accom- plished its purpose, was merged in Brussels into a large Belgian Commercial Company, with seven steamers, ten stations, and a numerous personnel on that river and its tributaries ; and thus was formed the first Commercial Company entering into regular operations on the Upper Congo ; and General San- ford, failing to enlist American capital and enter- prise, which could have securedthe commercial pre- eminence there for our Hag (first and always dis- played there by Stanley, and subsequently sustained by him), and towards which he had given years of 71 labor, was obliged to see the " Florida" and " New York" go under foreign colors and control; and the work he had inangnrated and had hoped would open a congenial outlet to the ambitions of our colored people, as well as furnish a market for our surplus manufactures, turned into another channel ; and an opportunity for commercial supre- macy, not likely ever again to occur, lost to us. "It is," said General Sanford, in a recent interview in the New York Herald, "the land of promise for our people of African descent ; perhaps some colored Moses may yet arise and show them the way back to their Fatherland ; they would do there good mission- ary work for Civilization, and find ample field for every worthy ambition and enterprise." FINIS.