The Washington herald., 1909-01-05

partv landed at jamestown, fIfty-iiVe
years before the MayhOwer brought the
Pilgrims 10 Plymouth. this ancient town
Of 81. Augustine was a city Of consider
able importance. It IS the Oldest town
in the United States, and although II has
nc history or tradition which links il to
any event OF Importance in American
annals. II is interesting because OF its
antiquity.
Don Juan Ponce de Leon. that debonair
sailor and adventurer. came TO St Au-
gUstine in 1913 in search OF the fabled
fountain Of youth Here at the ancient
Indian village OF Seloy he first placed
foot upon the North American continent
II was Easter Sunday. and it was land
Of flowers, so he gave the land the beau
tifuI name Of Pascua Florida His search
Tor the mystic fountain Of youth was
fruitless, but there is no doubt that If
he had found here then the magnificent
hotel which is here now. and which bears
his name. he would have believed that
he had found Fl Dorado and fairyland al
the same time.
The French came and founded a HUI
guenot colony, but it did not continue.
and Il was not until l565 that Pedro
Menendez brought a colony Of Spanish
20 take actual possession Of the territory
which had been claimed by Ponce de
Leon. which had been largely explored
by De Soto. and which had been Overrun
by more than one band Of gOld-seeking
Spanish marauders- The colony landed
~-TT
tie religious custom OF the time, the
new town received the name Of that
saint After having properly sanctihed
itself BY the massacre Of the French
Huguenots on the nearby St Johns
River. the colony settled down 20
humdrum life Forts were built OF
course: the pirates came; the town
shared with most Standardization set
dement's the distinguished honor Of be
ing attacked by that noble BTitisher, Sir
Francis Drake: there were piracies and
maSsacTes- wars with the Indians with
the French, and with the English. After
nearly three centuries Of blood, the little
old city became an American town in
1871 II knew the curse Of war again
IN TIE Seminole war, 1t felt a portion
cf the shock Of the great conflict OF the
SOS, and then peace came
And after peace came the railroad and
the orange grove speculation and the
winter resort hotel Now St. Augustine
is a winter resort. a place for sight
seers. and nothing more
The town itself shows very little Of
the old Spanish character. There IS the
inevitable plaza, with its old cathedral
and the captain generals palace, which
now does duty as post-ofice- These.
with a few tumble-down houses. the old
city gates, and the old fort. are about
the only survivals OF the ancient Span
ish days
The plaza Is called Plaza Constitu-
cionaT' because Of q monument erected
in its center in honor Of the granting Of
a liberal constitution by the Spanish
Cortes 10 the colony Of Florida in 1913.
The Spanish city fathers hired an Eng
Ishman 70 cut the inscription on the
monument. 50 It is presumed, for on all
four sides he spelled the word "coustltu-
ton with its proper English compile
ment Of three rs" On the front OF
the monument some Spanish scholar.
probably arisen since the winter resort
era began, has labcfioUsIy changed the
word 10 its proper Spanish spelling OF
constitution.
At one end Of the plaza Is an old stone
pavilion which Is used for band con
ceTts these days. The negro carriage
drivers, the professional guides. and The
souvenir post cards eraveIy inform the
credUlouS tourist that IL IS the old slave
market built by the Spanish and used
Until the tine Of the civil war. As a
matter Of fact, the place was built long
after the end Of Spanish rule and was
used for q meat and vegetable market.
St Augustine was too small and too DOOR
% afford a slave market, but the story
is a good one for tourists. and some ST
Augustine people are said 10 have told
it 50 often that they believe Il them
selves
Fort Marion Is the most interesting
thing 20 see IN St. Augustine. CompIe+ed
n l755. Il is the only example Of medieval
fOrtidcation extant in North America
i is in an almost perfect state OF
preservation and. indeed, has been re-
paired and improved by the limited
States since the American occuua-
ton Il was EarrisOned until the
Spanish war. but for the last ter xaa-s
no soldiers have been kept here. and the
place IS IN charge Of an old sergeant
who has seen fifty years service IN the
army L is his delight 10 tel visitors
the story of the old T0rt where ra has
been stationed for a generation.
me f0rt occupies the position Of more
than one predecessor Menendez built a
fort Of Pine logs here n 1855. It was
succeeded oy stronger one OF earth
work, and dnally small one Of. stone
Inen tne English navy became very
aetVe ia American waters and r. Uas
necessary 70 protect the capftsI of FIo-f
de- The work Of building the n-ass-+
fort extended through many wears The
stone coqUina was QUarried on the fs1an5
OF St Anastasia, and ferried across tha
bay IN rowb0ats. The work 7,ae 7C-o
by convicts from Spain. Cuba and Eevf-
co, by Indian slaves and negroes King
Ferdinand " IS said TO have declared
that ne believed the fort was b71ilt of
gold, Il had cost so much. Fort San
Marco It was called in those DAYS and
Il was the strongest and the nobIes+
fertilization IN all North Anerica
Within a decade. however % t,,..--.
English property. In 1852 the Enplfsb
captured Havana and occupied -Cuba 7,
the following year England gave Cuba
back TO Spain in exchange for Florida
and the Bahama Islands. St Aueustinz
became the English capital Of East Flo
Ida and earnest efforts were made 10 in
trodUce English colOnists. The English
retained control for twenty years. In
the meantime they had lost thirteen col
onies to the north by the War Of Inde-
pendence, and were only too willing to
ger rid Of East Florida in some great
International land swGp.
The Spanish came back. to the great
Joy Of the Inhabitants. and once more
the red and yellow standard OF the Cas-
ulian monarchs 10ated over the old fort
The power Of the new republic to the
north VS. cnrstartI.- s-...---.-s--.- - e.