Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-04-29
REUNION AT JACKSONVILLE.
j. Russell Wright Urges Attendance
In Land Of FlOwers--May 6-S.

Johnston, S. c., April 20.--Editor
Keowee Courier: The Gath annual
reunion Of Confederate veterans Will
he held in Jacksonville, Fla, May 8,
Z and g. 1t is Jacksonville's ambl-
ton to break all reunion records in
point of attendance and entertain
mont Every effort will be put forth
to make the veterans feel at home,
and to enjoy their stay in the Gate
way City of Florida. Hotels, board
ing houses and private homes will
be opened to the reunion delegates
and visitors. Jacksonville will i'm
press the veterans with all the force
of Andrew Jackson, for whom the
city was named. In return for valua-
BILE services rendered by Gen. Jack
son to the State in it's Indian trou-
bles, the city was named in his
honor. This city has a population of
$1,000. Jacksonville looms big as
the gateway to Florida. 1t is a new
city, and yet it is old. Where this
city now stands, was fought over
nearly 400 years ago by the sturdy
adventurers of the 10th century. The
Florida peninsula had its genesis in
the religious troubles by the Hugue-
nots under Charles TX, King of
France. In 1864 France landed a
colony at the present site of st. Au-
gustine, but in a short time they
sailed up the coast and entered the
st. Johns River. About half way
between the mouth Of the st. Johns
and the present city Of Jacksonville
the expedition erected a fort and
named it Fort Caroline King Philip
of Spain, through hatred Of the re-
ligious faith of the Huguenots, sent
an expedition to Florida to drive out
the French, and Fort Caroline fell
before the attack. The site Of this
old fort is but a few miles below
jacksonville. History is full Of evi-
dences that both French and Spanish
brought their warships as far up st.
Johns River as Jacksonville. They
were the first white men to set foot
on East Florida.
During the Confederate reunion
steamboat excursions will carry vete-
rams and visitors to these points of
historic interest on the beautiful st.
Johns River, which bounds the city
Of Jacksonville on the south. A boat
ride on this river is worth going
miles to enjoy. In many respects 1T
is the most wonderful body of water
in America. 1t is river Of sensa
tions, fed by never-failing springs.
At points above Jacksonville it
reaches width Of five or six miles.
The Indians called it Welaka, mean
ing, in their tongue, "chain of
lakes"
The round trip from Columbia and
Augusta will be $6.55, and this is
the first time that Florida has ever
had a Confederate reunion. Let
every old bullet-scarred veteran do
honor to the land of fruits and flow
ers. Let us, one more time meet and
sing together "When the roll is call
ed up yonder I'll be there"
There are lot of people in Oco-
nee that ] would be delighted to see
and shake their hands once more in
the flesh. Come to Jacksonville,
where the roses never fade and
where the flowers never cease to
bloom. They will give us the very
fat of the land-fish, fowl, olives,
oil and honey. Desota called Florida
the land of perpetual youth" AS
Moses said to Hobab, his father-in-
law, Come thou with us and we will
do thee good"
J. Russell Wright.