The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-07-27
LETTER FROM PENSACOLA, FLA.

PENSACOLA, FLA, July 21st, 1873
To the Editor of the Morning Star:
Settled quietly in this little city by the sea,
and approaching my good fortune in escaping
for time from the noise and dust and heat of
New Orleans, my thoughts are ever and anon
waited on the wings of sympathy and COM
miseration to you unfortnnates who consti-
tate that respectable body styled the "cau't
get away club" In thus assuming and feeling
something like superiority, inasmuch as am
able to sympathize wit6.you,s1 would not be
understood as advocating, without some quail
ihcation, the custom of annual visits to sum-
mer resorts. The ordinarily popular watering
place is to my mind most unmitigated bore,
prolific of sources of discomfort and dissatis-
faction and ever suggestive of Solomon's sage
remarksson the vanity of earthIy things. The
nnceasing round of dissipation which charac.
terzes the :: season. at each sfd everyone of
our popular" resorts, is ilIadapted to reere-
ate depleted energies aud recuperate over
taxed physical powers, and as these at least
the ostensble purposes with which people fire.
quent such places. it is somewhat surprising
that they csntinue toaattr act the ann ual nul.
sisndes. asow TO hssssssfy ana care orn man
of business, rest and freedom from restraint
can be obtained in localities outside the do
minion of fashionable socety-and this brings
me back to my subject, viz: the aspiring little
city of Pensacola~ By reference to The map of
the Southern States it will be that PEN
saeola is situated the bay of that name
about forty-fve miles east of Mobile. Its pop
| ulation is computed to be between four and
five thousand, many of whom are descendants
from the original Spanish settlers. The city
stands on the north side of the bay about
en- miles from the entrance, and is Snoted in
the biographies as the seat of considerable
lumber trade /; some reference is also usually
made to the great natural advantages possess
ed by its land-loeked harbor. These are in
truth unsurpassed, vessels of the heaviest ton
| mage may cross the bar without difficulty, and
once within the bay are Sheltered from the
winds and waves of the gulf by Santa Rosa
Island, which forms a natural break water d.
rectly south of the city. The waters of the
bay abound with fish of every size and variety
| from the man eating shark to the tiny sardine
and afford unequalled facilities for excellent
| sea bathing To the north, east and west
| stretches wild and almost unbroken pine
! forest, in terspersed here and there along the
| water courses with other timber trees and well
| stocked with game of all kinds In fact it is
no unusual thing for the local Ninrods to leave
| town at daylight and return with q fine buck
or doe before breakfast.
In addition to these attractions, sufficiently
great in the eyes of sportsmeD, the place is
unusually blessed in being especially favored
! by the night breeze. 1t matters not how warm
the day may have been-and really hot days
| are rare even in SUMMERTIME nights are uni
versally pleasant-not unfrequently cool as
| to necessitate the closing of windows in the
middle of summer.
In contemplating this list of attractions,
which are in fact but few of the many which
Pensacola possesses, the query naturally arises
as to why has the place been go long dormant;
why has the summer worn citizen 30 long fail.
ed to discover these priceless Qualities of this
haven of restT The answer is found in the
former inaccessibility of its position. Only
since the war has it enjoyed railroad commu
nj cation with Mobile and New Orleans. Al
present, the trip from New Orleans occupies
about twelve hours, the FIVE P. N. train on the
Chattanooga road landing you hero in time fol
an early breakfast on the following morning
and that early breakfast of delicious fish il
an adequate compensation foFthS discomfort
: of a night spent On the road
Inc churcn mere IL, as USUAL IN nourlShlng
coRditien. Father Weninger's mission, some
two months ago, resulted remarkably we'll. Be
sides numbers of old Catholics, u rather "Olt
2atholics" who were induced to resume thei
lies and become Catholics in something els
than name, the mission was the mediate caus
, of the conversion to Catholicity of fifty-nin'
persons, and it is gratifying 10 understand
3 that the work is still going on, inasmuch a
Father Bergrath, the pastor here, has receive'