Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1905-10-05
VISITING OLD HAUNTs.
p. NJ. Oliver Tells Of a Visit to Scenes
Of His Childhood.

Editor Daily Sun: Having promised
quite q number Of my old Gainesville
friends and hunting companions to let
them hear fFum me while visiting the
State capital and the hunting grounds
OF my boy hood days on the Cult Coast,
/ decided TO answer all in one brief let
ter through the medium OF The Sun, il
you will kindly grant me the space.
While sitting on the entertainments Of
this old Spanish fort, situated az the
junction of the 81. Marks and Wakulla
rivers in the cool shades Of the evening,
puffing an Gid VirginiH cherOot and in
halinR the pure air, laden with aroma
and oEOna waited by gentle breeEes
from old ocean, and intently gazing on
and sdmiring Old Sol in all his glory
and grandeur in q clear and unob-
Structed sky, gradually sinking and ap-
pareutly nOddinR q "gOO1 night" dis.
appearing beneath the rolling waves
Of the Gulf Of Mexico, / am perfectly
charmed with the surroundings.
One cannot help but be interested in
this old Spanish fort OF hundreds of
bye.gone Year,, when SpAniard and
Indian met in deadly combat in all lie
uncivilized cruelty, dealing out death
20 each other with bow and arrow and
scalping knife and tomahawk. SO much
for brief retrospect Of this old Span.
lsh fort 81 che junction OF St. Marks
and Wakulla rivers, and now for an
account OF my trip from dear old
Gainesville to Tallahassee.
Leaving Gainesville al q. m, over
the Seaboard Air Line, we arrived at
the State capital at 3 80 p. m, making
time without hitch or hin1runce. After
putting up ~ the nearest hotel to the
capitol, went 20 the nearest barber
shop for u shave, returned aud donned
my best suit TO cell on friends at the
capitol. On entering the FIRST 70 meet
me Wss Hon, Clay Crawford. SseFeteFy
OF State, who succeeded his father, that
grand old Roman, che late Hon. John
L. Crawford. With bic arms around my
shoulder he marched me into ,hiS pri-
Vate Office for = social chat. In q few
moments heard the familiar voice OF
welcome from Miss Glen Hampton, one
Of the leading educators Of not only
Florida, bat Of che South, with genial
smile and happy face, ehaFac teFistic Of |
her nature. was alec made welcome
In her Office. and In an adjoining Of.
Zoe / met our worthy State supeFin.
tendent OF Schools. w. NJ. Holloway,
and Prof, Kellum. had a right royal
welcome from ell aud was made 20
feel AZ home.
Then TOOK a stroll down the pFin-
oipal stFeets to see how many old, IA
miliaT faces l could recognize Of by.
gone days. While / have passed
through Tallahassee on several oeca-
sions within che past dozen yeas, this
Was my FIRST stroll over her beautiful
streets and shaded walks Tor ~ yean.
And oh, what changes FaGhrt Time
had Wrought-scArcely fam,li-r face
Old gray -haired citizens, whom I left
Do years ago Young men In their prime.
same up and introduced themselves
10 me. aud some declared I had
nhanGed bus little in appearance. Il
made me- feel sad and reminded mo of
ln impTumptu verse from old De. Ian.
sey, grand Old man OF the'East Coast.
lust before bic death
%, foe my youthinl dare % ioy.
when | uted 20 romp, play and sing: /.
l'd rather b q baFeioot bog
Than b. q Rrty-haiFedtkihg"
zee, when look around me ANA
sOutsmplate The number Of younger.
lone older, and ell better, men than I
I'm, one b. oae shafiing oR this NOR
Ial coil, I'm Constrained 20 think The
bod Lord thinks whole BIZ lot Of
ne. Who fhoUt bat What be nay b
,oid'ag ne over Tor cone uius puF.
poast Les thar b - 10 map, I'm IN
70 harry 20 die, bat Woah like % ulF.
10 alung iurl "A I An An a. h..~tf-