Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-03-09

dred miles long, and is the great high
way of Florida. In the afternoon
one can see row boats, sail boats,
steam yachts and all manner of craft
bearing pleasure parties about the
river. A steam ferry boat will carry
| one across the river to the other side.
where there are pleasant walks and
some very pretty orange groves.
| Thirteen miles south of here on the
east side of the river is Mandarin.
This place was noted before the war
for its cotton and sugar plantations,
but since for its fine orange groves,
| which are said to be among the best
| in Florida. The present population
is about 1900, and aside from its i'm
portance as an orange-growing dis
nous authoress, Mrs. Harriet Beech
er Stowe. Her house is a large,
roomy dwelling, OF the cottage type,
shaded by massive, moss-draped oaks,
one of which carries a cannon ball
imbedded in it's trunk 1t was shot
into the tree by a confederate gun
boat in the late war. On the oppo-
site bank is Orange Park with it's
white wharf. and fence and many
other attractions. Thirty miles south
is Green Cove Springs, town of
about l, 1000 inhabitants. This town
is famous for its sulphur spring the
water is very strong and highly es-
teemed for bathing purposes, many
prominent people having winter
homes here. 1t has nice walks and.
drives and is quite popular resort.
We next visit ST. Augustine. This
ancient city of ruins is the most at
tractiye place to the tourist in all the
South. People come here from far
| and near to see the oldest town in
America. The old fort, the cathdral,
plaza, converts, slave market, sea
wall, barracks, military burying
round, where under three pyramidsg
lie the ashes of Maj. Dade and 107 of
his men, who were massacred by the
Indians, are all objects of interest.
The old fort San Marco is, perhaps,
the most noted of these; it was built
of coquina, concretion of she'll,
quarried on an island opposite the
| city; the work was commenced in
1920 and was completed in 1856. The
labor was principally done by con-
| scripts from Mexico and the Appa-
lachian Indians, who were forced to
work upon it for sixty years. 1t
covers one acre of ground and has
| accommodations for 1000 men and
100 guns; the moat around the fort
| is dry now but when filled with water
| was 40 feet wide and ten feet deep
over the entrance is the Spanish coat
of arms, globe and cross, and I'M
derneath the whole is the figure of
a lamb, and the Spanish inscription,
"Don Fernando Sexto Siendo De La
| Florida 1t was in this fort that
| Osceola, the old chief of the Semin-
oles, was imprisoned, and from which
he made his escape in a most miracu-
lous way. In the year 1886, it is
said, a portion of wall fell in, show
ing deep, dark dungeon, and, upon
examination, human skeleton was
found lying at full length, with out
stretched arms, upon the floor The
wrists were encircled with iron bands
with chains attached, and fastened
to the hasp in the wall. A little lat
CT United States officer was exam
ing this dungeon when his curiosity
was excited by the discovery of a
| large stone of different dimensions
and appearance from the others
around it in the wall, he had this
stone removed, and second dismal
dungeon was disclosed, and upon en-
tering with torches, two iron cages
were found suspended from hasps in
the wall, and in these cages and upon
the floor, were found piles of human
bones. One of the cages had fallen
to pieces with rust and decay; the
other with its contents can be seen at
Washington in the Smithsonian In
stitute. Some of you may be famil-
lar with the story, but it was quite
new to me, and it made me shudder
to hear the Sergeant relate this histo-
ry of Spanish barbarity.
The old cathedral on the plaza was
erected III 1893 In this old church
the masses have been chanted by
Spanish priest and hooded monk fol-
nearly three centuries. The govern
or's palace has been re-modeled into
a post office and library. The bar
racks were once the ST. Francis con-
vent in front is nice lawn anC
parade ground. There are now about
100 United States soldiers with 8
regimental band stationed at this
post. The plaza is in the center Of
, the city, upon which stands the ole
: slave market and the Spanish monu
: ment, erected in 1912, to commemor
ate the Spanish Liberal Constitution
1t is twenty feet high and bears ;
t Spanish inscription.
The sea wall, like the old fort, wa
built of coquina, by the Spaniards
: but extended and completed with
granite coping by the United States
at cost of over 500, 900. This j
: one of the main attractions of th
4 7. i al,