Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1921-06-17
JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA
BY JAMES FAUX.

tertalnment until the time arrived
to convoy US to the boat which was
to ride us over the harbor and down
the river. Here we got ia touch
with the editors sister, Mrs. ]. Il.
Stewart. who lives in Jacksonville
and whom we had arranged for to-
spend the day with the party on the
river trip. 1t had been sometime
since we mad seen her aud right glad
were we all to be thrown together
once again.
The day aboard the boat was pleas
antly spent. 1t was regular river
ste amer and equipped with good
dec IS, berths, toilets etc. making
for the comfort of the passengers.
A fine luncheon picnic style was
served below on the freight deck,
aud we all filed down stairs and in
our turn were handed out nice eats
on paper plates with cooling drinks
served from the other side and brick
ice cream as a winding up course.
Splendid views Of the harbor were
afforded us as the steamer painted up
aud down stream Or we should
have said as the valiant tug to which
we were dashed did the putting as it
was under her steam that we made
headway rs the engine of the boat on
| which we were riding Vas out of
commission. And by the way the
tug which did the pulling was a
historic one being one of the filibns-
ter tugs which figured in the Cuban
Expeditions just before the Spanish
American War broke out 1t was q
large size tug and looked fairly sea-
worthy for those days when even
lbattleships were less size than the
smaller cruisers of today. The fac
tories and wharfs and other great
sights of this city were observed as
we rode along the river and also a
great new bridge under construc-
ton.
That afternoon after we disem-
, barked this writer and wife were
piloted by our sister, Mrs. Stewart
to the Ostrich and Alligator farm
across the river from the city by a
J steam ferry boat Despite the show
er which came up aud was about the
. only real rain we struck during the
nearly four weeks 10 Florida, we got
to see the boa ostrich work To suiky
/ driven by darkey who later climbed
/ up on the old birds neck and rode
him round the rink. The Ostrich
: painted right smart from the trip bul
) made 1T round though they used q
whip and scold words at him right
sharp. The alligator farm is to the
rear of the Ostrich show-place aud
here we saw all ages of alligators
from the big old fellows to little
fresh Matched ones with all the inter.
medary sizes. One alligator whom
the black trainer called Bob had
been taught to climb up aud slide
down one of those elevated affairs
some twenty feet high much like we
see in children Fairgrounds. Bot
slid off INTO the water pond which
was his home and seemed to enjoy
the sport though he baked a time or
two in making the crawl upward,
but his black friend yelled at him
and beat loudly on the platform
which had foot Stats to assise the
climb and Bob finally reluctantly
gained the top and slid down with a
great splash as the downward slide
! was of smooth track construction
worn extra smooth from long use
in this practice.
: Our party went to bed on the
: sleeper train in Jacksonville thai
night after a great banquet at thu
same hotel where we had takel
breakfast. They woke up the mex
. morning in ST. Augustine. We tar
, ried in the metropolis city that nigh
to spend it IN the home of our siste
Mrs. Stewart where we enjoved be
ing with her and her two interestin,
little girls, our nieces, Dorothy an,
! Elise Stewart who are growing oil
:, fast and attending school with en-
thusiasm.
:, We made the journey over to
ST. AUGUSTINE