The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-12-10
OUR TRIP TO FLORIDA.
The "Lnnd OF Sunshine, Pros
perity, Health and Happi-
ness"

pound train OF the Louisville III
Nashville Railroad Ell route for the
Gland of Flowers" and reached
Jacksonville Saturday evening al
1880. This is a beautiful city Of
about eighteen or twenty thousand
inhabitants. 1t has been called thG
city of hotels and boarding houses
but that name could be very APP
propnately applied to every city
and town in Florida; and, even in
the country, If a family has more
than one room they will take
boarder. The number of Northern
people who take up their abode III
Jacksonville during the winter
months, is estimated at about forty
thousand. We spent Sunday in
that city, and during all our travels
since manhood do we remember OF
ever having experienced so much
difficulty in finding a church as We
Ii a1a ii iSa tss city Ct S Sc %s sESSf'eo-hfe !-
haps, it would not have been SO
difficult to find q bar-rOOm.
From Jacksonville we went to
st. Augustine. This is the
oldest city in America. 1t was
founded by Don Pedro Menandez
de Aviles, August 90, 1865. The
city is celebrated for it's antiquity,
romantic history, the peculiarly
of its buildings and narrow streets.
For the sake of shade the streets
were laid out very narrow, varying
in width from seven to eighteen or
twenty feet, and were not originally
intended for the use OF carriages,
and when the town belonged to
| Spain many of the streets were
aoored with artificial stone, COM
nosed of shells and mortar, aud no
other vehicle than the wheelbarrow
was allowed to pass over them.
The old habitatiOns of the city
present a very quaint and singular
appearance. They are mostly con-
structed of coquina, covered with
stucco and are two stories high, close
upon the line of the streets, with
balconies projecting from the Sec
ond story. These approach so near
to the balconies opposite that per-
sons can shake hands across the
street. The flower gardens form
some OF the attractions OF this
ancient city, and the evening breeze
is redolent with the perfume OF a
thousand different kind of flowers,
and nothing Can be more lovely
than some of the rose gardens.
Fronting the bay, IN the central
part of the city, is a lovely plaza,
shaded by tho Pride of India, live
oak and other noble trees. "A Con-
federate monument, erected by the
Ladies' Memorial Society, in memo
nv of the St. Augustine soldiers
who fell in the late war between
the States, stands OIL the western
side of the plaza, and in addition
to the names of the soldiers, bears
the following Inscriptions: "OuI
Dead erected by the Ladies Me
mortal Association OF st. Angus
tine, Florida, A. D.. 1872. In Me
moriam. Our Loved Ones wht
gave their lives in the service o
the Confederate States" ThesI
inscriptions arc on the east ant
west sides OF the monument. VI
the south side are these lines
"They died far from home tina
, gave them birth " and on the sid
, facing north : "They have crosse
the river and rest under the shad
of the trees" The old CatholI
Cathedral is truly an unique an
antiquated building, erected !
1898. and attracts the attention {
every visitor. A silver lamp, kcT
: continually burning, hangs nea
the altar of the church. The beltr
is of the Moorish style and contain
q a chime of four bells.
,. There are many more things col
uected with this ancient city thi
would not fail to interest the read
and the tourist, hut time and spa'
d forbids us trespassiug longer on
IS 10 make bliet mention OF two
Ia three other features of interest, Il
q first of which is the Ponce de Lee
Holel, and which is attracting mo
n attention in st. Augustine at pre-
p. ent than anything else. 1t cove
# FIVE acres of ground, including I
\ flower garden, which is less than
p ouarterof an acre, aud it will be co
Melted in January, 1888. 1t W
commenced two years ago, and t
rs cost OF this immense structure "
of he about three millions of dOlla