The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-31
FLORIDA The
SANITARIUM
PEN PICTURES OF ST. AUGUST
1NE AND EASTERN COAST.
The Unsurpassed Railroad Service,
Palatial Hotels and other Features
" Comfort Provided for the Tour
ist-Scenes About Americas Oldest
City-A Visit to the Spanish Fort.


country for the winter season. |
The tide of travel Gibbs and flows from
North to South in winter and South |
10 North in summer-the coast dwell |
lers seeking the mountains ana the
mountain residents coming down TO the
shore, all in search of rest ana change
recreation and comfort. Demand is
met by supply and to accommodate
the desires of these hosts of travellers,
the ingenuity and wealth of indi-
viduals and corporations are taxed TO
furnish transportation and luxurious
and modern conditions of life and en-
tertainment.
Hence the late Henry Il. Plant and
Henry NJ. FlaEer, far-seeing business
men, spent money without stint in
facilitating travel in the South and
providing for the constantly in"reas-
ing wants of the people living in cold
climate during the winter season.
The developoment of the Florida
east coast has been rapid, only within
the last decade. advancing from point
20 point down the Atlantic side, or
the beautiful east coast, with the
chain of pdlatial hotels and the rail-
road until finally Miami on Biscayne
bay was reached. Mr.. F'lagler, still
unsatisfcd has. with hotel interests,
jumped l6j miles across the Southern
waters 70 Nassau, on the island OF
New Providence, of the Bahama group
and along with it Went the Miami and
Nassau Steamship line, with himself
as president and there built the latest
addition to this system of magnificent
hotels, the tenth in number Uhe Col
onial) which was opened in 1900. with
all the Conveniences known and ac-
Commodations for 1000 guests.
Only those who visited Florida fif-
teen or twenty years ago. can appre-
ciate how much this "winter paradise" 4"
owes to the above named gentlemen
for the wonderful transformation they
have brought with their enterprise
daring and money. on, and before
our first visit, st. Augustine was only
reached from TorcOi on the st. Johns
river, over rails of wood and in in
ferior train-Cars, draws by a pair OF
patient mules. Now, ponderous bridges
span the great river at Jacksonville.
Tocoi, and Palatka. and long trains of
modern palace ears arrive at the in
teresting old Spanish town, over rails
Of glittering steel, many times a day,
even extending To Miami, 366 miles
down the peninsulas east coast, the
extreme southern point of railroad ex-
tension in the United States.
The east coast was practically un-
known, but now il is burdered with
immense groves Of oranges and pine
apple orchards and provided with the
most luxurious hotels. while royal
trains, of royal palaces on wheels, run
from New York to Jacksonville in g
hours and to Miami in As hours, al
fn1d A., he toll,
enjoyment of the tourist. While ar
all nights sail over the Gulf stream
10 Nassau Ghe only changeD lands
you in time for breakfast the next day
l repeat for all these blessings every
citizen of Florida and every tourist
in search of health. comfort ana plea,
sure. owe most earnest thanks to the
two above named railroad kings
Flagler and Plant.
ST. AUGUSTINE
Through the courtesy of Traffic Pas
senGer Manager J. II. Beckwith of tn,
"FlaGler system" We are enabled {,
traverse the entire Fast Coast Rail
way and its branches with "stop overs
at will, and OF this gigantic cnterpris
will give our readers our daily expert
cnCe, which to us was an educatio,
and delight Resuming our juurne,
sOuthward from Jacksonville We pas
through pine lands with here and ther
the cabbage palmetto, with its tower
ing beauty. or the dense growth q
the Florida HammOCks and in 2
miles We run into a spacious unio
depot at st. Augustine. Americas old
est town and popular winter resor
As the train omerges from the pine
and palmettOs which line the rout,
our first glimpse is of the towers {
the preat hOtels--the Ponce De LeOr
.NCaZar ana tOrdOva, in tho diStanc,
significant of welcome and hOSpitalit,
The up-to-date railway station oper
into an elegant park Of tropical an
semi-tropical trees, with asphalt drive
ways. Around the depot are fine cal
Tiages and omnibuSes To take on
around the town ana points of intere'
for one dollar each. This interestin
land educational ride should be take
Iwithout fail The distances are n,
Great and the main features of II
"old town" and new, lie within Il
'simit of a mile Soon, hoWeVc
scenes of novelty ana interest appc.
that are foreign. old ST. Augustine
first in historical interest of all Il
bears a distinctivcly foreign STAN
and its Spanish origin is evident
every turn. Bes sidcs bearing the di
tinction of being the Oldest town
America it is also one of the most i
teresJins in the country to visit
1t VAS here. that in 1872 or 1873, ov
800 years ago the Spanish under Pom
de Lcou landed and pronounced l. |
Land Of Flowers, then in its primitiv
ness, \ half century afterwards a
more than a half century before I
landing of the pilgrims at Plymou
Rock, the Spanish under Mencndez
1865 landed and founded the setlleme
Of st. Augustine. The present natiy
are of Spanish descent and the dt
cendauts of people brought here frc
the islands of the Mediterranean.
ST. Augustine is called the Mott
City Of America" and while the ,
has been suppanted by the new,
the town preserves distinctive cha
acter all its own.
1t is situated on a peninsula I
miles from the sea. formed by the
Sebastion and Matanzas rivers,
former runs along its western bord
making the city a peninsula, aim
completely surrounded by water. I
principal streets run north and sou
the cross streets at right angles e
and west. Those of the old section
extremely narrow, only twelve to
teen feet wide. while the intersect
streets are narrower still Treasl
street IS only seven feet wide acr