The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1914-02-05
GASPAR|LLA WAS
PIRATE CH|EFTA|N
RAvAGED COAST OF FLORIDA IN
EARLY DAYS.
Exploits Are Bound Up With the Ira
ditions Of the Land Of Sunshine.
His Story.

Iney say there's nothing In name, |
but that's not true.
Could any better name have been
chosen for South Florida festival
than the Gasparilla Carnival!
Think Of the legends that gather
like mist over a bay head about the
name and fame of Gasparilla!
Think of the possibilities for the BIZ
zarre and the unusual that the old pi. |
rates history gives
Think of the advertising value for |
South Florida there is in the name
Gasparilla!
Who or what is Gasparilla? asks
the stranger within our gates.
Is tia Pullman car or a breakfast
ask.
Listen, gentle stranger.
Gasparilla was a pirate, and 1t is his
exploits and history that furnish the
theme for the Carnival Tampa is TO
give on February FL to "a.
Gasparilla was the name chosen for
the pirate king and crew. The fam
GUS sea rover's name has been made
more famous by the band of Tampans
and their celebration, and now, with
all Florida joining in the celebration,
and all the world contributing visit
ors, Gasparilla will become symbolic
OF the truly gallant cut-throat Each
year the members of the Gasparilla
crew elect their king and queen, and
the maids of honor, keeping secret
their choice until the night of the cor
onation ball.
Then, amid the reclamation of their
loyal subjects, pirates and honor guard,
the king and queen are crowned, at
the greatest social event Of the year.
Seven kings and queens have occupied
the Gasparilla throne-ever since 1905,
when that feature Of the fete was hit
upon by the Gasparilla crew.
On the shoulders OF the captain and
that Of number Of the "old guard"
"the inner circle" of Ye Mystic krewe,
the brunt of the work has fallen. Each
year headquarters are opened and the
plans for the pageant worked out to
the minutest detail. Costumes are spe-
cially ordered-this year each pirate
will have two-and special floor
built for the one ball at the Tampa
Bay Casino.
At the outset OF the plan the Cas-
parillas engaged In a tournament at
the Tampa Bay track, the members OF
the crew. astride of trusty steeds.
striving to Guido each other with lance
and shield, as the knights Of old. The
pirate ship early became one OF the
nermanent features of the Gasparilla
coming. the pirates sailing up the har-
bor. landing In the city and taking
possession of 1t and its fair maids.
CasparilIa Gay Dog.
Gasparilla was one OF the buccaneers
who made the gulf a terror to hon
est seamen In the troubled days at
the close OF the eighteenth century
and the beginning Of the nineteenth.
Snain's power was fast disintegrating.
Great Britain, France, Spain and the
limited States each few its flag over
the shores washed by the gulf stream
II was No Mans Land and the
might of the strong hand made right
On the shores of Louisiana and In
the bayous Of Plaquemine and Atcha.
falayala, we're the headquarters OF the
ravager Laffite. One of the bloodiess
Of pirates, he gathered together hun.
dreds of violent men and dozen or
so vessels and ruled as a king. In
such kingdom there Is always dis.
sension and Gasparilla, after q dis.
agreement with Laffite over some OF
the loot, broke away from the band.
took the ship he commanded and the
bloody crew who did his bidding and
sailed across the gulf to the coast OF
| Florida.
Pensacola was a settlement even
then, but down the long stretch of the
Florida coast there was hardly anoth.
er bay that had even a fisherman's
hut along the shore. Hiding places
there were In plenty among the keys
and bays Of the coast.
Found Haven on Gasparilia Isle.
| On the island where the phosphate
mort Of Boca Grande is now located,
Gasparilla found the haven he was
seeking. 1t blocked one of the en-
frances OF Charlotte Harbor Ia any
one Of q dozen of whose smaller bays
and creek mouths there was plenty OF
chance for him to escape prying eyes.
This must have been about the year
1900. Gasparilla built q mansion ON
the isle and here he lived like d
king with his bloodthirsty pirates as
the courtiers.
There was not wanting ladies In this
court.
Gasparilla had great eye for feini-
nine beauty and his course OF action
when taking q ship was always the
same. \.
Overheard with the men; save the
,,omenI" was his fnvariable order.
But it was this practice that LED 70
b;a ruin. His depredations were report
Id to the United States government
and frigate sent TO the gulf waters
to run him down. -
After a long chase through the Ten
Thousand Islands. and up and down
the coast the pirate was cornered IN
Lemon bay as he was trying TO make
his way through Gasparilia sound anto
| Charlotte Harbor.
A bloody battle ensued. The pirate
| - COWARD and his crew fOu~h.j