The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-27

up one of the brothers arose and re- |
marked that every one should give lib-
orally as they needed money to repair
the church for If it was not repaired
they would not be able to have the
pleasure of holding funerals there mo |
more" and there was to be a funeral
on Tuesday. He further remarked that
their regular pastor was not with them
today so they could use this collection
as when the regular pastor was present
he took all the collection 'hisself." The
statement of a funeral fol-, Tuesday pro-
voked quite a discussion as another
brother got up and said that it was not
going to be held until Wednesday.
When we left we We're still in doubt
whether the solemn service was to be
held en- Tuesday or Wednesday.
FT. GEORGE ISLAND
The other day our friends decided to
| take us for an excursion down to the
mouth of the st. Johns river to what is
called Ft George Island. This island
is of considerable interest though WIS.,
! tied by very few tourists on account
| Of the difficulty Of access. There Is no
| railroad or regular steamboat line 50
that we had to charter boat and with
| a party of twenty-five on board we
started early in the morning for pic
mic at the island. The island Is about
twenty-five miles from Jacksonville.
The steamer that had been chartered
was, we decided, the slowest boat
ahoat Our hostess had sent word
the day before-to have all the avail
able carriages on the island engaged to
drive, our party about
When we arrived at the Gas usual in
I Florida) tumbled down pier We saw
on the beach at the other end of the
| pier two conveyances Before each was
attached by means of ropes straps and
| wire very diminutive horse. Their
| coats resembled that of an ungroomed
COW. The conveyances We're of the
| style of our lightest and smallest gro
Gerry delivery wagons. The seats had
| been pushed to the rear and a board
| placed across in front SO as to make two
| seats. Into these two wagons We care
full" packed fourteen adults and four
| children together with the lunch bas-
kets and the owners of the turnouts.
Tie appearance of this cavalcade re-
minded us of a picture We have seen
of the old woman who lived in a shoe.
Fortunately for us there is no society
for the prevention of cruelty to animals
| cll Jilc lSluIu VI else We NOulu not LOOK
back upon that day as one of unmixed
pleasure.
OBSERVATION HILL.
Our destination on the island was
called Conservation HILL" which is
about two hundred feet high and the
most elevated land on the Atlantic
sea coast south of the Neversink high
lands in New Jersey. Except for this
hill, however. the island is fiat and
there are good smooth shell roads so
that the little ponies We're able to keep
the immense loads behind them in mo-
tion. There is a ram shackle observa-
tory on the crest of the hill, from the
top of which we We're able to gain
very extensive view of the surround
ings of the mouth of the ST. Johns
river Lust outside thesbar We saw the
United States steamship Vesuvius
which Is keeping an eye on filibusters
which wish TO start from Jacksonville
for Cuba. While we watched her she
came swiftly in through the narrow
channel and headed up the river for
Jacksonville, where q day or two later
we had an opportunity OF going all
over her and inspecting her dynamite
guns.
Ft. George Island is about ten to
fifteen miles in circumference and in
the olden times belonged to a Mr..
kingsly. 1t was a great slave market
where the ships came direct from Af-
rica with their black cargoes. Mr..
kingsly married an African princess
and had two daughters. These oaugh-
ters were sent to France and there edit
, Gated. One of the daughters married a
Mr. Samis, who through the assistance
of his father-i law. became very
wealthy and owned a large part of the
, land opposite Jacksonville besides con-
siderable land in Jacksonville City
His wife, uhe daughter of Kingsly and
: the African prncess) died two years
I ago and at that time long account OF
her romantic life was published in the
New York Sun The widow of one OF
her sons is now living, with her little
I. child, in West Pittston.
!, AN ISLAND HOME.
\ After luncheon we impressed the car
Z riages into our service again and start.
Y ed fora drive to the old homestead. This
4 proved 10 be the most pretentiCIs place
d, of the kind that we have seen in the
t south. One entrance to the private
} grounds is through an avenue of palms
= On each side of this avenue for nearly
Z a mile are the most beautiful palms, sci
e out about twenty five feet apart. An
other avenue which leads up to tbs
/ house is made up of cedar and live oal
n trees alternating. This gives very
a pretty effect. The house and out-build
h ings are still standing and in a very
= fair state of preservation as they ar,
d built of cochena, a shell rock, the same
s as was used so much in the building o
= old ST. Augustine.
). We are told that Mr.. Kingsly useC
e to own and employ from four to si1
|, hundred slaves all the time. The ole
y slave quarters are small but look com
= Portable as slave quarters. Some year
e ago there was large hotel built on tn
= island but two years ago il was burned
: Observatory HILL we were informed
n had been purchased by the Unite,
5. States government and during the com
4 ing year "a light house of the first clas
is TO be erected where now the decayinl
n observatory stands. To US Fort Georg