The Forrest City times., 1896-02-14
,aod OF Sunshine and Flowers.

TIE LN'
ou;rg Ia unavoidable delays the
l,ad eli opinion mouidersn
ttan,ca -. Augustine Tuesday at 2
-. and before their appetites were
"oa,ss-d the eyeEing was too fur spent
MalI a session of the Association, so
". RIM, Was put IN IN sightseeing. GU.
,nrrbasing. etc, aud reception and
,.,adr concerts at the Ponce de
Leon hotel .,
Augustine was founded by Pedro
vanandry in 1865, and Is the oldest city
:, the American continent.
WI n disembarking FROM the train one
ND ierl disappointed in his search
Wv. well preserved old Spanish rum,
W r;np residences and churches greet the
80 Tn the well-paved streets lined
ril.l olpanders, larcles, aud cedars, II
c,ruer is turned and u group of arch-
,eetursl beauty confronts the traveller
IN. Cordova, AlcaZar and Ponce de
Loon hotels. Space forbids more than
passing glance at the Ponce" as it
!, TEL med by the natives.
Through an arched gateway the
traveller enters An enclosed court.
,ra,rapt and beautiful with flowers.
On stone walks he winds his way
sropud central fountain and basin
n ascending successive terraces of broad
.ioue steps he stands at the doorway
Il y paIace. Overhead is All arch with
,aaBsh shields ia terra Gotta. the let
,,rs on each together forming the
namp Of the hotel and of the odd Span
i.b cavalier for whom 1t was c3lrislen-
al Opening on the court from either
s,ie are broad galleries and wide win
4 ddWs.
4 On every side are mediaevai en-
I brus and suggestions OF sunny Spain
Il takes but little imagination to peo-
pp the balconies above with dark eyed
srioritas and the verandas below with
,puripd aud booted cavaliers. fiery of
ave and naughty of mien. Crossing
the marble threshold the traveller steps
upon 4 tesselated floor. inlaid with
sare Mosaic patterns done by skilled
Italian artisans. Classic designs, noble
statuary and exquisite paintings sug-
srst an art gallery rather than "A nod
rrn hotel with all its luxuries and cor
vpnienceS Five salons open from the
corridor. Tables and mantels of onyx.
vases of pOrphyry, majoica bowls of
lowers. lit for the boud0ir of prin-
cess. are on every side. Overhead in
the finely fresco-d ceiling is told the
story OF the Old cavalier, the tabled
fountain of yoHth, the Spanish caraves
Until the very air breathes of vine
clad CASTLE and royal Aragon. On an
inner terrace a quaint rhyme gives
4welcome to An iDu." The dining
room is dream. The bedsteads are
ivory. brass OF satinwood. The build
Ing 10 almost time proof and entirely
tire.prn0f."
Leaving these evidences Of moders
civilization, 1t So but steo to ancient
4 III. Augustine. In the center of the
i city is the plaza. with the old slave
i market, Spanish monument to the con
stitnliOn. the residence of the Spanish
governor. all IN good preservation. and
III the plaza stands monument nj
the Confederate dead of that iowa.
4 Down st. George street one passes.
lodging right and left to avoid
tassers-by in the narrow thoroughfare
aud It's quaint LITTLE houses, with over
hanging balconies, carries one back to
lie faraway ages. AT the head of the
street, tie ancient city gate still stands.
with remnant OF the city walls. To
lhe tight looms up Fort San Marco,
suit by the Spanish 1871 years ago. 1t
sOMlt OF coquina. and overloOks the
way. 1t bears over the entrance the
spanish coat-of-arms and a Spanish
legend. 1t has commanding watch
towers, from whose dizzy heights NAV
" seen vessels far out on the Atlantic.
nor lsit lacking in gloomy. sunless
surgeons, with their traditions of
skeleton remains and other debris of
omod'eur0llng suggestiveness.
lie beautiful wives and daughters
~ ot. Augustine entertained in most
noSpitabIe manner the delegates on the
green inside the Portland MS one slipped
nr innocent beverage dispensed by
ia't hands, amid such antiquities, it
heeaea out slight exercise of imagi-
asioh to taste in it the vintage of old
t spalIl as 1t sparkled nearly four cen.
curing the three days session Of the
nsaociation, many caurtesies were ex.
sla Gu. prominent among them. were
y,e hihe ball, dinner at Ponce de-
h ~ OYSTER roast on AnaStaSia
asaid, boa, rides. etc.
alter adjournment journey south
t, %u "oiig the East Coast railway was