The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-05-11

the mainland. Some parts OF the
moat can be traced along certain
streets. The only remaining evi
dence OF the wall Is the old city
gate, consisting of two pillars
twenty feet high with about thirty
feet Of the original wall on each
side and two sentry boxes.
These gates face Fort Marion,
which in my opinion is the most in
teresting relic of this old town,
The fort built of coQuina was IN
process of construction for one
hundred years and it is just the
same today as it was when com =
pleted in 1856. Over $4,000 tourists
went through this fort this season
Guides for the small sum OF 81
cents will show you the interesting
features and tell its history.
There were twenty in our party
and the guide was a young man.
and he sure had the old forts his J.
tory down pat. The two hours
spent there seemed not more than
fifteen minutes, so, swiftly the time
passed. We enjoyed every minute
even to the few minutes spent in
the dungeon. which is a room about
twelve feet square, walled on all
sides, top and bottom with a four
foot wall of stone. There was no
has only quite recently been UNI
earthed. as it's only entrance, a
small door, had been covered with
a stone wall. An electric fan has
been installed for the purpose OF
getting fresh air into the room.
Our entire party spent a few min
utes in this awful place. The
guide went out and closed the door
behind him.
The old slave market erected in
1910 Is another interesting place
This market. is now the center OF a
beautiful park We visited the old
house of st. Francis, the oldest IN
the United States. This is now
used as museum by the st. Au-
gustine Historical society. The
streets leading to this house are only
seven feet wide.
Anastasia island is another in
teresting place. We crossed long
bridge to get to this island, which
is seventeen miles long and about
two miles wide. On this island is
a lighthouse with a tower 165 feet
high. 1t was erected by the United
States government and is open &c
visitors daily
Near this lighthouse is Alligator
farm. This farm contains four times
as many live alligators as any
other farm in the world. We were
told that tourists always visited
this farm, So they induced me to
part with quarter (the price OF
admission) to see the horrid rep
tiles that have been afraid
would see every time / took hike
or went into a lake. But | was
bound to get my moneys worth il
possible, so guess ! saw the whole
bunch of 5000, ranging in size
from the newly Matched to Old
Ponce, whose age is estimated to
be 900 years, weighs over 1000
pounds and eats seventy five
pounds of meat at one meal. On
this island we saw an old Spanish
the barracks which sheltered the
men who quarried the coquina for
Fort Marion and the old house of
St Francis.
We left st. Augustine in the af-
tsrnoon. going via Jacksonville into
tFolktown, Ga, where we spent the
night. We reached Richmond, Va,
Monday afternoon at 1:3G. Our
car showed that we were LOIS
miles from st Cloud, Fla. We
| thought ourselves very fortunate to
secure rooms in the old Fairfax
house, built nobody knows how
long ago. There are thirty six bed =
rooms in it and much OF its fur
nishings are of ancient date. The
carving and nantes over the fire
places were brought over from Italy
The woodwork throughout the
rooms is mahogany. The landlady
who has rented this building for
showed us the house, pointing on;
the room the Prince of Wales oc-
cupied when he visited the United
States. One of the features of the
Iparlor was a large plate mirror
which was bought from Italy and
built right into the walls of the
] room. 1t was very beautiful and
| just as good as ever
This house was right in the CEN
ter of the historical part of the
city, and in walking distance from
the confederate museum in the cap
ital of the confederacy. This house
was built in 1919, and used as a
private residence until 1852. when
the owner sold it to the city of
Richmond for the use OF the con
leUeTdLb government. he CITY 1uI
nished it and offered it to Mr.. Da .
Wis, but he refused to accept the
gift. The confederate government
then rented it for the executive
mansion" OF the confederate states
President Davis lived here with his
: family, using the house both in A
private and official capacity
In this house, amid the cares OF
state, joy and sorrow visited him
Winnie, called the daughter of the
confederacy, was born here. A
large oil portrait of this lovely girl
made when she was about twenty
one, adorns the wall of the Virginia
room. Our guide took us out or
the east porch. telling us that Joe
the little two year old son of Presi
| dent Davis, fell from this porch
dying from the injuries received.
This house remained Mr.. Davis
home until Richmond was evacu
ated. He left with the government
officials on the night of April .
1865. In the Virginia room among
the other relics, / saw the suit OF
clothes on which was a card say.
ing this is the suit worn by Presi
! dent Davis when he left the city or
the night of April 2, 1865" So
| guess he didn't make his getaway
in women's clothes as ] always sup
posed he did. e
Each of the Confederate states
have.a room in this house contain
ing interesting relics. In the pres
1 H..