The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-08-25
THE ROMANCE or A RISE.
A Florida Flower That Was Fed
on Hunen Blood
Ono Of tho Mysteries OF Mature Aooount-
ed for IN o Singular Manner
by Melancholy His
tory.

In the western part OF Jefferson coun-
ty. Florida. grows and blossoms into
curious and magnificent beauty rose
that seems to be indigenous to q small
area of country, but will not flourish in
any other latitude. The bush Is strong
and vigorous and the leaves are very
lirh. hut glossy green. Tie reto's curve
sligi tiy inward and arc the color vt
bri. 1T t.it...iol bloo<.. The otlor Is pun
gent and slightly sickering, faaeinat-
ing. md yet unpleasant to marked de-
gro TIE pc"uliarity Of the rose is
that the dew that drops therefIom is of
q faint, pinkish cast, a marvel seen in
no other Eo>ver, the batting yvoDc.er OF
those who have witnessed 1t. Il is
called the Grant rose, and it hos sod
ar, raoianchcly history, which is tod
IN the Snn Francisco Call. Its origin is
one of the mysteries with which nature
at ti,cs delights 10 astonish her won
derrng devoteea
In 1884 John Grant and Nellie Lowry
were married Soon after they selected
ms their future home O farm in Jcffcr.
son county, near the Aucella river. and
in the spring Of 1885 child was born
to them Soon after that the Seminoles
went on the warpath. September 30,
1888. was un unusually warm day. and
young Grant, having business at the
county store. delayed his trip until the
cool Of the evening. when he mounted
his horsc and started OFT, expecting TO
return at about 4 q. m. He kissed his
hand tn h's wife and the Growing baby
as he rode away. Six miles from home
his ho"aa stopped with ruicls snort Of
fear and turned so violently tiat he
was almost unseated. Surprising that
it had been excited by some shadow Of
bush or brier. he urged it on. but q
cl,:np of un..ergrowth near MIN became
alive. and. after sharp. ringing sound
ent puff Of smoke, his horse, shot
through the heart. trembled and fell
under him. Before he heh time to ex-
tricate himself the red fiends, with q
warwhoop of fiendish triumph, were
upon him. His scalp was taken by a
savage and his warm body flung into
the river.
One O'Clock came and the young wife
IN the cabin put aside her sewing and
listened intently for footsteps The
night had become very dark. The
moon was hidden behind bank OF
dense clouds, and whisper Of rain was
| in the atmosphere The yellow hound
became restless and whined as he
shifted the air. Another hour passed
and she was about to go to the door
when a yell blanched her cheek. For q
moment she stood helpless and trem
/ bling, then. clasping her child, she
raised loose plank from the floor
dropped through to the ground ant
crept into the woods. Soon afterwart
she saw the glare of the burning cabin
+, Her fight was discovered and she was
overtalen about two miles from home
Two days afterward party Of hunter-
found the mother and babe and buried
them. Near by little pool Of bloot
had collected and had not been alb
sorbed by the soil In the spring the
husband and father was found en-
tangled in roots at the bottom Of tn
river.
A few years later o hunter, one of tn,
party that had found the bodies, hap
pened to be in the same locality, ant
on the spot where the blood had gath
cred he saw vigorous bush bearing
the rose that has been described. He
cut some slips from it and took then
to the settlement, WHARF he related hi
discovery. Such romantic and sing,l
lar story excited the curiosity Of man.
in the adjacent counties, and repeated
efforts were made to secure a growtl
of the slips in other places, but faile'
of success Within an area of Ave mile
from the scene Of the tragedy, it is said
the rose can be found, with its tall ant
sturdy stock, its pale green leaves, 1t
incurved crimson petals and Its blood