Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-15
LETTER FROM ST. AUGUSTINE


A Desirable Winter ResOrt-In-
creased Facilities for the Accom-
mediation of VIsItOrs-QuIet and
Rest without MOnOtOny-The Old
Spanish FOrt-A Beautiful Bay
Future Commercial Importance of
the Ancient CitV-NeW. Smyrna,
Etc., Etc.
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA, March 12-Editor
Morning Neus: Our old Spanish town is too
well known as popular winter resort to re-
quire special mention in this connection, or TO
need any commendation from the pen of this
writer. 1t has, already, a reputation broad as
the land and old as the hills. 1t may be re-
garded the pioneer among winter resorts in
the South, and its fame is commensurate with
the length and breadth of the entire country.
No portion Of the broad expanse of our great
sunny Southern land can claim a finer reputa-
ton for its delightful climate, its genial
sunshine, lis balmy breezes, its invigorating
and rejavenating atmosphere, its soft and
salubrious sea air. than this venerable old city
by the sea. While the country was compare
lively a wilderness. trodden only by the savage
warrior and the wild be lsts Of the forest. St
Augustine was favorably known to the public
on account of its invigoraiing and health
restoring climate. With ell classes of tourists
and pleasure seekers, it has continued steadily
to grow In favor, aud each succeeding wear
brings with it its additional thousands TO look
upon the antiquities of this oldest town on the
continent OF America. All who visit it seem
delighted with its novel attractions and genial
climate.
A few years ago, half dozen poorly kept
boarding houses and a bare substitute for hos
tel were all its accommodations for the enter
tainment of its stranger guests, but the increase
of travel to our old city has made il an abso-
Lutte necessity, from year to ear to increase
the facilities for the accommodation of visitors
The number of boarding places have been In
creased, almost to in1nity. Almost every pri-
vate house has been thrown open for their en-
tertainment, three or four large and commo.
dOus hotels have recently been erected and
yet our city is not able, during the winter
months to furnish sufficient accommodations
for its visitors.
AT the time of the present writing, many a
kind hearted matron and venerable sire are
reStleSsly tossing their weary limbs on pallet
upon the floor, to give up their own beds to
strangers. This looks somewhat like conform
ing to the divine admontion: BE careful to
entertain strangers, as some have thereby en-
tertained angels unawares."
Our old city seems 10 be more appreciated
on account of its quietness-so far from the
hum and hustle and busy clatter of everyday
life in the noisy and pent up cities Many
persons go away from home for the benefit Of
a months respite from the busy rounds in the
and quiet without the tedious monotony COM
mon TO many watering places.
Here we have all the facilities and appliances
for sports, pastimes and amusements, suited
to the inclinations, tastes and fancies of the
various classes Of visitors. Horseback riding,
driving, gaming, strolling, curiosity seeing,
shooting, fishing, hunting, sailing, rowing,
strolling on the beautiful, sandy beach, and
numberlesS other ways that the stranger can
enjoy himself in and around our quiet old
town without staving along at break neck
fr,I h hal
him. The world needs rest and the great
masses of mankind, in their eagerness for
gain and devotion to business, never find out
that they have time to indulge in this luxury,
so essential to all animate nature
st. Augustine has an antiqueneSS in its erchi-
tectural construction so very different from
other cities that it gives an additional attrac-
ton to the curiosity seeker and those interested
in quaintness and novelty. The old Spanish
fort, about which so many thousands Of pages
in the last few years have been written, appears
to be the chief object OF attraction Il is an
exhaustlesS subject for newsT aper correspond
ents, and seldom, if ever, a communication goes
away without some new revelation from this
gloomy old castle. Many mysterious legends
and traditions go coupled with this antiquated
old structure, and numberleSS are the tales of
bloodshed and torture that are associated with
its earlier history. superstitious persons, chill
dren and silly old darkieS have been educated
to believe that it is the abode of hobgoblins,
horrible ghosts, witches and the ante-chamber
to pandemonium and the dwelling place of all
the ghosts of ruined hopes since the world be-
gan MANY other relics of antiquity are to be
seen about the town that are immensely inter-
eSting to strangers.
The Bay OF ST. Augustine is beautiful little
sheet Of water lying directly in front of the
city, affording delightful sailing to pleasure
parties who indulge their fancieS in this kind
Of amusement So completely landlocked is
this bay as to afford the safest anchorage to all
vessels lying in our port: Ordinarily, our bar
has from thirteen to eighteen feet of water, so
there is but itt difficulty in the largest vessels
entering the port at any time.
Our port has one of the most magnificent
and splendidly built lighthouses on the whole
Atlantic coast 1t was built seven or eight
yeas ago as the tide-water was making rapid
encroachments on the old one, and threatened
its destruction. It has since fallen. The new
one is much farther inland, and Is a great deal
mora substantial 1t is one hundred and sixty
FIVE feet high; the old one was sixty feet. The
new one has a revolving light of greatly i'm
proved mechanism, and revolves once in nine
minutes, flashing three times with each revo-
luton
The geographical position of this point will,
at no distant day, make it one of vast CONNER
cial importance. 1t is only matter Of time,
when vast extent of the best country in
Florida, south of this, will be opened up by
connecting the waters OF the Matanzas river
with the Halifax and Indian rivers, making
st. Augustine the port for the outlet of its sur
plus productions. A canal of eight miles viii
unite the waters Of the Bay of st. Angus tine
with the Halifax. thus opening up commu-
nication, and transportation for vast area of
the most desirable and productive lands in the
State.
granted charter and made a liberal donation
OF public lands to aid in the construction Of
this much needed and important enterprise.
1t is now only q question OF time when this
work will bs done, which viii give us an inland
water communication from this place to the
extreme southern point of the peninsula.
With this outlet for the productions of the
country, millions OF acres Of fine farming
lands viii be immediately, brought into cul-
tivation, that are now comparatively YalueleSS
for want of efficient means OF transportation.
The projected line of the Jacksonville, ST.
Augustine and Halifax Railroad, which they
ara now locating, is destined to run through
the same rich belt of sugar lands and connect
With the Florida Keys But there viii be
enough work for the railroad and canal both
when the country becomes settled up. which
will surely be the case when razans OF trans
portation is furnished. 1t can't be done before.
Persons who have already settled in that To-
cality find 1t an onerous task TO get their pro-
duce to market, and get the necesSarieS OF
life as they have, some of them, to haul their
surplus on a one-horse cart, hfty, sixty TO
hundred miles.
When accessible by rail or steamboat navi-
cation, that viii evidently be the most desira-
bic portion of Florida. as it is near the Allan
tic coast, where it viii have the benefit Of the
sea breezes, is remarkably healthy, the lands
are fine where all sorts of semi tropical fruits
can be raised; fish, oysters and game are
abundant; vegetables of all kinds can be culti-
waited in great abundance, beyond the reach of
frost. The country. too. IS well adapted to the
growth of oranges, the culture of sugar, long
staple cotton. etc: in fact, anything may be
cultivated here that Is adapted TO semi
tropical climate.
New Smyrna, sixty miles south OF here, on
| this line Is the point where DR.. Turnbull and
Sir William Duncan located their Minorcan
| ooIouv in the year 1867, and the reports show
that the Weld Of the farm was very satisfactory,
| and their products had to be disposed of in the
London markets -
no these enterprising gentlemen 81. Angus
| tina a Indebted for the larger portion or her
present population, for, as soon as the colony
| r. Minorcans was disbanded, in the year ITO,
| at Nex Smyrna, they came sn Hsdsss 20 St:
Aurustfue and their descendants remain mere
10 this day.
General Butler Acknowledges to have been
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