Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-05-09
Letter From Florida.

i
least to one of the places that
makes this claim-St. Augustine.
The natural surroundings are not
such that the average man, who
had a choice of territory in Florida,
would take it for a home. But for
the purpose of defense from a
foreign foe it Is admirably situ-
ated, and this, of course, is what
the builders of Fort Marion had in
view. The city is some distance
back from the actual beach of the
Atlantic. There intervenes mar
row wooded island, a wide grassy
marsh and space of open water
of sufficient depth to permit navi-
cation by small boats. AS far as
it's physical features are concerned
the city is unique among the
Florida resorts and is rich, not
only in historic interest, but
also with architectural beauty.
The old fort, the city gates, the
narrow, winding streets, and sevn
eral old buildings are reminders of
the Spanish occupancy.
Mr.. Flagler of the Standard Oil
Company, and owner of about
everying of value on the east coast
of Florida, has his winter home here
and has poured millions into the
development and the beautifying
of this place than he has into all his
other resorts combined. And he
has done well-wonderfully we'll.
He is the sole owner of the Florida
East Coast R. R., and is now
achieving an engineering feat of
unusual interest by extending his
railroad across the chain of islands
between the Florida coast and Key
West.
The development of this State,
or rather the eastern coast thereof,
is the hobby of this aged multi
millionaire. Whether the returns
to him justify the outlay he alone
knows, as he is sole owner Of
everything into which he puts his
money, and therefore has to issue
no financial statements. All of
the hotels he erects are palaces in
which only the wealthy can afford
to dwell, and before which, the
moi polloi" can but stand with
open-mouthed wonder. He has
three immense hotels in st. Angus
tine, and of these the Ponce de
! Leon is said to be the most beau
tiful in existence. No picture can
do it Justice. He who would get
an adequate conception of it's
grandeur must himself walk about
it and "tell the towers thereof"
Anastasia island, which keeps
the breakers of the Atlantic from
the walls of the city, has no great
natural charms, but it contains a
museum that ought to be visited
by every tourist to Florida. Here
are to be seen hundreds of alli-
gators, and among them are the
largest in captivity. There are
many other living specimens from
the world of wild life. There are
huge rattlers, moccasins-the larg-
est ever found in Florida. Here is
also the only pen of live iguanas-
a species of lizard that ranges in
length from two to five feet. Re-
Gently two of the largest alligators
| got into a fight. The battle was
royal one and endured five hours.
Each monster chewed the other up
pretty well, and the victor carried
off-internally, l suppose-as a
trophy one of the hind legs of his
opponent. The keepers of these
"gatoEs" have learned from ex-
/ perieffce that it is not we'll to at
tempt to stop such contests, be-
cause the beast first interferred
with is placed for that moment al
the mercy of his opponent, and
the result is often fatal to him
The only thing to do is to let then
fight it out.
AT this museum is to be founc
one of the wonders Of the world
water that burns. 1t comes from
an artesian we'll one hundred ant
twenty feet in depth, and it's Pc
culiar property was discovered
after it had been flowing two
years. 1t is delicious to drink, al
the various mineral elements seem
to have combined in such proper.
tions as to have neutralized each
other as far as the taste is con-
cerned. When lighted match il
touched to this water it flames uE
like alcohol, and yet it ignites al
SO low a temperature that one car
hold his hand in the flame few