Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-04-25


Habits and Instincts. Etc.
(Staff Correspondence of the Spectator)
Phoenix like the city of JacksOnvill
Y has arisen from her ashes, and is tOda
J. a more beautiful, prosperous and wea
thy community than she has ever beer
A stranger in the city would scare
observe there had been fire, so event
:, flows the tide of business, so complet
the restoration Of buildings. He woul
It's true, note the neat new appear
ance of the place and the great mum
Der of handsome business blocks, bu
this he would only put to the credit O
Florlda's hustllng metropolis. Les
than year ago the city was almos
+, destroyed by one of the most appall
ing fires in the history of this country
, q eight hours time two hundred an(
sixty-seven blocks of her business and
:, residence section Was in ashes. Wher
the storm of fire had passed, her citi
zens stood aghast, appalled, at thu
trightful destruction; homeless, many
of them penniless. Their fair city
was smeuldering ruin. with nothing
in the path of the flames
save mass of blackened ruins-noth
ing had escaped total destruction
But they were not dismayed. With
an energy and pluck that is wonderful
the citizens gathered themselves to
gether and at once began the work of
restoring the city. The thousands of
tons of debris had to be removed and
a re- survey of the burned district made
to establish property meets and bounds.
This was done in about 6 weeks. and
all was now ready for the grand rush.
Workmen from every section of the
Union had been drawn there. Carpen-
tiers, bricklayers. timers. painters, till
their numbers went up into the thou
sands. An army so to speak, that ate,
and worked, and lived out OF doors, till
they had builded roofs over their
heads. On the 18th of June the first
permit for new building was issued
and from that time until March 1st, a
new Jacksonville sprung from the
earth as if by magic In 81 weeks
1900 buildings were completed or in
course of construction. Allowing for
Sundays and legal holidays that is an
average of about ten houses day. or
one building for every working hour
during period of eight and half
monthS-a record that is truly won
derful, and without a parallel in the
History OIL GQlS country.
Jacksonville was as vast workshop,
the sound of the saw, the hammer, the
trowel, was an undy eng din that filled
the air throughout the city. And the
buildings ale We'll built; substantial.
imposing structures; for the most part
of pressed brick with stone trimmings,
and have already reached a value far
greater than that of the property des-
JrOyed.
The Windsor Hotel is a striking
illustration of this rapid construction.
It is built of pressed buff brick, fire
proof, elegantly appointed, and in
every way superior to the old Wind
sor-at one time there were 500 work
men engaged upon it. 1t was opened
to guests this season. Though relaxed
in ; or supreme effort Jacksonville is
yet erecting residences by the huE.
dre6, many of them in her new and
undevelOped suburbs. When 1 was in
Florida some years ago, there was
practically no city beyond the rail
road, now there are handsome avenues,
park and beautiful homes all along
up the banks of the St. John river for
more than mile. Springfield too has
made wonderful improvement and de-
velopment, numbering among its
homes some of the handsomest in the
city.
AN OSTRICH FARM.
We have all heard of grazing farms
and stock farms, but who of Us ever
heard of an Ostrich farm; where the
birds are raised and trained to domestic
use. where they are made commercial
product? Yet that is what found in
the suburbs of Jacksonville-a bird
that will draw a four wheeled vehicle
over ground faster than the best horse
our valley farmers can produce. The |
ostrich farm is several miles out from
the city proper, but is easily reached |
by a street car line that lands you in
front of the gate. The front hall of
the farm house is really sales room
bedecked with ostrich plumes and |
feathers in every shade and shape, and |
exquisite fans the admiration and de-
light of every lady visitor Through |
this hallway We passed into the farm
at once the most interesting place in |
the South have yet visited. The very |
novelty of the thing holds ones atten- |
tiOn from first to last and when he |
leaves it is to talk and nitrate over this |
remarkable bird, his wonderful !
strength, habits. characteristics. etc. !
There are SO OF them here full grown
and many more young ones. The grown |
birds are confined behind rail fences
much as horses are, and they eat horses |
food too, in horse quantities. While |
l walked around the place with Mana
ger Cornell, farm hand began the
feeding. There was a long trough |
and in it was thrown a quantity of |
chops-cut hay mixed with offal-also
q quantity of shelled corn. This they |
devoured with great avidlty; with now
and then a scrap between the male
birds, for they are a quarrelsOme set,
and fight lat the drop of your hat"
And in this they are also like the
horse, for they kick, kick like a mule;
and about as hard. it is their usual
means of doing battle. If an ostrich
gets good lick at you he is as apt to /
break your bones or kill you as if a
mule had made a pass at you. One of
the farm help warned me to stand
we'll away from the fence, showing
me at the same time big scar
on bis wrist, and remarking that
that hand had been nearly torn away
by an ostrich kick. And it wasn't
hard to believe either for when the
birds now and then had q sparrlng
match the ticks they dealt each other
sounded like the thhds from base
ball bat. When he intends to do bat
tie, the ostrich like the rattle snake) |
gives fair warming. He throws HIM
self back on his Launches and utters |
cries that sound like tie roar of lion. |
This is his challenge, and unless you |
are safely out of his reach, it's time to
climb tree.
A NOVEL EXHIBITION.
At three O'Clock every afternoon an
exhibition In riding and driving the
ostrich is given, so as usual "Oliver |
W" the famous racing bird was trotted |
out from the stable all rugged up in a |
set of light harness; a breast strap,
lines and martin gales. He came |
prancing and was hard to hold. In a |
trice he was backed into and hilched |