The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-27

unusually large variety, and put on his
best half-soled smile. And such smile! lt
would have driven a brindle COW out OF a
corn field and melted the heart
Of a secondhand watermelon. Still
the young woman was distant, and
reticeDt. She never even looked at him.
But he was not discouraged, he adjusted his
tie. gave jaunty twitch to his silk hat,
sent half dozen wrinkles to the back Of his
head and still pursued her. At the corner
of Ocean street she somewhat relented and
glanced at him shyly from beneath her long
black lashes. He whispered a few words in
her shell-ike ear; she smiled, and they
walked off together, while mirth ruled up
roariously on both sides Of the street. The
walking with one of the most notorious
cyprians that ever came to Jacksonville.
And yet he looked like a man who had
Travelled and seen much Of lfe but there Is
no fool like an old fool, is therel This par
ticular fine and aromatic specimen is
stopping at - hotel on - street.
Last Sunday the corpse Of John Holmes
was taken TO Jacksonville and buried in the
family burying ground at st. Nicholas, on
the south shore of the st. Johns river. two
miles from the city. A correspondent Of the
Fernandina NeLOs furnishes the following
interesting account Of the deceased gentle
man: Last Friday John Holmes of Holmes
Island, Duval county, died at the residence
Of ID. B. Houston, near Harris road. In early
life Mr.. Holmes was q commission mer-
chant in New York city. About the year
1855 he came to Florida and purchased
saw-mill from Joseph Finegan, together
with what was then known as "Braddock's"
island, situated on the south side of the Mas
sau river, near where the Fernandina and
Jacksonville railroad now crosses it
and went into the numbering bus
mess. He Immediately began the
erection Of new saw-mill, which
when completed in 1861, is said to have been
the largest and best equipped mill in the
state. During the war most OF the ma
chinery of this mill was carried away by
federal gunboats and was never replaced.
After the war he resumed the numbering
business with the old mill and continued
until 1870, when the mill was burned. The
same year he entered into copartnership
with E. A. Gardner. a nephew, aud they
began to build another bill, but unfortu-
nately, in that same year. Mr.: Gardner was
drowned, together with Pointsetr
Holmes, a cousin, while crossing the st.
Johns river at Jacksonville in boat, and
the enterprise was abandoned. Mr..
Holmes then went north, where he
remained until 1875, when he re-
turned to his home, on what is known as
Holmes Island, where he has since lived
hLOue WITHOUT business OF society, ana Tor
many years the only human occupant of
the issued. On Friday, Feb IL, couple of
fisherman landed on his place to procure
drinking water, and on going to the house
saw a notice on the door asking for help.
They entered the house, and after calling
and searching for some time, finally found
him upstairs lying on the floor helpless, cold
and almost insensible, having been in that
condition for six days without food or
assistance. All they could understand
from him was that he wanted to get
to the railroad, and something about
Tysonia. The fishermen being strangers,
only knew of Mr.. Houston, who lives on the
opposite side of the river. They asked him
If be was willing to be taken there, to which
he assented. When they arrived at Mr.
Houston's the old nan was nearly frozen
and unable to talk, but under the welcome
and kind treatment of Mr.. Houston and
family, who administered every comfort
at their command, he was soon able to talk
His friends were at once notified OF bis con-
| dition. Though conscious and rational, he
| continued to sink until Feb. 10 when,
he passed away in the SD year of his age.'