Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-28
AMERICAS OLDEST ClTYs
ST. AUGUSTINE INDUCES IN Al
BIG CELEBRATION.

S'aCe senator Genestar Personates Ponce
ae Leon-The Story of the DSv Told by
ioqueht Speakers-ren Thonsand
~ I''' Witness the Ceremonies.
ne City Gay with Bunting.
ST AUGUSTINE, FLA, March a7
Ahere We're grand ceremonies here TODAY
to celebrate the anniversary of the lana
ing of Ponce de Leon in 1910 ana ~
founding Of the city by Menendez II 1seS
The weather was delightful. this hainc
the first genuine sprAS day. There are
many visitors here from all parts of No
country and every hotel is hu. The en-
tire city is decorated with Spanish colors.
The old fort of san Marco was esf<ciallv
noticeable for its decorations ana lre-
sented brilliant appearance.
PORTRAYING THE LANDING.
The ceremonies consisted in a representa-
tion of the landing OF Ponce de Leon. State
Senator Genestar represented the Spanish
discOE ercr, and looked very muck like Span
lisa "A lanaee. lie was escorted by f0rty-six
attendants in Spanish costumes with battle
axes ana glltterlng helmets. The company,
after landing, marched to the inner quad
rangle OF the fort, where high mass was cele-
brated by Fathers Lynch and Mooney. After
this service, addresses were made bv Gen.
Gibson, COmmandant of the fort, and Hon.
q. r. Fairbanks, historian of Florida.
THE PROCESSION.
After the speeches a procession, consisting
Of troops from the garrison, military from
various parts of the State, civic societies, in
vited guests and citizens paraded the princl-
pal streets The pageant was witnessed BY
10000 persons and gay flags were carried in
the procession. Brilliant sunshine and the
bright vegetation of a Southern spring COM
bined to produce spectacle memorable to all
place at the Rink tonight, and there was q
grand ball at the st. Augustine Hotel. To-
morrow there VIII be yacht and boat races
and tomorrow night great aquatic spec
taculaf display in the harb0r.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CELEBRATION.
The interesting historic events celebrated
to-day and to De celebrated tomorrow seem
to link our own day directly with Columbus
himself, for Juan Ponce de Leon mad accom-
panied the great GenOese navigator on his
second voyage across the Atlantic, in 1893.
and had passed the next twenty years in the
West Indies, acquiring the GOvern0rship OF
the eastern district OF Hispaniola and Of
Porto Rico. The tough old soldier be-
came possessed in his declining years
with the mania for going in search OF
that fountain OF perpetual youth whose ex-
istenee somewhere in the New World was
firmly credited by most OF his countrymen.
On this quest he set ont from Porto Rico early
in Marcn, 1913, with three ships, and, on
March y, according TO our present reckoning
of the ca endar, it being Easter Sunday,
PaScuG FlOrida, he saw the land to which,
beautiful with It's wealth of flowers, the name
of Florida was given.
Ponce dc Leon skirted the whole Atlantic
coast OF the penin-ula, from the st. Johns to
the Tortugas, and doubled Cape Sable. He
found, however. no waters that cOuid renew
that lest ardor of youth which he had known
during his campaigns in Granada, and hostile
savages bailled his efforts to reach the inte-
rior. Eight years later, when he again
visited Florida, his ships were driven OFF by
the Indians, and Ponce himself was mortally
wounded.
FLORIDA IN YE oLDEN TIME.
Daring the half century which succeeded,
the name Florida was used by the Spanlards
to designate an indefinite region, extending
perhaps to Canada on the north and Mexico
on the west, to all of which they laid claim.
1t was to conquer Florida and to search for
Florida gold that Narvaez explored the
northern shore of the Gulf OF Mexico per-
haps as far as Galveston, and that De Soto
made his way inland to, the Mississippi VAL
ley. SO slow, nevertheless. was Spain TO
establish a permanent colony in the Florida
peninsula that another nation threatened TO
anticipate her there. Cohgny, in 1862, sent
cut an expedition of French Huguenots, un-
der Ribault, who after visiting the st. Johns,
established themselves for a time in the south
ern corner Of what is ow South Caro- ina;
and, on the failure OF that colony, ne renewed
the attempt two years later with another,
commanded by LaudOnniere. This, also, was
in Danger of perishing in its settlement on
the st. Johns river, but was succofed by Ri
bault, who arrived from France with supplies.
THE MISSION OF DE AvILRs.
Spain resented the invasion of her domains,
and Pedro Melendez de Avlles, brave, Wig
OrOus and not over scrupulOus naval officer.
agreed at his own cost, under promises OF
rich rewards for success, to expel the Hugue-
nOts, and TO establish Spanish colony in
their stead. Setting out for the Florida coast
on the I'd of september, 1865, he discovered
harbOr and river, both of which he
called St. Augustine, and on the Sth laid
the foundation of town, to which he gave
the same name. Meanwhile RIbault, having
been notified by MelendeZ that he had come
to eXterminate the HuguenOt colony, had
boldly set sail to begin the attack, when fu-
riOus storm wrecked all his vessels. Informed
of this disaster, MelendeZ marched his troops
by land against the st. Johns settlement,
of lis defenders. The shlpwrecked men
from the feet being next discovered
along the shore, second slaughter followed.
Thus perlshed the French colony. The French
monarch did not aYenge it, but Gascon sol
der, GOurgues, undertook the task, with his
own means, captured the forts on the st.
Johns, and hanged his prisoners. France
pretensions to ) rlda, which remained in the
hands OF Spain.
ROMANCE AND FERoCITY.
It is story. then, Of mingled romance,
chivalry, bigOtry and ferocity which ST.
Augustine is recalling by its commemorative
ceremonies. The Illusion that prompted the
voyage of Ponce de Leon was quickly sue
cceded By the eager search for gold, and the
cruelty with which both the French and
the Spanish settlers treated the natives Of
Florida was surpassed by the hideous fury
displayed by the rivals in their slaughter
of each other. But if the history Of the
founding of st. Augustine has a gloomy
a-pect, it is yet thoroughly typical of the
early conquest OF America. 1t Is the history,
too. of the very oldest of the cities Of the
United states. Not long ago Santa Fe, with
the celebration of its three hundredth ami
versary, seemed to date far beyond Plymouth
and jamestown. St. Augustine, however,
carries us back nearly twenty years further,
and the day chosen for its anniversary to
only a score of years after the discovery of the
New World by Columbus.
Acquitted of Murder.