The morning call., 1892-06-26
THE STORY OF A ROSE.
DGFiT0pS From Its Petals Fave a Color
Of Blood.
A Floral Marvel Found Only in Certain
Part of Florida-Romantic Legend Of
Its Origin.

Ia the western part Of Jefferson County,
Fla, grows a1d blossoms into curious and
magnificent beauty rose that seems TO be
indigenous to a small area of country, but
will not flourish in any other latitude. The
bush is strong and vigorous, and the leaves
are very light, but glossy green. The
petals curve slightly inward. and are the
color of bright arteria blood. The odOr is
pungent ard slightly sickening, fascinating,
and vet unpleasant Ia a marked degree.
The popularity of the rose is that the dew
that drops therefTom is of faint, pinkisb
cast. marvel seen in no other flower, the
battling wonder Of those who have wit
messed It, 1t is called the Grant rose, and it
has sad and melancholy history Its orr
gin is one of the mysteries with which ma
ture at times delights to astonish her won
dering devOtees.
In 1884 John Grant and Nellie Lowry
were married. Soon after they selected as
their future home a farm in Jefferson
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 20, 1885, was an un-
usually warm day, and young Grant, having
business at the county store, delayed his
trip until the cool of the evening when
he mounted his horse and started of,
expecting to return at about A. NJ He
kissed his hand to his wife and the
growing baby as he rode away. six miles
from home his horse stopped with quick
snort OF fear, and turned so violently that
he was almost unseated. SuppOsng that 1t
had been excited by some shadow of bush
or brar. he urged it on, but clump Of
underground near the river became alive,
and, after a sharp, ringing sound aud faint
puff OF smoke, his horse, shot through the
heart, trembled and fell under him. Be
I. 10 20 axyfrf 70 ffng I'm
red devils with a war whoop Of tendish
triumph were upon him. His scalp was
taken bY savage, and his warm body was
flung into the river.
One o'clock came and the young wife In
the cabin put aside her sewing, aud listened
intently for the footsteTs. The night had
become very dark. The moon was hidden
behind a bank Of dense clouds, and a
| whisper of rain was in the atmosphere.
| The yellow hound became restless, and
whlned as be shifted the air. Another hour
passed, and the wife was about to go to
the door, when a yell blanched her cbeeE.
For a moment she stood helpless and
trembling. then. clasping her child, she
| raised a loose plank from the floor, dropped
! through to the ground and crept into the
woods. Soon aiterward she saw the glare
! Of tie burning cabin. Her flight was dis
| covered ana she was overtaken ab0utstwo
| miles from home.
Two DAYS afterward a party of hunters
/ found the bodies Of mother and babe and
! buried them Near by little pool of blood
! had collected and had not been absorbed by
the soil. In the spring the body of the hus-
| band and father was found entangled In
roots at the bottom of the river.
A few years later a hunter, one of the
| party that had found the bodies, happened
| TO be in the same locality, ana on the spot
where the blood had gathered he saw a
vigorous bush, bearing the rose that had
been described. He cut some slips from il
and took them to the settlement. where he
| related his discovery. Such romantic and
singular story excited the curiosity Of many
in the adjacent counties, and repeated
efforts were made to secure a growth of the
slips in other places, but all failed of sue.
| cess. Within an area of five miles from the
scene OF the tragedy. it is said. tile rose car
be found. with its tall and sturdy stock, its
| pale green leaves. its ineurved crimson
| petals, and its bloody dew,