Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-05-28

The old Spanish Mission buildin
was erected by the Monks of 81
Francis who came to st. Augustin
with Meendez. It was used by theT
: as a chapel until 1890 when the
! moved into their large monastery
. The records of this building are pre-
: served in the archives Of the Churcl
OF Rome. About 1900 1t passed int,
> the hands of a Spanish deputy, tn
title remaining with his descendant
Until 1853 when it wal taken over b,
John Hudson, an Englishman and re
tanned by him until Florida was re
coded to Spain in 1888. The old mon
astery is probably one of the oldes
on this continent. Records show
that 1t was a Franciscan Monastery
prior to 1888 as Sr Francis Drake
speaks Of it in his report after his at
tack on st, Augustine.
Indian Chapels.
The early map of st. Augustine
(1675) now in the possession of the
Historical society, shows seventeen
Indian chapels In the vicinity of the
ancient city, all of which were de-
voted to the services of the Christian
lied Indians. In two of these tradi.
ton says an Indian chief, angered at
reproof, slew the priests at the altar.
Tho nII Hnr,akan;ae
AS the Spanish settlers were not
much given to using dates on their
gravestones it is impossible to deter
mine the date when the Cordiva
street cemetery was first used. In all
probably it dates from the founding
of the city, as the old chapel stands
OF the foundation of one of the old
Indian chapels. The Protestant cem-
etery just north of the city gates is
also an old one as is shown by the
dates on the grave markers. The
National Military cemetery is on Mar
Inc street. Three low pyramids form
the tombs of the victims of the Semi
aoIe war.
There are two notable churches bel
the cathedral mentioned above.
One is Trinity Episcopal church, the
Oldest Episcopal church in the United
States, built in 1926, and the Flagler
Memorial (PresbyterianO church, err
in 1890 in memory of his daugh-
ter, Jennie Louise Benedict. This
church is one of the finest pieces OF
architecture to be found in the south,
Or in the north for that matter. The
Elaafer mausoleum is at the west
side of the church, wherein lie the
remains Of the man who built it.
The Sea Wall.
The city being only about eight feet
above sea level, some protection was |
against storm tides and
water Entertainments. Before the
close of the seventeenth century al
wall was built by King Philip IV,l
while the present wall was built In
1895 of coquina, capped with New
England granite. 1t is three quar-
ters of a mile long and extends from
Fort Marion to the barracks, or what
is now the arsenal of the Florida
national guard.
Henry M. FIagier.
This article would not be complete
without a word about the mar who is
said to be the maker OF the east
coast of Florida. Nj. Flagler visited
st. Augustine in the early SOS and
there noted the need of Q hotels.
He resolved to provide them himself
and shortly afterward began the con
struction of the Ponce De Leon hotel
which was completed in 1888, at a
cost of $4,000. 600. 1t is n of the
finest hotels In the world, and has
Ave acres of roof. The stairway lead
ing 10 the dining hall on the second
fioor is OF marble and Mexican onyx.
In the grand parlor the decorations
are OF ivory and gold, with frescoes
by Toietti Of cupids ana
Across the street Is the Alcazar,
another OF Mr.. Fagler's hotels open
ed also in 1883 and In connection is
the Gordova under the same man
agement. He acquired the ormond
in 1890; then followed the Royal
Poinciana IN 1894. the Breakers IN
1895, tha Royal Palm in 1886 and the
tColonial In 1888.
In 1885 Mr.. Flagler acquired ths
Jacksonville. st. Augustine and Hall
fax River railroad. and In 1888 the 81
Augustine and Palatka railroad. ant
the st. Johns and Malifax from Pal
atka to Daytona. These were tn
first lines In the Florida East Coas
railroad. He extended the road f
Palm Beach in 1924, and in 1896 4
Miami. In 1905. being then ~ year,
old. he undertook the Key West eS
atension and ne lived to see II com
pleted. His investments In Florid'
] are placed approximately at $4,000