Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-07
A DAY SPENT IN AMERICAS MOST
ANCIENT CITY.
THE SIGHTS OF OLD ST. AUGUSTINE.
The Dispatch Correspondent De-
scribes Some of the Objects That
Into the History of the World.
Correspondence of the Dlspatch)


have given birth to modern civilization,
led three travellers from the martial
music OF a military camp to the land of
Ponce de Leon. History has given a
graphic account Of ancient st. Augustine,
with its gloomy castles, embattled towers.
and dark dungeons. And yet there is q
strange pleasure-a weird sweetness-in
visiting those places OF which we have
studied; Of contrasting the modern with
the ancient, and witnessing the triumph
of mans progress over the stubborn re-
sistance of nature.
We reached ST. Augustine in the early
morning-an ideal summer day. The
Florida sun had lost It's heat, and the
cool breeze from the ocean was particu-
larly refreshing. Hailing n carriage, we
drove around the city, taking in every
point of interest.
Our first impression was that the city
was entirely owned by one man. our
guide who seemed to thoroughly familiar
with his duties, told us that each build
ing painted yellow was owned by Mr..
Flagler, the Standard oil magnate, and
behold! nearly everything in sight was
clothed in this Oriental hue. The mansions
of himself, his secretary, his lawyer, his
physician, his minister, and his steward;
churches, stores. stables, and business
houses were all the property of the man
who has literally made modern st. Au-
gustine.
THE ANCIENT GATES.
We drove through the gates that mark
ed the entrance to the ancient city. Tall
gates of chocina, hard as flint, with large
cupalos on each side, each containing
four windows, from which the sturdy
American watched with eagle eye the APP
proach Of the native red man. Upon en-
terng these gates one is struck with the
contrast between the ancient and the
modern-between these ancient gates and
the hard macadamized streets of the
modern city. These streets. however, pre-
serve one characteristic of the ancient
city. They are as narrow as the streets
of the average Spanish town, making
street-car facilities impossible, and rem
dering IL impracticable for two good-sized
vehicles to pass each other with ease.
One of the most imposing sights that
holds the eye of the visitor Is the Ponce
de Leon Hotel. Surrounded by perpetual
ring of flowers, whose fragrance and
beauty holds in magic spell the entranced
admirer its beautiful grounds, with peo-
pied walks and grassy lawns, add to its
picturesque beauty, and its handsome
architecture harmonizes with its natural
charms.
Rising above the Ponce de Leon, as
silent sentinel for righteousness, stands
| the marble mansion, Mr.. F1agler's mar
BILE church. The Presbyterian denomina-
| ton has indeed a lovely home in which
| 10 worship the God of beauty and love.
| The residence of st. Augustines bene-
| factor, clothed in purest white, bears
amid the splendor the simple guise or
| home. Not all the grandeur Of the Ponce
| de Leon; not all the wealth of his many
| mansions nor all the splendor or his
gorgeous palaces, could claim more taste
| than this residence, clothed in its simple
| beauty, and bearing the merited title or
| home.
OLD FORT SAN MARCO.
Not pausing longer amid these scenes
we next visited by far the most interest,"
| ing of all st. Augustine's ancient relcs'
| old Fort San Marco, standing as rlonu-
ment to ancient military prowess' 10 an
| cient architectural genius, ana ahclehl
| Spanish cruelty. What memories throhs
| the mind of the visitor as he strolls among
its ruins and debrisl What weird phan-
toms throng the chambers OF the nina
| as the ghosts of many centuries rise from
the grave of past ages and call LOT the
Fighting of wrongs and the death Oh "
| ranny and oppression. The lonely sem
| tinel of the fort is Sergeant w. G.
brown. chief ordnance sergeant, United
States army. with the breast OF his coat
| covered with medals OF honor won III
days Of peace for faithful service ana III
| the din of battle for acts or heroisn' ne
bears upon his sleeves the stripes OF eisht
| separate enlistments, representing ioity
| wears of consecutive service. lie Is one
| of the most interesting characters II was
| e,,ar INV Measure to meet. He is tho
roughly conversant with every Tragedy
enacted within the walls OF the Tort
| with every battle fought from It's pro-
tecting battlements, and every romance
| connected with its history. lie was very
| kind. taking pains to dwell upon all the
| minutae of the forts history.
| 1t is the popular impression that ST.
| Augustine was a walled city. This Is not
| strictly true. The two rivers, making
| iuncture. form a peninsula, ana tho
| roughly protect the city from the rear
| and the two TANKS The front was pro-
| tected by moat, which Is faced by the
| old fort. The city was almost impregna-
| Bile from external invasion, which was
| proved by its repulslon oL All dttaShS'
THE SLAVE MARKET.
Another interesting place Is the ola
! slave market. which brings before the
| mind customs long since abandoned.
| In the dungeons Of San Marco are LETT
| the relics of past scenes that have made
| history and formed the plots OF many
| novels. The engraved cross still remains
| that stood at the head OF the inquisltions
| victim. Holes driven deep in the INIT
ike chocina mark the spots where prison.
| ers were riyeted 10 the walls, and Wnere
| the thumb-screw did its deadly torture.
| one dungeon has recently been discovered
| MANY feet below the ground where never
| a flicker of daylight pierces its deadly
| gloom. -
| Tn one of these dungeons was foun2
| the homes of a Spanish prince and
| nrincess. who fled from the wrath OF dis
| satisfied ROYALTY and suffered the royal
| displeasure.
| In another was imprisoned Oceola, the
| famous Seminole chief. he who with Few
| hundred braves withstood for many weeks
| the 10000 palefaces, who drove him from
| his native heath.
| These and many more sights OF like
/ nature make the old fort famous and It's
| massive grandeur more impressive.
| Another interesting spot Is ST. Georges
rlace-a very narrow street. containing
| mon each side beautiful little gardens
| oiled with fig trees, magnolias, and pome-
| granates. Passing through this street one
would almost expect to see pair or
| black ewes and wealth OF Spanish hair.
| -. .hasa adornmentS have long since