Panama City pilot., 1907-11-28


on the mill bayou north of there; NJ
Fleishman and Mr. Purcival ut Oh
Town; Hawk Stevens and Peter
Parker on East Bay; Mr. Fortne
where Charles Anderson now lives o.
Tanning bayou; Il family named
Witherspoon, one of the boys being
now mate on the TarpOn, on Bayou
George, and a man named Moore
living on Cedar creek.
Capt Anderson was the first man
to take up a homestead south of the
EcOntina, locating on the land where
he now resides About 1867 he moved
to the place now occupied by the Sale
Davis Company, where he resided
until he sold out to the latter com
pany some two years ago. He then
bought an acre Of ground that was
originally his homestead and remove
to that point where he has since lived.
twenty-five years ago he was APP
pointed and licensed as pilot by the
Board at Mobile, and has pilOted,
since then, many vessels in and out
of this bay, and along this part of tn
Gulf. Some 30 years ago steamer
used to come to Grassy Point foi
cattle which were taken to Cuba.
This trade ceased about 26 years ago.
At that early day there was p feet of
water in the one pass that was then
open, a circumstance showing what
could be accomplished by closing up
all but one of the present passes.
The first school on North Bay was
a private one taught by man named
Padgett, and was located on the
bayou near Leslie Gays place. The
next and first regularly organized
school WAS started through the active
efforts of Capt Anderson, who had
school and church building erected
at Grassy Point. That was about
1876. Previous to the use of the
building for church purposes services
had been held under the mulberry
trees near there, but as stated by Mrs
Anderson, the ripe mulberries fell
upon the ladies hats and ribbons
during service, badly discoloring
them, so they transferred to the
school building.
Game was plentiful in those early
days. Deer, bear, turkies, geese, and
ducks, could be had with little effort,
and afforded a satisfactory addition
to the scant bill of fare One IL
stance of the worthy Captains not
unusual hunting experiences we will
try to relate, but as written it lacks
the charm that it brought as we sat
by the old fire place with its CHEEKY
light wood fire and listened to the
relation of the same by the Captain,
supplemented with added particulars
by his excellent wife The Captain had
noted at a burn signs of deer, and at
the edge thereof had found a bee
tree. As huckleberries were then
ripe Whereabouts the Captain pro-
posed that they should hitch up the
horse to the Jersey wagon and taking
their supper go out and gather berries,
and the bees and honey from the bee
tree and when darkness came on get
some VenisOn. In due time the
berries were picked, the tree cut
down and bees safely hived, the honey
removed TO receptacles for carrying
the same, and supper cooked, and
duly relished.
During the war this bay was the
border land, now held by the Con-
federates, and then by the Federals,
and its inhabitants suffered from the
varied changes in forces, and the de-
struction that war always brings In
1864 the land was in the possession Of
) the Federals and Capt Anderson was
for time a member fthe Ind Florida
= Cavalry, a Federal force that was
employed along this coast.
, As it grew dark the Captain pro-
posed starting after the deer, but the
! guide wife" did not like to be left
behind, so the two went on through
+ he darkness to the burn. He saw
four deer moving along in a bunch,
: and soon had two of them in range,
> when he fired and brought down both.
He kept after the other two, which
= did not go far away, and soon killed
I both of them. Concluding tat it
D would require daylight to safely get
their load of berries, bees, honey, and
; deer home, they built fire and laid
I down under the stars for such a sat
&C, IL To L..