The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-01-14
Correspondence Of the Democratic advocate.
Notes on Florida.


fishing scribbling and painting. The one can
fill his game bag or fish basket just as easily
as the other can his portfolio.
Generally speaking, persons visiting at such
outposts. or on the borders of such strange
lands, hardly can tell you much about them.
The frontier life they habitually lead compels
them to endure hardships enough in providing
for their families and would pass by as no
account many sports and scenes that would
COMPLETELY ''fil the bill of the sportsman
and tourist For instance-in Il paper. pub
hshed at Apalachicola, Florida, port that IN
ante bellum times and until the many broken
links in our great railroad chain were restored
after the surrender, where the ''levee was
filled with thousands of bales of cotton, and
in the bav, vessel masts accumulated in au-
tumn to the size of a small forest. to trans
port this feecv staple to the great manutactur-
ing marts of the civilized world, | read. re-
Gently, paragraph as follows:
Mr. John Sellers, from Chicago. who Is so
fortunate as to have selected Apalachieoia
as his winter residence gives us description
of an incident happening to him while shoot
ing brant (the wild goose of the North ON st.
Vincent's Island. He shot and killed his
goose which fell into the water not far from
the shore John decided to wade IN after
his game aud took seat on what he supposed
10 be a log to turn up his pants. Almost the
same instant that he took his seat he felt the
log moving. and while in the act of turning
to see what had oecasioned this manifestation
on the part of the log. he was suddenly sent
Sprawling into n mudhole He had taken his
seat on the tail of a twelve foot alligator; the
body was concealed in what j. known as
..waIlow' Of soft mud and high grass. Mr..
Sellers picked himself up out of the mud,
gathered his trappings together. took 10 ms
L n - f-...t.FF q. al
his story. which was fully verified by his mud
covered suit OF clothes. As soon rs he could
find his man FRIDAY. the Diego from
whom he had hired the boat. he scolded him
severely for not telling him of the drawbacks
TO sporting on st. Nineents. The "Dcigo
Tor native of the Greciau Archipelago, OF
which nationality the mass Of bOstmen of Flo
rida belung) was as ignorant OF 81. Vincent
as the man from Chicago. aud excused him
sclfbv saving ''me know noting Of de Island;
me no 90 dare. He had been living at Apa-
lachieola for twenty yesrs and could not tell
you anything about the Island, although It was
scarcely two miles away.
Guide books are readily obtained that viii
show strangers through cities or thiekiy settled
countries, but the true land Of the sportsman
has NO guide, excep; the track or trail of the
deer, bear or moose.
81 Florida, down the eoast Of the Gulf Of
Mexico 60 the Big Cypress swamp. Is truly the
home 81 the sportsman and tourist, and IN no
better way can ! make these notes palata-
bie to yOar readers than by giving them des-
eripsions Of actual happenings Ia those OF oar
home folks. as well as the tourists thet7selves-
Atthe commencement al the late HnpleaS-
antnsss'' ~ each state seceded, 4 deyolved
upon the Governors the necessity Of taking
possession Of al. the forts, aFSenals. &c, with.
IN their separate boundaries. and Of course on
the secession oi Florida. her Governor called
for a number of troops 70 take possession IF
the L. ;. Navy yard a. Pensacola as well ~
the forts az fh. entrance 90 the barber. Ia
that uas1 81 the ssate, outside Of Pensacola.
which i connected With the interior by rail.
say the forests and lakesides arr 6lled With
deer, lsnr, turkey. duck. hrant and all the
snail feaihery tribe. aud the lakes aud bays
With Ssh. turtle. sharks. &c. During the
,hr,e DAYS Of heavy b0mbardment, between
the ard batteries and fcgt Barancas 81 the
Confederate on the west side of the hay and
Furs Pirksns then commanded hy kr1g.
Iscn-I ossles, On ;Ae east. and Al the entrance
ts II. karbor. the number and kinds Il fish
that came 10 the surface, ard t0aied 90 hath
shores. was indeed a wonderful sight Some
Il them uerr dead. bat the aAjorify SER only
slammed. Or 80 greatly shocked b. the sremcH.
does cons-tsssson produced its the hFing 81 such
heavy artillery that they were for q time life
less. Wagon loads were picked up on both
.islcs II thu has, and hsh cbowieF. fried
r1ggpsnn4. by,,ilsd tguut, baked sheephead.
s.eurd erls. boiled rsSl6sh. irFrapin s0up.
constituted the army biIl u fare for several
days.
