Class Book COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT "//'j all in the Standard Guided PmCE25CE;NTv3 For Ready Reference see fourth page from cover. 7^ he Standarii Guide. SHORT LINE TO FLORIDA And Through and from Florida / TO ALL NORTHERN POINTS. Florida Central & Peninsular R. R. I^AA^&AJ>.AAAAAA^ Double d;iily trains between New York and Jacksonville, \ The Only \ ^** Augustine, East Coast Points, Tallahassee, Tarn- J \ pa, and all South and West Florida. \ Railroad to ► Xi-x\\y between Cincinnati and all above points. Close con- \ > nection to and from Chicago and tiie West. j SILVER ^ j^^.jy i^^^j^^^,^ St. Louis and Florida. HOLLY SPRINGS \ SPRINGS \ ROUTE connects with Chicago, Kansas City and the < \ West. NEW ORLEANS, TALLAHASSEE & JACKSON- Ar^^rvv-irv^w..** VILLE THROUGH LINE— Only line with through Sleeper be- tween these points. Send for best map of Florida, and pamphlet of Hunting and Fishing Resorts. AGENCIES: J R ADAMS, Gen. East Agent, J R. DUVAI,, Agent, E. D. PALMER, Agent, 353 Broadway, New York. 205 E. Baltimore St , Baltimore. 197 Washington St., Boston. DANIEL LAMMOT, Jr., Agent, W. B. PENNINGTON, Gen. West. Agent, 40 South Third Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 169 Walnut St., Cincinnati, O. WALTER G. COLEMAN, General Trans. Agent, 353 Broadway, New York. W S PENNINGTON, A. O. MAC DONELL, General Passenger Agent, ' Traffic Manager. Jacksonville, Florida. The Standard Guide to Washington (FLAG ON THE COVER). Describes and pictures the Capitol, White House, Treasury and other Departments, Washington Monument, the Museums, Statues, Arlington, Mount Vernon. A hand-book on new lines. More than loo illustrations. TEXT BY C. B. REYNOLDS. Sold everywhere. Price, 2^ cents. 7 he Standard Collide. Merchants & Miners Transportation Co. QUEEN OF SEA ROUTES TO THE North and East, * * * South and Southwest. f 1 N . Nj 1 -'i 1 1 ' Ll Ih ^■^^^H^^^HHH^H^BI ^^j^^^^^^m L ^^^ ^ ''m e.2£;i#«*«eS:a^ ^ ■""''' .<-i..-^i..f.-^>-. F1RST=CLASS IRON PASSENGER STEAMSHIPS With Trained and Experienced Officers, ijetavekn SAVANNAH and BALTIMORE, LEAVING SAVANNAH, LEAVING BALTIMORE, WEDNESDAY and SATURDAY. TUESDAY and FRIDAY. Through tickets to all points reached via Baltimore and Savannah for sale in all Railroad Ticket Offices. For further information apply to A, "L. HUGGIXS, Agent, NEWCOMB COHEN, Travelling A rent, J. J. CAROr,AX, Agent, Iionj^ Dock, lialtiiiiore, Md. Jacksonville, Fla. .Savannah, Ga, J, C. WHITNEY, Traffic Mgr. A. D. STEBBINS, Asst. Traffic Mgr. W. P. TURNER, Gen. Pass. Agt. General Offices, 214 and 216 Water st., Baltimore, Md. Circulars also at the Standard GuiJe Information Bureau. TJie Sfajidard Guide. THE CLYDE STEAMSHIP CO. "New York, Charleston and Florida Lines/' NORTHBOUND. \ SOUTHBOUND. Steamers are appointed to sail according to the tide- ? Steamers are appointed to sail from Pier 29, East River, New York, at 3 P. M. as follows: For JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Mondays, "Wednesdays and Fridays. For CHARLESTON, S. C, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. From CHARLESTON, S. C, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For hour of sailing see Jacksonville and Charleston daily papers. = The fleet is composed of the following elegant steamers: "COMANCHE" rnew), Capt. L. W. Pennington. "ALGONQUIN," Capt. S. C. Piatt. "IROQUOIS," Capt. H. A. Bearse. "YEMASSEE," Capt. J. Robinson. "SEMINOLE," Capt. I. K. Chichester. "CHEROKEE,'^Capt. Jos. McKee. This is the only line of steamers running through to J ACKSOTN^^FL,L,E, FLiA., without change, making close connection with all Railroad and Steamboat lines at Charleston, S. C, and Jacksonville, Fla. CLYDE'S ST. JOHN'S RIVER LINE, (DE B.ARY line) Jacksonville, Palatka, Sanford and Enterprise, Fla., AND INTERMEDIATE LANDINGS ON THE ST. JOHN'S RIVER. Sailing from Jacksonville daily, except Saturday, at 3:30 P. M,, and from Sanford daily, except Sunday, at 9 A. M., making close connection with all railroads at Jacksonville, Palatka, Astor and Sanford. Through Tickets