New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-20
GENERAL GRANT IN FLORIDA
AwARM REcEpTIoN IN THE ANCIENr TOWN.


ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. Jan 16.-The reception of
General Grant in this small and ancient city, on
Tuesday afternoon, was marked by more OF the
ceremonies usually attendant upon the arrival Of
distinguished parsonage at place where his fame
has gone before him than at any other point
during his Southern trip except at jackson
VILE. There was delegation of citizens
to meet him at the debarkatiOn at TocOi, where the
river excursion was ended and il acted an escort
the rest of the way to ST. Augustine. Fourteen
miles over the st. Johns Railway, through fiat,
pine-tmbered country, brought the tourists to their
destination. mile from the city, where for some
reason the depot is placed. Here there was large
crowd waiting, which manifested the greatest salts
faction at the arrival OF the distinguished traveller.
Mayor Green delivered an address in which he Off
cialy welcomed the ex-Presdent to the city, speak
ing in the most complimentary terms of his recep-
tiOns abroad and at home General Grant replied
as follows:
Mr.. Mayor thank You for your kind welcome. /
have seen something of your State and am greatly
pleased with it, Florida is the oldest settled state,
but really the youngest in development. FROM
what have seen am convinced that II Will IN time
produce than any other State-that is, from
its soil 1t cannot OF course be expected 10 eqnaI III
manufactures and commerce many of the Northern
States. The soil products of some OF our Northern
States are enormous, but feel sure, although 1t
may appear to be exaggerated statement, that III
time your sugar and sem,ropIcal fruits viii exceed
| in value the products OF any other State in the
| Union Again thank you for your kindly express
slons OF welcome
This speech was the signal for another outburst
of applause the part of the people Then the pro-
cession. composed of long cavalcade of carriages
and other equipages and headed by the Citizens
Band, was formed. The Catholic benevolent and
| temperance societies. and the colored Temperance
organIzaton-in fact all the civic bodies of
| the place acted as the special guard. Fol
| lowing the vehicles containing tie visitors
were the carriages in which rode the
City Council leading citizens and thence on down
i'll the scale of dignity the procession continued TIL
the far rear was brought up by the country carts oil
| the negroes, making in all a unique and imposing
array The picturesque entrance to the little city
was gayy decked in bunting and flowers. and
spanned by an arch ofarbor vitR inscribed Let us
| have peace" Further on there was banner with
the legend. "Our oldest city greets our greatest
General The narrow, aliey-like streets were ira
ycrsed for an hour and then the procession drew up
at the st. Augustine Hotel. All the while the guns
at the quarters where two companies of artillery are
stationed were booming in honor of the event.
1t was gala day for the colored people. They
were ont in full force, and were fairly intoxicated
with joy. One old lady excited great amusement.
She rode in cart to which there was hltched an
ANTICIPATED horse. The harness was strangely and
wonderfully made and at one Of the animals ears
| a little flag f,ated in the breeze But the great
display of bunting was on the old lady's vehicle.
An ancient and tme-stained naval flag was
mounted upon short staffat the drivers side OF
the cart but the wind, taken at a disadvan-
tage by the arrangement of the colors,
would not float the emblem, and she therefore
spread the folds of the stars and stripes over her
broad shoulders. to the intense amusement OF the
spectators. In one hand she carried hinge bouquet
| and in the other a whip with which she did her
best to convince her horse Of the importance of the
day Her black face was wreathed in smiles and
her stout form fairly shook with excitement at the
| success with which she was doing her part to re-
| ceve the ex-PIesdent.
! That evening very handsome reception was
given in honor of General Sheridan BY the officers
of the post. The number present including officers
and civilians. was about 200 Yesterday morning
General Grant received the public in the court of
the old Spanish fort, that dates from early time,
and is sort of headquarters for an orderly sergeant
and perhaps 200 condemned guns of every style
end caiibre After every who appeared had
| been duly presented by the Mayor and General
Dent the candles were lighted and the General was
conducted through the deep and winding passages
! TO the dungeons within the inmost depths OF the
| foundations of the fort. The same old story
was repeated that seems to be the soil
| tary duty of the orderly, and which he has
rehearsed to tourists fol years, as 10 how
wber the dungeon opened there were found
| the skeletons of two men who had been placed
| there and walled up alive TO die in darkness. VINO
they were or what they had done will, perhaps, al
ways remain a mystery.
After the reception at the fort lunch was given
at the quarters and at night ball took place in the
Magnolia Hotel. This ball elegant affair,
! and brought ont the best people in town These
neople did not TO 60 TO shake hands with the Gen
eral at the public reception, because IT is said the
| colored people were there. To the ball, however.
| they came. The early part Of the evening was
| taken MP with introducing them to General Grant.
They were determined to be presented it seems, but
would not 90 where cOlored man was placed on
the same footing with themselves. little OF the
old prejudice survives. The decorations OF the bali
room were very handsome. At either side of the
entrance stood an alligator with an orange
in his mouth, while his bed was the gray
moss that grows everywhere, and over him was
spread a banana tree. Flowers and palmetto leaves
were hung in wreaths and clusters pillar and
wall and opposite the door was the inscription in
mammoth evergreen letters. "Welcome" To-day,
after rest from the ball. the time is 10 be spent in
sailing for which there arc the best facilities here,
and for tomorrow another ball is set down. 1t will.
il possible surpass the one at the Magnolia Ii will
be given at the st. Augustine. The Northern people
are beginning to arrive. and lend new life to
this fossil city, which will be desperately gay
from now on until Lent, and then return
to its dormant state for another hot season 1t must
lac said however, that the heat here is never very
great. owing to the nearness of the ocean and the
prevalence of trade-wnds. These people still have
the dark skin, black eyes and small feet of their
spanish ancestors and to them fifteen feet are an
| ample width for street, and two low
| stories are enough for house. Many Of
| the dwellings are being spoiled in appearance