Woodstown register. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 187?-1892, 1884-04-22
ST. AUGUSTINE. FLA.

Dear Register - Probably many
of your readers are acquainted
with the history OF this old city, I'M
doubtedly the Oldest city in the
United states by half century,
founded when Spain was the greatest
power on earth. Ponce DeLeon land
ed on the Sunday before Easter,
Palm Sunday, or as The Spaniards
called It pasqua Florida or fl VERY
Sunday therefore he gave the name
Florida to the country This was
in 1912. Fifty-three years later, ip
1865, st. Augustine was fundAd.
Having formerly been an Indian Ill
lage, called Selooe. 1t is unlike
any other city in the United States,
with its narrowness of streets, the
over hanging balconies and the old
coquina houses built close to the
st erts with the tropical plants and
trees in the yards, give foreign
look TO the pace.
Opposite the plaza, hich is shad-
ed by beautiful lines of tropic, Il trees
and shrubs, with fountain in the
center, fed from an artesian
we'll, is the old market house, gen
era ly called the slave mark t, but
the NATIVES say that no slaves have
ever been sold there Opposite the
plaza or park is the oil Spani h
''a'hedral. composed of coqnina a
sh II co n bipation. 1t has an old
'lorrish elrry with four bells
which are SET within spa ate inches
and her with the clock form a
complete cross. Inside IS an old
painting describing the lauding. of
The Spanish Near tie alter hangs
unique silver lamp, in which las
been kept burning the sacred fame
without intermission, or nearly a
hund ed years
The oil converts are gone The
convent Of the sisters of It George
is large coqalna building, on S..
George street, short dis ance fr III
the plaza, and here the Sisters, who
are noble, self sacrificing creatures,
conduct yong lady's school Of a
high order.
In the center of the plaza De- lie
Constitution stands a monum Mt
twenty feet high, erected in 1872 in
commemoration OF the Spanish Lib
eral Constitution, and i'm uediately
under the date is cut in the marble
the masonic enblem of the square
and compass. Of course the Span.
iards were too good Catholics to be
responsible for this aud the facts are
these soon after the REBEL on the
young bl DDS amused themselves by
endeavorlng to alarm TIL United
States copmandent by executing a
series # cabalisiic marks at diff,ren
localities throughout the town to CON
yey the impression that a secret
SCOTT y was in exist' nee and abou
to do some unls wful act, b sides
other marks and notices posted about
the city and one night this square
and compass was cut upon the tablet
of the Spanish monument. But the
great object of interest is Fort Ma
rion, constructed at the north end of
the city or near the eisy gates a por
ton of which is 8 i'll standing. This
fort was began in lr96 and comp1et
ed sky years lat r. 1t is built OF
coquina and must have cost q vast
sum Of money. | have been inform
ed that the king of Spain in one Of
his letters to the governor of st
Augustine said hat it cost its wight
in gold and that a few such forts
would ruin bis kingdom. The city
has sea wall along its water ont
of coquina about three feet wide
covered with thick slab of State Of
Maine granite to keep the ccquina
from wearing away. This is a very
, nice promenade in the evening for
pedestrians of all colors and classes.
| There sre several fine hotels in the
city Accommodating Eve hundred or =