and Bills of Lading at Lowest Rates to all interior points in Florida. Steamer "CITY OF JACKSONVILLE," Capt. W. A. Shaw. Steamer "EVERGLADE," Capt. Creaser. Steamer "FRED'K DE BARY," Capt. T. W. Lund, Jr. Steamer "WELAKA," Capt. . For further information apply to - J. A. LESLIE, Supt., Jacksonville, Fla. JAS. E. EDGERTON, Supt., Charleston, S. C, MARSHALL, H. CLYDE, A. T. M. A. J. COLE, Gen'l Pass. Agt. THEO. G. EGER, T.M. WM. P. CLYDE & CO., General Agents, 5 BOWLING GREEN, NEW YORK. 12 SOUTH DEL. AVE., PHILADELPHIA, PA. Circulars also at the Standard Guide Information Bureaus. The Standard Guide, Tti^Te"^l^5 PBict One Hundred «, Ridden BY Thousands ^. & AoniBED BY MiLLIOyNS .« Stearns SpEaAL*I25 Steabns Tande>\ " 150 E05TEARN5 5C9 SyracusetN-Y- READY REFERENCE GUIDE. For flap of St. Augustine see page 15. ST. AUGUSTINE is a well-equipped modern city. It has asphalt pavements, gas and electric lights, an artesian water system, a tire department, well-stocked markets and stores, elegant churches, an increasing number of residences, and palatial hotels which are famous the world over and on whose registers are written the names of more than 50,000 guests every winter and spring. It is the fashionable winter resort of the United States. Visitors I'lnd every convenience and luxurv. The town is renowned for its healthfulness, the climate is equable and has given lease of life to thousands who have con.ie hither from the North and West. SITUATED on a narrow strip of land running north and south, the town has in front (on the east) the Matanzas River or bay, and on the west the St. Sebastian River. Across the bay is Anastasia Island; and beyond that — two miles distant — the ocean. RAILWAYS. All trains leave from the Union Depot. HOTELS, of which announcements will be found in our advertising pages, are : Ponce de Leon, Cordova and Alcazar, on King street. Magnolia, St. George street. Florida, St. Cieorge street. Barcelona, Carrere street. Buckingham, Granada street. Granada, Granada street. La Borde, Marine street. Spear Mansion, St. George street. Lorillard Villa, St. George street. MAILS. The post office is on St. George street, facing the Plaza. General delivery hours, S A. M. to 6 P. M. -Mail time to New York, thirty hours; to Chicago, forty hours. TELEGRAPH OFFICES. Alcazar, Hotel Ponce de Leon and Hotel San Marco. EXPRESS. Southern Express Co.; office, Nos. 31 and 33 Alcazar, Cordova street. BANK. First National Bank, north side of Plaza. Hours, g A. M. to 2 P. M. CHURCHES. Episcopalian — Trinity Church, facing Plaza. Methodist — Grace Church, Cordova and Carrere streets. Presbyterian — .Memorial Church, \'alencia street. Roman Catholic — Church facing Plaza on the north. Baptist — Carrere street. PUBLIC LIBRARY. St. George street, in post office building. Non-residents may borrow books free of charge. STUDIOS. \'alencia street. Hotel Ponce de Leon. MUSEUMS. Dr. Vedder's Florida Museum (on Marine, corner Treasury street) is well worth visit- ing; its extensive collections of land and marine lite are of decided merit and will repav the atten- tion of those who are interested in natural history, and there is abundant entertainment here for an hour or a forenoon. [Continued on second pagre beyond.] Corner ii;th and 1 streets, n. w. Circulars aiso at the Standard Guid ; Information Bureau. The Standard Gitidc. The Florida East Coast Hotel System. C. B. KINOTT, General Superintendent. ST. AUGUSTINE. THE FAHOUS CASINO BATHS For Men and Women. TURKISH AND RUSSIAN BATHS. The onh' Turkish and Russian Baths in the State and the finest in the South. Dail)' capacity, 200. Where the tired and dusty traveler can enjoy the luxur)' of a bath before retiring". 4- + '^ +• 4- ALCAZAR, Hotel Attached. Casino Features this Season: - DRY " DEPARTMENT. Theater (special attractions). Music, Restaurant, Shuffle Boards, Dancing, Croquet, Bowling, Pooh Tennis, Billiards. "WET" DEPARTMENT. Swimmine Pool 120 feet lono- ::;o feet wide; Pluno-e Baths, Hot and Cold Tub Baths, Shower Baths, Electric Baths, Sulphur Baths; Gymnasium; Special Massage Treatment ; Alcohol, Cologne and Salt "Rubs"; Pedicure and Manicure Attendance. NOTE. — The Artesian Water used in these baths is from a special well 1,400 feet deep, llowing 10,000,000 yallons daily, bored for the Casino, and is stron;,' in salt, lime, magnesia, sulphur, iron and such medicinal qualities highly recommended for their remedial virtues. 