Lower coast gazette., 1914-04-18
Jacksonville and the Reunion.

Jacksonville, Ta-When the Con.
federate veterans and theIr friends a..
semble here for their Gath annual re-
union, they will be introduced to q city
and community. proud OF the present
and loyal to the ideals Of the old South,
Making Jacksonville the hub Of .
wheel twenty-five miles In diameter.
4 territory IL covered rich In historic
associations and interest and at the
same time Q ft exponent Of all that
ls progressive In the Southern States.
Jacksonville is q city OF $4,000 popu-
lation. with handsome business blocks.
modern skyscrape1s. commodious no.
tsis and residence sections that COM
pare favorably with the best In tAe
country. The c!ty's business has
grown Into large proportions. embrao'
Ing every line known to q modern
city. Jacksonville Of to-day Is In ell
respects q thriving ce2tcr Of trade
and commerce, much Of It's commerce
going across the scas into foreign
countries On ocean steamships. lt2
transportation facilities are superb,
both By rail and water. Railroads
feeding the erea, Florida Peninsula
center here. Thousands Of tourists
and uncounted tons OF freight pass
through the city and port every year,
the oze hunting health and pleasure.
the other scattering out over the civil
ICED world to do It's part in supplying
the demands Of tse coasuma's OF the
Garth.
And while the ~visi.oss are enjoying
this view snd prospect OF modern
business and community thrift. tiey
will be given an opportunity to look
down the past three hundred and atty
years. All Of this territory was in dis
pute three and a half centuries ago
between the French aid Spanish. with
the Wild indian holding the balance Of
power between the combatants. The
Frsncaman and the spaniard both laid
claim to the Florida territory. Which
was first to discover 1t Is a matter
over which historians differ. but 1t is
we'll authenticated that thu first white
men to set foot upon the soil now GOV.
cred by jacksonville were Frenchmen
under Rome ~Laudonnere.
The Qrst white ma to enter thu
mouth OF the ST. Johns river was
Jean R!bault, In command OF q com.
pany of 1%iu5uenots. who had left
France because OF religious persecu-
tons. He made his landing on Nay
l. 1863 City years after til, landing
Of Ponce de Leon st g point to the
south Of Jacksonville. Some h!stori.
ans are OF the opinion that Ponce de
Leon called ~ fer Forth as the mouth
OF the st. Johns, but the weight Of
evidence Is against ta!s %opia!on. II
DO were here hs left no trace. The
evidence ia that be did not travc, In
q direction from BIS original landing
that would have brought him to the
vicinity Of jacksonville. 1t is thor.
oughly established that I!hault en-
tered tho mouth Of tic st. Joa:s river
May !. 1850. and called Up the river
some m:..cs to q blu1. where CO EJECT.
ed & stone column on which was In.
.seribed the a7ns Of France. But Ri.
.bault did not ascend the river as hkiga
as Jacksonville Hs went from the
mouth o: tho river to Port Royal, S.: C.
In 1854. one year after the depar
ture Of Ribau!t, Rene Laadoanerc,
who had been with Ribsul. on tbs
nsst expedition. cane t., the mouth Of
the st. Johns with another colony q:
HugueEets, aud assembled, the river -
far as The present site OF Jacksonville,
camping probably N the south side Of
the river on territory ccw covered
by South Jacksonville. These vera,
the fr.! Waite mon to penetrate TIE
country ADORE the mouth Of TIE river.
In honor Of the day Of discovery, Nay
!. Rbnnt gave the river The na,ae Of
May, and tAis stood until the Span,
iards whipped out tho French, some
years later. Tho Spcn!ards called Il
the River San Aatoo at A:st. but later
changed rs name to San Juan. From
this Il aaally became the g.. Johas.
Old Fort Caroline was situated q. St.
johns blur some miles below tbs
city Of Jacksonville. No sign Of this
historic fort ~re,nains. not over a slab
to commemorate ia mou.niul story.
" During :he reunion. steamboat e..
cu.s!ons viii &c U to. al these points
Of historic !a;e, est on, the St. Johr
river. Il Is but t~weo.y.seven ni!es
from Jacksonville to the 2,outh Of tho
st. johns, where the gs"e:nmcnt has
const, ucsed. With the aid OF Jackson.
Vile. and tie State Of FIerida, q sys
tenn o! %:esties. deepeaed the water On
the bar and c~:.crwise protected nayi.
gaticn. In passing between Jackson
vile and the %js::.as. the yisi.e. will
have 20 t:ou.ia locating TIE sites CT
old forts that were erected nearly four
hundred years ago by the French aud
Spanish. The trip Is one Of the most
delightful IN the Southern States.
While Jacksonville has not advar.
tifed itself a. a large manufacturing
city, c: recent y.aIs many LARGE indus
tria! plants have teea established, NV
Ing employment to 5,0eo wage-earnsrs
ard turning out sI4, 900, 900 to SIS, 0oo,,
900 worth Of products per ennum. In
variety Of products. the city makes o
showing that bu: few ether oommun!
ties can eQlal. Ne& induEtries -.
secured almost evs:y moHth. and +.
Boerd c. Tt?ds. or. Of the "~cs; &c