The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-03-26
Beautiful ST. AndFeWSs
The Bay and Village

- - -
{ bage palms, stunted oaks and pines
and, in one or two places fishermen
have erected matched nuts made en-
tirely of palmetto leaves. The coun-
| try is sparsely settled and but little
attention is given to agriculture, the
fishing industry being paramount
Town of AlaVesta.
There are two main arms to the bay,
one running cast and the other north.
On the latter, about Is miles from the
town of st. Andrews is situated Alaves-
| ia, the new town which is now being
| built by A. j. Gay, and which has been
named after his daughter. Alavesta
1 is A miles south of Chipley, which, at
present, is the nearest railroad point.
Capt. Alexander. second officer of
| the Tarpon and an "old timer in
this section, built a house in st. An
drews in 1885 at the time when a Gin
cinnati company was trying to boom
| that section. His was the first paint
ed house in what is known as the
New" town, the original settlement
having been located about y miles to
| the southwest. Speaking of Capt.
Alexander, who is quite a sport, by
the way, the officers of the Tarpon had
a good laugh at his expense when 1t
was discovered, soon after leaving Pen
sacOla, that he was the proud posses
sor of a small box of flowers which had
been presented to him with a card
upon which was written Love and
kisses from ." "Alex'' has
handsome young wife secluded at ST.
Andrews who may start something
when she catches him should she
chance to secure a copy of this paper.
A Magnificent Bay.
Just inside the entrance to the bay.
after crossing Belle shoals, is Crooked
Island sound and beyond that Masse-
line point puts out into the bay. Mas
seline point has been inhabited by an
old darby for many years, he having
moved there from ST. Joe after the
yellow fever epidemic in 1857. After
rounding the latter the broad eXpanse
of deep blue water comes into sight
and away to the northward is the little
village of st. Andrews
As the vessel made its way across
the placid bosom of the beautiful bay
immense focks of ducks, some num-
bering hundreds, arose in its course,
many within easy gunshot, and, after
flying short distances, again alighted1
on the water. War Looms raised their |
heads and looked wonderingly at the |
mighty vessel that had thus so sum-
marily disturbed them, while numbec-
less pelicans tapped lazily over the |
water. All that is needed to make St. |
Andrews bay one of the most impor-
tant of Gulf coast ports is little |
dredging on the bar. Were the chan |
mel Strengthened and deepened to 20
feet or more all immense commerce
could be taken care of and, if deep sea
vessels could enter the port it would
be only the question of short time
until railroads Would be built. The
about 400
Surrounding Country.
The country Immediately sur !
rounding st. Andrews is rather I'M
productive, the principal industry be-
ing the turpentine business. Up near
the head of North Bay, however, is |
one of the finest agricultural sections !
of west Florida and it is being devel- |
oped rapidly.
The waters of st. Andrews bay TEEN !
with fish of every variety known to the !
gulf. Tarpon fishing is extremely good |
in season and many tourists from the !
north annually visit the little village i
in search of the sport. Large quanti-
ties of fish are sailed, principally POM
pano and mackerel. Bass. trout. null :
let, breem and red snapper are also !,
abundant In the woods are found /.
deer, turkey, squirrels, quail and an
occasional bear.
The climate is said to be delightful
and the health conditions are unex-
celled at any point along the gulf
coast.
There has been considerable talk
during the past few years of cutting
a channel through the narrow strip of
sand that separates the bay proper
from the waters of the gulf, but the
talk is not taken seriously as, in the
opinion of men of experience such &C.
ton would prove disastrous as it would
eventually result In washing away the
sand key and making st. Andrews, in
stead of land locked harbor, an open
similar to Mobile or Apala-
chicola bays.
Full of Fish.
Between the Grand Lagoon, almost
opposite st. Andrews, and the Gulf, on
a narrow strip of sand, is small fresh
water lake which, according to the
tale of an old resident, is so full of
fine but Yoracious fish that an angler
has to get behind a stump to bait his
hook. The lake is about a mile long
and $50 yards wide 1t has no visible
inlet.
The beds of the shallow places IN
st. Andrews bay produce some of the
finest oysters to be had anywhere.
Their flavor is delicious and they are
sold in the town at Is cents quart.
Many Pensacola fishing smacks visit
st. Andrews during the season and
cargoes of fish and oysters
which are taken to the Deep Water
(fifr 10 ar eminent