Fishing In Pensacola bar and outside on
the snapper hanks. ia tbs means Il livelihood
for At beast haif ul ths inhabitants Il Pensssca-
Ia Lee the toHriss 10 this instance fnilOw ms
guide beck. % snius a hshing treat ''oH the
PrnSae,,lz bar and Il be $ not fally rcpaid
for aIl be- invests. n ii.o' tbe bill On resch-
inx Pensacola. ,Yu- lss,pk stranger. and IN
search "a the plaee whsre al ,hoss beautiful
Ssh arr caught that yOa $50 spread GA marble
siahs IN the ervai markets Of the north and
west.l 20 81 nure 30 Saxaner's Hotcl--lhe
hotel goes hy several names snch the Santa
Rosa. 'sPompino Hall. snapper Bar. room.
Sc. bHs the name II ''SaNAner' Is The ''opea
sesame 70 all the fishing smacks af Pensaeo-
Ia, and yua must know IN the first place that
there i ons couayany there the Pensacola
Fish and Ice Company that ships 70 the great
cities IL ;hr north and wes daily over tvo
hundred barrels Of fresh Ssh, All packed in
ice. Aiier depositiug Yoar hsggage Al the
'.Snapyer Bar and registering yOur name,
'.lshn Saith. Chicago.
Yea look arouad the cosy ball 10 rad the
hundred square ieef Of "handhils' posted OF
tackled ca the wall. After scanning all the
great ''raii- routes TO cvvry point Of the com
pass, sheriff salez. ~ excursions 70 Mobile
and Montgomery. ''Coups eireas, ''see
small balls, &c. YouF eye rests npon the VERY
thing you arr locking for. Here i is-
Narscx.-Ths hshinx smaeks % the PrnsAcola
Fish kfd Lev cumpsay Hti leave fsiAfoN stEest
Hhksf every sttcgaeoa - four O'clock Prfseiss
rangr Tor Fsasszzr with Mr. ssa1ane. whose tickets
viii be received on hoard tbs ~Boulia she sails
JULEs SILVA. Clerk
The ball Is allied with the sailors 81 The
ase,, especially those Of the Bonita OF
course yoa begin To ask questions about the
weather, kind 81 hsh caught. what hack you
expect 10 have tonight, &e., all Of which
questions are answered promptly end to your
satisfaction They viii be sure 10 tell you 10
provide yourself with sOme Of ''SaNauc best
and q '.los Of cigars Fishermen all drink
aud smoke, and 10 treat all hands is Just as
necessary for Your success as for the fish to
bite. Perhaps as preface 10 q Jolly night
"Off the bar yoa propose drink ''all round
"at the bar, and after drinks YOU repair to
your room 10 doff your city dads and don the
hshing sait that has been gotten up regard
less, and then 10 dinner, aud dreams of the
good time coming. Four o'clock finds the
last line cast loose from the vharf and our
friend increasing those acquaintance he had
made At '.Pompinor Half in the morning.
The "Bonita's sails an With the gentle breeze
ON Pensacola Bay, aud at the head of the
fleet of the Pensacola Fish and lee company,
as well as those Of other firms engaged in the
business, she turns her PROV towards the
Snapper banks The Captain of the feet
has his sealed orders only TO be read after
passing the bar, then be signals the other
lOops aud schoouers, denoting to each its er-
rand. One has TO sail near shore and have
It's seines ready to intercept the great schools
of mullet that follow the shallow grassy chan
nels near shore. Another Is to '.lay to- near
the coral rocks, and with hook and line, make
merry catching Black fish. Number three is
provided with strong cords and hooks, and
stands in 10 the oyster bars to await the
incoming tide, for surely with this tide viii
come the spotted bass or red Ash to feed on
the millions Of animalcule that make their
homes with the oyster.
Number four drops her anchor near the
beds of sandy coral, where the choicest of all
FISH feed, the Pompino. This beautiful fish
has no scales, nor bones, except that of the
back, the skin is the color of silver aud the
flesh that of gold The largest will not weigh