Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-05-27
FLORIDA, LAND OF FLOWERS.
j. Russell Wright Charmed by the
Beauty of st. Augustine.

Editor Keowee Courier: | am
charmed with st. Augustine. 1t is
simply a. bouquet of flowers, with
the Menendez river on the east and
the. Sebastian river on the west and
the great Atlantic in full view On
the east side there is a sea wall to
protect the city from tidal ives.
st. Augustine is a narrow strip of
land running down between these
two rivers. This is where Ponce
de Leon landed in 1905. Small Won
der is it that here in this winter
Paradise old Ponce de Leon should
seek the Fountain of Eternal
Youth" Surely, if anywhere vpon
this great, green earth there be a
fountain of YOUTH it must be
here, where air and sea and soil all
combine to make life delightful.
And Ponce de Leon and his followers
found disappointment only because
they expected too much. That
which so enraptured the old Spanish
pioneer has since captivated multi
tudes of American tourists and
pleasure seekers. The natural glo-
rles of this semi-tropical paradise
have been enhanced and multiplied
by the work Of man. Here, where
the balmy air Of January is like unto
smiling June of the North, the sun
lit days and the starlit evenings are
| ~ n1ntn ,uith -,
sports and social entertainments.
For lovers Of water there are sail
ing, canoeing, cruising on bay, river,
inlet and ocean. Here are the nest
sandy beaches in the world for
bathing, smoothed and hardened by
centuries of pounding from the
waves of the Atlantic, which makes
the finest possible course for speed
ing automobiles. S~ea-shell roads
hard, smooth, palm-bordered. and
free from dust-lend JOY to mLtor-
ing, driving or riding; and for those
who take pleasure in walking there
are shaded paths winding amid most
enchanting scenery.
The foliage is tropical, and the
growth luXuriant. Cocoanut, mag
nolia, palmetto and Towering trees,
strange to Northern eyes, dot the
landscape. Thousands Of acres are
devoted to cultivation Of the pine
apple, orange and grapefruit. Fish
ing ranks high among the sports,
and for those fond of hunting, ] am
told, there are turkey, duck, quail,
snipe, deer nd bear during the
open. season.
Florida's fare as Americas great
winter resort rests solidly uDon her
natural beauty OF scenery and the
most perfect climate in the world.
1t was at ST. Augustine that the Eu-
ropean first set foot on the main
LAID Of the Western World, and here
is located the Oldest town in Amer
lea. Founded by the Spaniard Me-
nendez three and a half centuries
ago, st. Augustine has remained
while all earlier and contemporane-
III settlements have disappeared.
There are a few houses in the city
that | went through built in 1916
and 1865. They are in good condi-
ton yet. This is a beautiful little
city and most interesting histori ally.
Nowhere else do the old ruins, the
quaint, narrow streets leave so real
a reminder Of the time when Spain
was dominant in the Western World.
The oldest wooden building in this
city is a school house on Main street.
said to be IT'S year old.
For a week the wind has been
from the northeast, and real cold,
and the tide has been remarkably
rugh. Old settlers tell me that this
is the first time in 81 years that the
wind and waves have been so rough
and cool in the month of May.
st. Augustine has a beautiful wa
ter front, with high sea-wall. The
two rivers, the Menendez and Sebas-
tian, run parallel.
ST. Augustine is a veritable 5ou-
quet Of lovely flowers.
]. Russell Wright.
- - n,,r l,@ NJ