4. .J, ^ ^ A. M. TAYLOR, Manager. Circulars also at ihe Standard Guide Information Bureaus. Ready Reference Gjtide — Continued. POINTS OF INTEREST. FORT MARION is open to the public through the day. THE CITY GATEWAY is at the head of St. George street. THE PLAZA, or park, is in the center of the town. THE SEA-WALL was built by the United States Government in 183^-42. See page 30. THE ST. FRANCIS BARRACKS are at the south end of the Sea-Wall. HARBOR AND BEACHES. Small steam craft ply between wharves and beaches and other points, and may be chartered for excursions. A ferry crosses to South Beach and the Lighthouse HISTORICAL. PONCE DE LEON discovered Florida in 151 2. No permanent settlement was established until 1565, when Pedro Menendez founded St. Augustine, the oldest town in North America. From the massacre of the French Huguenots by Menendez at Matanzas to the close of the Seminole War in 1842, St. Augustine's three centuries have been crowded with stirring incident and eventful change The town remained in the possession of the Spaniards until 1763, when Florida was ceded to Great Britain; in 1783 England ceded Florida back to Spain, and the United States came into possession in 1821. The massacre of the Huguenots by Menendez, the sacking of St. Augustine by Drake, the pillaging by the Boucaniers, the sieges by the British under Moore and Oglethorpe, the vicissi- tudes during the Revolutionary War, the coming of the Minorcan refugees, the Seminole War, and other incidents are referred to in subsequent pages, while the story of the town's three centuries is told in "Old St. Augustine" — a helpful little book, which is to be seen in its coquina binding, at all the stores. The most attractive and Mstorical point of interest on your return is ATLANTA, GA., and the The Palace Hotel Of The South. It is entirely new and the most ele- gant, com plate, and perfect in its ap- pointments, cuisine and service of any hotel palace in the South. American and European Plans HOTEL ARAGON. '<>«%/ ATLANTA has the most equable and uniform climate in the United States, with all the features essential to health. Klevation 1085 feet, drainage, dryness of air and absolute exemption from epidemics and malaria. 1 he purest of water, clear as crystal. There are many attractive drives over roads of historic interest, 'midst beautiful landscape with m untain belted horizon from 40 to 100 miles distant. Z^^ Beauti/tiUy Illustrated Book with Rates and Full Particulars on Application. Circulars also at the Standard Guide Information Bureau. The Standa7'd Guide. % Sick people, or persons desirino- absolute rest, should investi- -# j| gate the true merits of "The Alma," Alma, riichigan. A staff of ^ ^ reliable and experienced physicians, the guests being under their ^ *- constant care and supervision. A valuable equipment of all forms % % of reliable remedial appliances. The Alma=Bromo Mineral Water, % f; the strongest bromide spring known, is especially beneficial for the -^K- § relief of rheumatism, skin, kidney, nervous and stomach dis= % % eases. A liberal cuisine, even temperature, beautiful sun parlors, lux- ^ urious accommodations — ^ in fact, everything strictlj- % first class. Cases of con- ^ sumption, epilepsy and ^ insanity are not admitted. ^ A beautiful illustraied bro- ^ '^ chure sent on application. \^Bm Ci| Address V^ I Alma Sanitarium Co. % Alma, riichigan. STEINWAY Grand Pianos Upright Pianos The Recognized Standard Pianos of the World. Pre-eminently the best instruments at present made, exported to and sold in all art centers o<" the globe; endorsed and preferred for public and private use by the greatest living artists. Illustrated Catalogues Mailed Free