The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-12-02

/ OF. Augustine.
town and the establishment of the fort
at his tongues end, and ono he is
started on the story there is no side
tracking him until he has finished.
Fort Marion Is the water end of the
old Spanish works, which began G. the
city gates away over at the other side
of the town. Between the entrance and
the main fort 1t has a barbican, q small
fertilization which may have had its
uses some day In the past. The fort Il
surrounded by q moat and originally
was reached by two drawbridges. one
OF which extended from the glacis and
the other from the sally port. which In
now the only entrance.
In the easements are to be . the
old dungeons where the soldiers who
had gained the enmity Of the command
ant or the governor were confined I'm
chains. Let 1t be whispered. howsvsrs
that the thrilling tales Of skeletons
found chained to the walls and Of the
t~ortures authorized by the inQuisition
and carried out by it's agents are large
ly IL not wholly moonshine.
From the watchtower, q beautiful
view is gained OF the Matanzas river.
Anastasia island, the rolling sand
dunes and the heaying sea beyond. On
A~nastasia stands the barber pole
lighthouse" SO named because II has
been painted black and white In spiral
stripes so that mariners may distin-
guish 1t from other beacons. Tha
bathing beach of St Augustine n on
A~nastasia island also. Here landed the
band of Huguenots who were slangh-
tered by Pedro Menendez, away back
In the sixteenth century. after they
had been induced to give up their
arms by false pretenses. Menendex
sent boats to them, brought them over
In small bands. bound them when cut
of sight OF their waiting comrades,
blindfolded them and took them behind
the sand hills where he put them to
death. All this. done in the name OF
religion" happened in America, NOT
La medieval Europe. The Matanxas Ia
aptly named. Matanzas is Spanish for
massacre. and then name and memories
sling peristently 10 the spot
The ocean constantly means ON the
beach OF Anastasia island. Superstt
tious persons say 1t is waiting for the
victims OF Pedro Menendex; others
claim that the soul OF the murderoua
governor is bound In the waves ana
that there 1t will always stay, mournr
Ing and weeping for the evil deeds Of
Menendez In the flesh. !
The slaughter OF the Huguenoss ID
not the only massacre remembered
here. Not far from the United States
barracks, once the old Franciscan mons
astry. is a military cemetery, in which
| three white pyramids rise ~conspicu-
ously to mark the spot where rest the
bones of the massacred men who went
out against the Seminoles under Major
Dade.
The old palace OF the governor gem
eral fronts on the Plaza. Ancient glo-
ries are suggested, but a touch of mod
ern reality Is added in one OF Uncle
Il sam y iGttCI VOACD III tn0 AlNtM GOu III
Not far from the palace Is the old
| Spanish cathedral, one Of the Oldest
buildings in the United States, and
| still redolent with historical charm
The bells still hang In the open arch.
and It is not so very many years ago
that priests came out on the landing
and struck them with hammers. Now
they are supplied with ropes and ara
rung from below.
The cathedral Is In constant use, but
has seen many vicissitudes. A few
years age the interior was nearly
ruined by fire. A northern millionaire
advanced $4,000 On bond and mort
gage for It's restoration, and the next
| Christmas the bishop OF the district
found the Cancelled mortgage among
his presents.
The city gates. set In a massive wall
and having the lion OF the sturdy Leon
Of CASTLE as their e~scutcheons, ara al
| ways visited early by tourists. The
| ride from the modern railroad station
to a modern hotel built In the charm
tUS CphBlnn rtJtC C4tEAud luFOukM
these gates, and thus at once that indei
Unable blending Of the ancient and ths
modern is noted.
On the Plaza stands the old slave
mart q plain open structure reminding
one slightly OF the Greek Parthenon
though there is nothing Grecian about
the stubby. square tower which rises
| from one end. nor is there suggestion
of Grecian architecture in the stout,
square pillars which uphold the roof,
Along the sea wall one finds many
quaint and curious buildings. and ala
through the town reminders o6 Spain
are thickly scattered. The city wall
may be traced the entiro length. hue
the gateway ID about the only tangible
reminder Of It that IL left.