The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-05-07
erected in honor of the Spanish Liberal

erected In honor Of the Spanish Liberal
Constitution.
There are two converts whose nuns
are mainly occupied BY school for the
educatiorpot young girls. There are
number Of nuns, brought over from
France a few years ago. The old con-
vent Of st. Mays is suggestive relic Of
the days Of papal rule. The new con.
vent 10 Hateful building Of the ancient
COquina. The U. s. Barracks recently
remodeled are said 10 have been built
as convent or monastery. The old
government house or palace Is now In
use as the Post Office and United States
Court room. At its rear Is a well pre-.
served relic Of what seems to have been
fertilization to protect the town from
an over the river or inland attack. An
older house than this, formerly occupied
by the Attorney General, was pulled
down few years ago and is ruins are
still curiosity. st. Augustine il not
built wholly oiCoquina and in the Span.
ish style. There are many fine residences
here In the American style. A prolu.
sion Of tropical plants and shrubs and
trees ornament their grounds. Here
tie orange flourishes and Is
abundant and delicious. The fig,
date, palm and caruma are all seen
here, as also the Lime, Lemon, the sweet
and wild olive, the Citron, Guava and
Pomegranate tGre all indigenous. Also
the grape and peach grow in great luxur-
lance. The climate Is not surpassed in
our country, The Florida; Mrs. Solver.
ton writes, moonlight nights are the
glory Of St. Augustine. So bright and
cool and soft and balmy, few can resist
the enjoyableness Of stroll on the
yerNnda, listening TO the echoes Of the
band or the tinkling Of some distant
guitar.
/ visited the garden Of Mr.. Kiuslow
and there saw century plant that will
bloom in three weeks. The flower stalk
had started three weeks ago and now
measures 10 feet in height. The longer
one remains in this old town the more he
is attached to it. At least this was my
experience. ltimproves on acquaintance,
and for visitor to Florida to not visit Il
would be like seeing Hamlet with Ham.
let left out.
They have no need for police as they
are quiet and law.abiding people, and
the colored population are the most law
abiding people Of the class | ever met.
Part OF i is owing toIhe teachings Of
The Catholic people who are the largest Of
any cIassin the town. There Il part Of
the town occupied by the Colored people
called lin honor Of good old Abel Lin
colnsyille, in which they have one hun
dred houses built and a new Temperance
Hall. There are but four saloons in the
town Of Augustine.
The wonderful Ponce de Leon Spring,
with its tabled powers, some three miles
from the town, is very common place
affair and it takes some stretch Of i'm.
agination to surround it with much 70.
nance.
Augustine is no place OF commerce for
there was only at the port an Uncle Sam
steamer on the coast survey, and few
yachts. Tie largest place in town IL
now owned by Ball OF New York, Of the
firm Of Ball, Black 4 Co, jewellers, for
merl y owned by Buckingham Smith (40
aCres) who lett it to found a colored
home for old people. They have a good
building and about sixty persons who are
kindly cared for.
Lind that the wood work on the bridge
over the St. Sebastian Run, built five
years ago, is almost rotten already,
though we'll painted, which shows the
rapid decay Of wood in this climate.
Almost the entire number Of good build
ings were put up by carpet.baggers. On
our return we stopped twenty minutes
at Mandarin, on the st. Johns, and visited
Mrs. Stoves place, and had the pleasure
Of looking upon the author OF that popu.
lar book, Uncle Toms Cabin. Mrs. S.
Is quite feeble in health. must men
ton that we found in our chamber n
washstand that looked as il it had been
brought over by Ponce de Leon, or some
high grander. Ny wife had to get upon
a chair to be high enough to wash out
otit.
| shall conclude by saying that II this
letter is too long for your paper cut it at
both ends. J.H.