The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-01-02

tiled, .over-hanging roofs. square tow.
ers with tiny balconies. and a bread
sweep Of sunny piazzas; and we knew
we We're in the majestic presence Of
the Ponce de Leon. the peerless hotel
OF b balmy winters. The greaE
building little by Lite unfolded itself
TO us as we moved along the side
walk towards the large gate. Ii vas
magnificent in its symmetrical proper
lions, graceful arches and general
Spanish air. We looked through the
huge iron gate, which was locked.
awaiting the opening Of the season;
and Toasted our eyes not only upon
/ the details of beauty in the building
itself. but also upon the rich profu-
sion OF palmettos, palms, banana
trees and tropical shrubbery In the
court below. Across the street was the
Alcazar. the companion hotel. 1t vas
large and magnificent, and also of the
Spanish type OF construction. The
POne de Leon is a large building: but
one can hardly gain a good idea OF
its size by a casual observation; its
proportions are SO perfect. 1t occu-
pies four acres of land, and is said to
be a half mile in circumference. The
effect of the AlcaZar is more imposing
Is TO size. 1t has not the angles ami
turns and balconies and turrets of the
Ponce de Leon.
Then followed a %profusion of hotels.
villas, boarding houses, all adorned
with palms of many varieties, and all
shaded and comfortable in appearance:
all tasteful, and many of a distinc-
lively foreign type. Nearly every
building in the city of any pretension
which did not bear the sign "Hotei,"
was placarded with cards reading
Rooms for Rent" FURNISHED
Rooms" 1t was a blot which marred
the contemplation Of many a coy.
hOme-like retreat. Time and again
we stood in ardent admiration OF an
exceptionally pretty house and grounds
until n of our party discovered the
vile legend Rooms for Rent and
we passed on. It is a fact. st. Au
gustine is given over to the greed of
catching the golden coins which the
numberless northern tourists spend
lavishly there every winteI, The
stores are filled with souvenirs and
trinkets which nobody but pleasure
seeking tourists would care to buy.
1t is estimated that at least $4,000
visitors come to st. Augustine every
year, to stay perhaps a few days or,
maybe, the entire winter.
We turned into an alley to go in the
direction of the "old part" of the city;
and. 10, we soon found a s%ignboard
with the legend "St. George St" And
that was a street! Still we had heard
of the narrow streets of st. Augustine.
And, compared with others. st. George
was a street; and we appreciated its
comfortable width and it's sidewalks.
upon which we could at. least walk
single-fle. There were other streets
crossing it, which were little else
than narrow cuts between buildings,
and which gave one a first impression
that they were private ~alleyways
leading into some ones back yard.
With hands extended, two men could
reach across them. We saw carriages
roll down the streets, and Joined in
the common impulse to hug the walls
Of the buildings in order to let them
pass. An automobile, approaching
from a distance, looks as if it will
sweep the entire width of the street,
and inspires a quick concern for self
preservation; but, when one came
along, We MANAGED to let it pass with
out crushing Us.
But still the narrow streets are pic
turesque, and interesting, leading a
pleasing foreign flavor. that awakens
in the imagination pictures of Europe
and Asia. There are numbers of them
named after saints, which attests the
fact that the monks in the early
Ia VIC 0f CT A,,p1,cfiro uoro q rorHy I'm
portant factor.
There are one or two streets IN st
Augustine, however, which are fairly
wide. They are nicely paved with as
phalt and other materials. In fact
the streets generally are well paved
and we'll kept; except one which mars
the front of the handsome Memorial
church, erected by Mr.. Flagier. They
experimental with wooden blocks
there; and, if any city wishes to econ
omize by using wooden blocks. 1t
would be we'll to dispatch an alder
man or two to st. Augustine to take
notes of the wooden paving blocks
there.
The houses in the old quarter of st.
Augustine are very GRANT, most Of
them. They are. nearly all, built OF
a sand and shell composite stone.
which they call "Coquina." They have
overhanging balconies; the windows
are small; the roofs are low; and the
doors generally open upon the street,
and on the same level. When the
pitch of the rooms is considered. it
is very evident that the old inhabitants
had a different idea of comfort from
that which we have nowadays. Judg-
ing from the outside. it seems as it a
person could easily reach the ceiling
with his hands. This may have been
in the interests of the housewives in
their efforts to keep down the cob