Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-03-06
THE SUNNY SOUTHLAND
INTERESTING LETTER FROM EDWARD
BEAR.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM EDWARD
BEAR.
Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Bear, on their Honey.
moon Trip. Visit Many Historical Places
and See Many Beautiful Sights
in Florida. and He Describes
Them For Our Readers.
Palm Beach, Fla, Feb. 20, 'O7.
Editor Public Opinion
Dear Sir IL have enjoyed my south
ern trip to such an extent that / feel
as though I would like. to share some
Of my pleasure with my Winnesheik
county friends, 40 am going to tell
you few of the many points of in
terest have seen. Leaving Chicago
on the "Chicago Florida Limited"
we passed through many historic
points in Georgia and Tennessee. but
our first stop of interest was the
quaint old city Of St. Augustine,
which lies in the Atlantic Coast near
the south end of narrow peninsula
formed by the Matanzas and st. Sc
bastian rivers and as you very we'll
know is the oldest city in the United
States, being founded in 1866.
The first building which attracted
our attention and admiration was the
"Ponce de Leon" hotel; it is built
after the old Spanish style of architec.
ture, white with red roof and over
hanging caves. 1t is built in the
shape of horse shoe around beauti-
full court, where flowers and palms
and tropical plants grow in profusion
around an artistic fountain. This is
only one of the many Of ST. Angus
tines beautiful hotels.
neaviDg the hotel we passed through
ST. George street, the oldest street in
the city. scarcely half as wide as our
streets in DEBORAH. The buildings
here are also of the old Spanish archi
lecture with overhanging balconies
and brass knots in the door.
We then visited Fort Marion, -
which was built by the Spaniards in
1866. It was then a wooden structure
but has since been rebuilt of Coquina
stone, which is soft stone, great
quantities OF which are brought FROM
Anastasia Island. This island is Just
across the Matanzas river from st.
Augustine. All OF the buildings
which are not frame are built of this
rare stone. The fort is the same grey
stone inside and out. The guide
first took us to the top of the fort,
where we could get good birdseye
view of st. Augustine, Matanzas river,
and the Atlantic ocean in the dis.
tance, and it is picture never to be
forgotten. We then went through the
execution chamber, which is bare
stone room with q platform of solid
rock for the judges stand. From
there we crawled on hands and knees
through an opening to get into one Of
the cells, whose grim walls have
never been penetrated by sunshine OF
daylight. We could see with the aid
of lamp the holes where the prison.
ers had been chained to the walls.
II was not SO very long ago these cells
were used. as Fort Marion was used
during our late war with Spain.
forgot to mention on the way to the
fort we passed the Franciscan mon.
astery, large frame structure now
the property of the United States
government.
! After bidding goodbye to the old
fort we drove across the new bridge
which. spans the Matanzas river and
connects st. Augustine with An
astasia Island This island is Il
miles long in the center of which i,
the Anastasia lighthouse, 1876 feet
high and we walked 845 steps to ge
to the top but were fully repaid a,
the scene was even finer from ther,
than from the fort This island alst
has government wireless telegraph
station, as many vessels pass thi
point.
At the extreme east end of the is
land within a short distance of th,
ocean, We visited the Alligator farm
which is the largest of its kind in OK
istence. In one corner of this farm
is The burning well,'' which wa
accidentally discovered some years az,
during an excavation. The waite
contains such an amount of gas tina
by placing cap over the top of it
the gas escapes through a tube ant
burns bright blue flame, but thi
fame differs from any other as it con
tains absolutely no heat. The ol,
captain. who takes great pride il
showing the we'll to visitors, passe,
my handkerchief through the fam
many times and returned it to me il
perfect condition. We also drank O
this water and 1t has q very pleasan
taste.
Crossing back to st. Augustine W,
visited DR.. Garnet's orange grove
You can not imagine more beaurifu
siQht than the trAos woiUhtad dow,