The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-03-30
ST. Augustine.

A Philadelphia Ledger correspond
ent writes from Florida A short
journey through the pine woods south
ward from Jacksonville to the sea
coas. took US 10 ST. Augustine, the old
est town In this country, founded by
the Spaniards under MenendeZ in 1865.
1t is located In fat, sandy region
where a little Inlet from the sea comes
in behind a long narrow island-called
Auastasia Island-which makes a nat
ural breskwater in front OF the harbor.
It was here that that sturdy old Span
ssh buccaneer, Juan Ponce de Leon is
said to have Landed when be came over
TO discove. the fountain OF perpetual
youth'' in 1912, and named the country
Florida. IL is now q winter watering
place where the population of about
1900 is swollen to 1000 or 5000 oy
Northern tourists. The streets are
very narrow, some OF them being only
few feet wide, and having balconies
overhanging from the old houses. There
are no sidewalks, for the street were
used in foI mer times only by pedestri-
ans, and were paved with a curious
stone formed Of shells, called coquina
that was qusrried on the island and
hardened when exposed to the air.
The old houses were also built of this
stone. Two or three streets running
parallel with the shore crossed at right
angles by q few others, and wider
street in front bordered by a sea wall,
make up the town. At the northern
end is Fort Marion, and at the south
ern end, about mile distant, is the
Government barracks, formerly
| Spanish convent. When the SpauIards
| first landed they built a wooden fort,
subsequently, replaced by Fort san
Marco, the present work. whose name
w.s changed to Fort Marion. when the
| United States acquired Florida in 1921.
1t was sixty years il building, being
completed in 1856, and is of coquina,
covering about four acres, a bastioDed
work shaped like trapeZium, with
! moat and outworks and inclosing a
parade ground some one hundred feet
square, surrounded by large easements.
An old Spanish inscription tells of its
building, and in one of the easements
is an ancient chapel, while others con-
tain dungeons about which horrible
tales are 5oId. The outworks are part
| ly ruined, though a few old cannon are
st i'll mounted upon them. The fort is
not garrisoned and is gradully falling
into decay. From this fort down to
the barracks the protecting sea wall
stretches, and behind it is the town, a
mixture OF ancient buildings and mod
ern watering place hotels, with orange
groves and foliage inclosing them. A
part OF the old city wall, with the Span
| ish gateway, remnants, ana also the
! quaint little cathedral, with its bells
hung in inches In the belfry, and within
the silver lamp that is kept constantly
burning in commoration of an Indian
religious custom. The Spanish Govern
or's palace has been modernizsd into
pIosaic Post-offlce, while we gaze with
awe upon the outside OF the little square
coquina building tabled the "oldest
house, which the proprietor tried TO
get US to look into, ''price twenty-five
csnts,'' buC in vain. The barracks,
which is a reconstructed convent, are
comfortable buildings, fronted by
gardens of orange trees. In front of
the center of the town Is the plaza, with
two monuments. one concentrating
the Spanish Constitution, erected In
| 1912, and the other the Confederate
dead. The latter , an attractive shaft
contains an adaptation of Stonewall
Jackson's last words: They have
crossed over the river ard rest under the
shade OF the trees.'' The old "Slave
Market" with its surmoupting belfry,
fronts on the plaza, small and curious
structure with a wooden roof. The
most solemn relic OF sll. howeS eI, is in
=, the cemetery adjoining the barracks,
where a single shaft and three white
pyramids tell the horrid tale of Major
Dade's massacre during the Seminole
War. That gallant officer, with 107
men, were ambushed and massacred in
| 1885 by 500 Indians, ana their remains
were afterwards brought here aud in
| TERED.