The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-02-25

Ferdinand De Soto. the noble Span
lard who discovered the Mississippi
river and kindly left the stream
where he found il. There are Span
iards who would have taken the
river back to Spain to drown good
Christian people in. Ferdinand was
not that kind of a grandee- He was
very careless.
About the year 1919 Mr.. De Soto
sailed into our Back Bay thinking
II the mouth OF the Mississippi,
which is many miles farther South
That is. Ferdinand said he was look
ing for the river, but he was only
bluffing. His real reason for scout
ing along the Gulf coast was 10
sight the battleship Oregon and
break the news gently to Admiral
CerveTa al Santiago de Cuba That
Ferdie missed the Oregon and Ser
vera found her himself is a matter
of painful naval history.
Mr.. De Soto and his fleet sailed
into the bay and later established a
camp on the bank of Fort Bayou.
less than half d mile from the heart
Of our fair city The spot today is
known as Spanish Camp. A sandy
stretch OF beach under the spread
ing oaks is much esteemed by noon
light lovers, picnic parties, and fish
ermen. Relics OF the early explorers
are often picked up on the camp site.
Spanish onions, spanish omelettes.
and Spanish bricks no bigger than
sardine cans once Uttered the old
camp ground a welI-worn path
leads from the camp 10 a spring far
Their down the shore Fcrdinands
men made the path walking Spanish
10 and from the spring. Harsh dis
aster overlook the brave explorers
in camp. Disease and Indians. when
they got back from COney Island.
killed off many. and raging storms
wrecked the vessels. One morning
an ancient mariner approached the
leader.
Captain" he said. "one of our gal
Icons sank in the night"
oh, very we'll" Mr.. De Soto alb
sently replied. Just open a couple
of quarts"
This characteristic reJoTt of the
immortal Mr. De Soto has never be
fore appeared in print, and I pub
lish it now by special request of our
leading citizens. The historical re-
mark is on file among the archives
in the Town Hall Ocean Springs,
alias Dope Springs. is entitled 10 a
place on the map, all right The
galleou that sank is still sloshing
around at the bottom of the sea.
From time to time, enterprising ma
tives have retrieved bronze cannon
of ancient build and bore, from
which, it appears, We have Spanish
relics to melt Long ago the hardy
explorers skidoOed from camp, TAX
ing their galleons and quarts and
pints with them. Since then the pic
turesque Dons have came and went,
and We still have a few left. Among
them is old man Arnot, who halls
from the famed island of Minorca.
If what he says of Spain is true. the
early explorers wasted much time in
padding over here 10 discover US
and other astounding things.
For instance, Nh Arnot speaks
reverentIy about q large bell in the
cathedral at Madrid. The size of the
bell may be understood from the
statement that while they were
building it a workman at the top OF
the bell dropped his hammer. and
the wooden handle rotted out before
reaching the ground. A sexton never
rings the bell but once The bang
ing of the great iron clapper rup-
lures his ear drums, cracks his skull.
and sometimes breaks windows fif-
teen miles away. The bells they
grow large in Old Madrid Also the
figs take on some size in Spain. We
have nice figs here, but nothing like
the ones the Dons grow. Mr.. Arnot
was once observing hog browsing
under the trees. when d ripe fig fell
off and broke the hogs back.
Seems like Spanish soil is too rich.
That is why so many leave that
country. Mir Arnot is a professional
fisherman While boosting his ma
tive land he does not knock Ocean
Springs. Nobody does. It is dandy
place to winter, despite the fact Mr..
Columbus declined to discover US,
and mir. De Soto thought we owned
the Mississippi river. For mine,
wouldn't have that stream as a gift.
The bayeus are good enough for me-.