The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-07-15
AN OLD FLORIDA Ft}EF.

Writing about Fort Marion, ST. Au-
gustine, some scribe says: This fort,
constructed of Il shell cong!omcrate,
known as cOIuina stone, was begun in
1896, and built by Indian labor, was
finished in 1856. II is Il model of the
military engineering: Of the time OF lis
| construction, and when S;,rrionnc.l by
! British troops from l7G:: to 1866, it was
considered one ofthc finest fortreiscs in
the British possessions. II covers an
acre of ground, aud the vauitcd rooms,
opening off from the central square,
furnishes accommodations for 1000
men, and the fort will mount 100 guns.
Over Fort Marion, have waved tho
Spanish, English, Confederate and
United States flags. The American
flag was first raised above its battle
ments in 1921. In 1886, while |, ncavy
gun was being mounted on tho north
! east bnstion, the terrcplcin fell in, and
!. hitherto unstlspccicl dungeon was
revealed. Upon its floor lay a human
skeleton, chained to the watf by each
wrist. When the military engineer
descended into this dungeon, he motto
ell Il large stone in tho wall, which
from it's appearances, and from the
comparative ncwnr>I of its cement,
evidently had not been Il part of the
"
tho explorers entered Il s;'crn! and
smaller dungeon, and by the li@,, OF
their lantern, saw two iron cages, one
of which had fallen to The ilOnr !,u;
the other WAS still hanging by :, hook
to the wall. Zach cage contained the
skeleton Ola human being, one of
which had evidently been 4 woman.
For what crime, or unfortunately lit
Cured anger of one high in authority,
or rash political aspirations those vie
Tins had been thus walled up alive,
will never hc known The thong hts
that rush upon the mind Of the visitor
to these gloomy vaults make him long
for the outer world, and when he once
more sees The sunlight it is with Il tcel
ing of glad relief. Ii is said that one
of these cages, with its contents, which
had been broken by its tall to the
ground, was buried near the tort, White
tho other one was sent To the smith
sunian institution. Il Is believed, how
over, that it was not allowed to re
main in the museum long, hni WAS re-
moved. Au old sergeant living near
NY is the only guardian Of the fort, as
its rooms are too damp to he iuhabitrd
| therefore the visitor is allowed To
roam through it ut viii, and al night
these parapcts, which to within a short
distance of time have rung to tho calls
welf' OF the sentinel f4r almost 900
years, now family crh" the murmurcd
| words of fond 0ucs lingering in the
| tender moonlight sensible people
avoid the malaral night air and STAY
in the ho,,Se--or in the glare Of the sun
| the Fashioned angles arc tho subjects ol
these remarks.
Most of the great railway corporal
lions in Texas own large bodies of land
in that state. These companies are OF
course anxious to settle mp and sell
their lands, aud they are therefore
offering great Inducements To in.mi-
grants in the way of cheap transporter
ton and cheap lands on easy terms.
rms il one ofthc causes of the Crra,
movement of population to Texas.
senator David Davis's we,lth is cs.
minated at between four and five mil
lions, chiefly made by Investing in the
suburbs of growing Western towns.
ais taxes amount 10 SSS 600.