Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-06-07
Castlian Founder
To Be HOnOred

New York, June e-(By A. Ply
Harking back to the days Of con.
quest when proud galleons sailed
into the setting sun to explore the
riches OF this newly discovered
hemisphere, the little village OF
AviTes, Spain, has invited st. Au-
gustine. Fla, to return a social obli-
cation incurred S5S years ago.
Aviles is making ready to move
the bones of one Of her proudest
Castilians and most noted heroes.
Aviles, to a new and more pre-
tentious sepulcher. And, since de
Aviles was the founder Of st. Au-
gustine, Oldest white habitation on
the American continent, that city has
been asked to send some Of its ma
tives to Spain for the ceremonials.
So confident Is Aviles that the in
vitation. will, be accepted that one OF
her sons. Don Angel Cuesta, mill
lionaire in his own home town and
for 30 years a resident of Tampa,
Fla, has sailed for Spain to well
come the American delegation when
1t arrives for the celebration IN
August. In fact, numerous enter
tainments and festivities for the st.
Augustinians are already being ar
ranged over lneie' oSSoi uAn6 w
cables received by Spanish news
paper correspondents in this city
from Don Julian ORION, director OF
the ceremonial.
The invitation to st. Augustine Is
reported already on Its way. Anoth-
er invitation to the United States
government, with a request that IT
dispatch a gunboat overseas for the
occasion, Is reported to have been
rendered through Alexander p.
Moore, ambassador at Madrid. A
third invitation Is said to have been
sent to Senator Fletcher Of Florida,
asking him to have the battleship
Florida designated for this mission.
Adelantado Pedro Menendez de
Aviles was naughty adventurer in
the reign Of King Philip II whose
name appears in the almost-forgot-
ten histories Of more than one
American settlement.
, He was born at Aviles. in the
province Of Asturias, in 1873 and,
like many Of the aristocratic youths
of his day, the castles Of his ambi-
tons lay to the westward where
Columbus, the italian to whom
Queen Isabella had been godmother,
had but recently found fame and
fortune. He joined the navy, be-
came a captain-general, served his
king in many daring enterprises and
in 1860 landed in prison, disgraced.
But Columbus, too, had been dis
graced once, so this young Spaniard
kept heart. In five years he re-
gained the kings favor and shortly
was appointed governor of Cuba and
Florida, with orders to colonize the
latter country.
With proud armada Of 10 ships
and 1900 men, de Aviles sailed from
Cadiz in 1865. A storm scattered
the expedition. Only seven of the
ships reached Florida. Ten weeks
from the day they embarked, de
Aviles founded ST. Augustine and,
after massacring nearly all Of a COL
ony of French Protestants that chung
precariously to the banks of the st.
Johns river, Spanish dominion was
established over Florida.
On subsequent expeditions Men
endez raised the flag of his king
over a post on Fort Royal Bay.
South Carolina, and founded a mis-
sion on Chesapeake bay. When the
Indians annihilated the latter COL
ony in 1872, the founder sailed his
ships up the Chesapeake and Po-
tomac and slaughtered hundreds OF
the red skinned natives.
His career ended at sea, for he
died soon after being placed in COM
mand of an armada which was des-
tined to descend upon the Neither
lands.