The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-15

lflteNdeu 10 tOuiiitlitc III u Shoft tiule
the construction of beach hotel for the
use of summer visitors.
In reaching the beach, the track
pierces through east of the ridges above
named, the heaviest cut through, or
rather under Ponce de Leon avenue, is
about thirty feet deep, walled up on
either SIDE with natural blocks of CO.
quina stone.
At short distance down the beach
| are the ruins OF the old Spanish hgh--
house, originally built upon a solid ledge
of coquina rock. but upon which the sea
finally So encroached that it had to be
abandoned and the present lighthouse
stands in shore ON the summit of the
backbone ridge, and was built IN 1871,
at cost of over $200, 600.
Immediately abreast of the present
terminus of the track are the harbor
bar, the extreme southern point of North
Beach and the open sea.
The equipment of the road is first class
in every respect. The engine is COM
pact little affair of the pattern known as
Il
pressly for the company, as was also the
coach, which is baggage and passenger
| coach combined, and was constructed by
the celebrated jackson & Sharp Com
pany, of Wilmington. The wharves
| are of the best construction, and the lit
| tie boat, Myth, which runs as ferry to
| connect the road with the city, is a
dainty and safe little craft, with ample
and comfortable passenger accommoda-
| tions.
Clustered about the present terminus
of the road, in Anastasia City, are al
ready a number of picturesque dwell
ings, viz: The cottages of Mr.. VIM.
Kennish, the superintendent of concrete
| construction on the Ponce de Leon hotel,
Mr.. Bean, the vice-president of the COM
pany, Mr.. r. NJ. Clapp, Mr.. Capo, and
MIR. Davidson, the secretary of the COM
pany. Mr.. Kennish has the most
pretentious building, so far, and it is his
permanent home: Mr.. Beams cottage is
only used by him for summer lodge;
MIR. Capo is AN old and permanent resi-
dent, and proprietor of a small but well
equipped tramway from the deep water
of Capo's creek ON the Matanzas side to-
the lighthouse-the only means of pas
senger transportation across the island
until the building of the present railway.
The dwelling of the lighthouse keeper is
further south, under the shadow of that
grand and beautiful structure.
81, a
able business i'll transporting freights
from the wharf to the lighthouse; a
large quantity of brick, cement, etc, for
the construction of some additions to the
keepers house, being its first freight the
same being landed at it's wharf by the
United States lighthouse tender schooner
Pharos.
Near the residence of Mr.. Dawson, the
secretary (who emigrated to Florida
from England only two or three years
ago and soon after erected this hand
some and convenient cottage ON Ponce
de Leon avenue, where he has since re-
sided), is the Aspinwall Pavilion, erected
on the highest summit of the ridge by
Mr.. Aspinwall, and used as summer
pleasure house during his residence here.
His nape for this magnificent tract was
"Buena VISTA" and truly no finer view
of the sea, the beaches, the breakers ON
the bar, the Matanizas and the beautiful
city itself, with its hundreds of architec-
tural attractions, can be obtained any
where-not even from the turrets of the
Casa Monica non the towers of Ponce de
Leon itself.
Remains of old Span ish, Seventeenth
century settlements, mnumerable an
cient coquina quarries, from which came
the material of which the old fort, old
lighthouse and most of the old city were
constructed, odd forests of miniature
wind stunted trees, thickets of magnolias
and the marvelously illimitabIe deposits
of minute shells which form the founda-
ton substance of the coquina rock-are
only few of the innumerable objects
and places of interest to be visited-nay,
to be yet discorered- the enterprising
tourist in search of novelty. And when
the road is extended to the great beach,
sixteen miles long, smooth and hard as
looi, Win a.
perceptible inclination far out under the
pheasant waters, ripping on the
sand, and perfectly safe for bathing for
ladies and children (having no undertow)
the sum of the attractions of the st. Au-
gustine and South Beach Railway will
be complete.
Meantime, to the permanent jewellers
in the Ancient City, to the thousands of
winter visitors, to the hundreds of sum-
mer visitors from the interior of the
State and the South (who will now flock
| to st. Augustine as a summer resort
unsurpassed in the South, this road
| offers many more attractions than can
| be here enumerated or even limited at,
| another conviction after witnessing
| them is inevitable that those who,
against almost overwhelming odds and
| obstacles, have brought their enterprise
to point where a quick and ample re-
| turn ON their investment of time and
labor and money and anxiety may lie
certainly expected.
Special Meeting Of City Council.
/ .,aIIa.1 ,.,aa*fner Of no fsffv Council