The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-01-17
Our George Visits St. Augustine.
LETTER NO. s.

enough left so that you can read the original
story, and queer old story It is, carrying ones
memory back so far that he has to take a sleep
ing car to get there and lay off day now and
| then to rest.
| From jacksonville to st. Augustine is about
32 miles, in a southery direction, and connec-
ton Is now made by rail over the Jacksonville,
st. Augustine and Halifax River r. r. The
country through which you pass is very unin-
terestng, as nearly all the way it is either hard
| pine growth or swamp. Not Il town on the
line and no sign of life except now and then Il
little clearing, in which is ii shanty or log house
occupied by family of pronounced brunettes
The road bed is seldom more than a foot above
the level of the ground the country is 50 flat.
| could not help being reminded of that strip
of desolatiOn between Unity and Burnham, it
looks full as desirable place to settle as this,
although | presume that when this place is
cleared and got under cultivation, that it will
be good farming land. but by the apparent en-
ergy now displayed | should set that time
about two thousand wears off. The road is Il
very good one, and the cars run about - miles
an hour. The white people are not allowed to
ride in the same car with the colored. 1t is
| generally customary to put this remark the
other way, but it is poor rule that will not
work both ways and | have taken the liberty to
reverse it. The cars are exactly alike, and the
colored people are not treated any better than
the whites. | looked this matter over, intend
| ing to ''lick," if | found that | was being OPP
pressed on account of my color, but | found
| that had Just the same rights As they did and
| paid the same price for my ticket. The only
| partially | could see shown them, was that
| they rode in the ear ahead of us. SO in case of
collision, they would get the cream Of the ac-
cident, but | didn't like 10 find fault about d
| little thing like that. We had the coW-cachcr
set and baited, and We're fortunate enough TO
catch Il cow-that is, almost 4 COW. for ii
CHANGED to be an OK, however, that was near
enough. 1t spoiled his usefulness without
greatly injuring his beauty. After getting the
remains off the track, we proceeded On and at
a little after ten in the forenoon of Sunday we
arrived at st. Augustine.
| 81. Augustine was Il little town that they had
on hand when the world was made. it was
undoubtedly intended for the state of Rhode
Island, ii is such a tiny little town. Just about
big enough for that state but not having 1
Geography handy at the time, it was set down
here, in the year 15l2 rs remember it. Why
| recollect it SO distinctly is. that | lent il man
fifty dollars that year. and took due Bill,
which has since been outaWcd. Nv old friend
Ponce de Leon was the original di,coverer. He
went ashore there and put up Il cross and TOOK
possession. As there was nothing there but
land to take possession of. and as he did moi
want that. he simply took a glass of lager and
played game Of pool and left. In The yeul
1865, on the 2Sth of August, Il gentleman by TIL
name of Pedro Menendez, landed here, and il
being the fete of st. Augustine, he gave tho
place the name ii now bears. Pedro was look
ing after boy of his, who had got lost. Dut
this is the last place in the world That | >houlr
think of looking for lost boy. # boy kneW
enough not to try and put his trowsar- ON over
his head, he couldn't get lost here, if he tried,
Before | arrived, learned what | wanted t,
see. The Old fort, the city gate, tile sea wall
the Old Cathedral and brief and compreheu
siye glimpse of the town. took the city gatt
in first, as the she'll road from the depot lead
directly to it, The gate, as under> and gate
wasn't there at all, but the posts that held al
the gate Were. They are of masonry. ami for
merry there was 4 wall extending from tn
gate either way, at this end Of the town, an,
r as | learn about it, everybody had to cnte
through The straight gate, just A. they ITO int
; Heaven. 1t was guarded, ana you had to be il
. at such time, and if a fellow had been to Sc
his girl, and had STAYED longer than the stand
ard time, he could not get bac, into the city
and had to sleep in the pasture, and if twas
cold night. he could put the bars up, 50 a. t
sleep warmer. This gate is said to be Every i'm
posing, but as do not ike To be imposed ON
l did not remain there long. but proceeded t
the old fort, Ft Marion rs it is now called.
! was FORMERLY called SAN Nar"o. If i, 49,
received the name 1t now bears. 1t almost too
a beetle to drive this fort into my head The
begun TO build it in 1920, out Of what is Gale
coquina stone, a conglomeration Of Shells. ID
stuck together. 1t is quarried on an islam
near here. 1t is quite soft when quarrir,
but by drying in the sun becomes hardened
The work was done chiefly by the In
dans. and the poor devils Were kept at
a hundred and thirty-siX wears. don
mean the same ones. for part Of them 70
tired and died. 1t requires 100 gllns to arm il
: and 1000 ''sons of guns" to garrison it. it ha
never been taken by the enemy. | believe
neither has TT. Knox at Bucksport. 1t certain
y does not seem as if it ever could be taken
but presume with modern guns it would b
sick at lis stomach i'll very Short time liz
no doubt but what any OF the professions
base ball mines could stand up and catch III
balls that the guns of 200 wears ago Wou
throw. and pitch them back harder than Tile
received them. ! wandered about the Fort al
hour and could have spent more time Their
proiitably, could | have spared il. Ii i,
quaint structure, and seems like Il stromgl,
fortified castle There are dungeons undo. 1t
f some of which were not discovered until few
years Since in one Of them We're two skeleton
and chains, showing that the proprietors of In
bones had been put in the dungeon and chaine
there and left to die-for what crime, we ar
apt to ask Probably they were Il couple D
fellows who were learning TO play the corntt
and the commanding General stood it u>i IL
long as he could, and then put them in there *
he could have little peace and forgot them
All the time | was there | could not help think
ing OF those poor Indians. There is no:hin,
that hates to work so badly Us IN Indian.
won't except poor yeast, and when you thlnl
of Them peggiDg away at this fort, for over
century. building something that they didn'
have Il cents interest in, working for thei
board, they didn't have any clothes, not even
pair of side eIastics or crimping pin, mus
say that my heart goes OH in sympathy il
them, and do not wonder that their descend
ants now and then lift a little hair from thei
white brothers head. After giving an oil,
soldier who tended the door of the fort
plugged quarter, next took walk on the q;
wall, which runs along the front of the town
for nearly a mile. This wall was built by tn
L. S. in 1887, out of coquina stone, with
coping of granite. 1t i. about wide enough TO
a man and his wife to walk abreast and twice
too wide for Il pair of lovers. 1t is said to b.
impossible for fellow and girl to take wall
on this wall on moonlight night, when III,
waters are kissing the wall on the one side anl
the sweet scented breeze is tanning their checr
on the other, without the fellow tumbling il
love. They say that the girls are all anxious
to promenade on this wall, but the boys hedg,
little, for they know that I'll, dollars 10 cents
girl. they are ''mashed" for sure. This being
leap year." the wall will no doubt be crowd
ed.
took dinner at the Magnolia House.
notice down South, that the familiar names d
hotels. such as the 81. s." the ''American.
and the ''Washington.' are very conspicuous
! by Their absence. The ST AuuuStinp is The