on Application. STEINWAY & SONS, Warerooms: Steinway Hall, = 107=111 East 14th Street, New York. The Standard Giiidc. The Florida East Coast Hotel System. ST. AUGUSTINE. - ORMOND. Hotel Ponce de Leon, The Ormond. Hotel Alcazar, < Hotel Cordova, | PALM BEACH. The Casino. Hotel Royal Poinciana, Russian and Turkish Baths r\ t r» l i „ and Swimming Pool. ^ P^lm Beach Inn. C. B. KNOTT, General Superintendent. PALM BEACH. CASINO, With its dance and entertainment halls. Salt Water Baths. Salt Water Swimming Pool. Sea Bathing. PAVILION. Salt and fresh water baths, Salt water swimming pool, i6ft. by 70ft, 5EA BATHING DURING THE ENTIRE WINTER. Circulars also at the Standard Guide Information Bureaus. The Standard Guide ST. AUGUSTINE By CHARLES B. REYNOLDS WITH A DESCRIPTION OF The Florida East Coast ILLUSTRATED ^ •: ,"' FEB 1 1896 ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA ^-^ ^—^ ^^ / 3 Copyright, 1896, by C. B. Reynolds To the Reader The Standard Guide is intended to give such prac- tical information and intelligent description as, it is hoped, may add to the convenience and pleasure of the tourist. The present edition, which is for the eleventh 3^ear, appears in an enlarged form, with text re- vised to date, and much new material, including a description of the East Coast country. The generous list of illus- trations given in former editions has also been increased. The prose and pictures will in the future prove pleasant reminders of one's visit to Florida. FROM THK SKA-WAI.L. !::5 CONTENTS, St. Augustine, The City Gateway, The Plaza, The Sea-Wall, The Ponce ee Leon, Fort Marion, St. Francis Barracks, - Harbor and P5each, St. Anastasia Island, - As A Health Resort, Gun and Rod, The East Coast Country. Page' ■ 9 19- 2T 24 - 25 40 - 5- 54 - 56. - 60. 65. FORT MARION — LOOKING SEAWARD. ILLUSTRATIONS. MORNIXG AFTER A StoRM, Light and Shade, - 'St. Francis Street, A Study in St. Augustine, The Gardens with their Palms, The Overhanging Balconies, Transformed St. George Street, The New St. Augustine, The Memorial Church, A Bit of Old Augustine, Morning on the Plaza, The Old Cathedral, Linger as Cherished Land.marks, The Ponce de Leon, From the Gateway of the Court, Ceiling Fresco, ICeiling Fresco, The Alcazar, Cool, Inviting Vistas, The Cordova, CoQuiNA Bastions, Frontispicc PAGE - ID II - 12 13 ■ 14 15 • 16 17 ■ 18 22 - 23 24 • 27 29 31 33 35 38 39 41 viii Illnstrations. PAGE Plan df Fort Makiox, - - - - " - ' - 42 To-Day Touching Hands with Yesterday, - - - ■ ^43 Chatel Entrance and Casemates, - - - ~ - - 44 A MoNCMENi' OF Three Centuries, _ . . - ~ - 45 Osceola and Coacoochee, - - - - - - - 46 Menendez, ....----•- 4S San Juan de Pinos, - - - - - - - 48 The Siece iiy P"rancis Drake, ....-- In the Old Days, .....- = - The Siege by Oglethorpe, _.-- = = - General Marion, ...-. = ..- British Si. At custine, _.. = --- The Dade Memorial, _ . - . ^ - - French at the River of Dolphins, ..---- Ruins of the Matanzas Fort, ..---- St. George Street near the P'.aza, ------ Indian Mode of Hunting Alligators, . - = - - Knows Where to go Fishin', ---■.■■-- In Seminole Land, ._-. = -- CocoAXUT AT Palm Beach, .--.--- One of the Ormond Drives, ------ The Tallv-Ho on Ormond Beach, ...--- CoQUiNA Shell-Stone, ------- Ormond P.each in April, „.----. The Walk at Rockledge, . . = . . A Rockledge Vista, - __.-.-- The Halifax River Shore, _.-.-- Sentinel Palmi iioes, ....= = -- A Palm Beach Outlook, - - ~ ■ . - The Royal Poinciana, - . . . - . Architecture of Turkey Creek, . , . - - A Seminiile of To-Dav, - __-... The East Coast Country, ..,-..- A Memory of the East Coast Land, ------ *** For permission to use copyrighted photographs, we are iiiHebted to Havens, of Jacksonville; the Artotype Pub. Co., of New York; and the W. H. Jackson Photo and Pub. Co., of Denver. ST. AUGUSTINE. ,0RT1FICATI0N and defense were the first thought of the Spanish soldiers who founded St. Augustine; and they were careful to choose a site which should be a stronghold. The situation of the town was admirably fitted for such a purpose. St. Augustine is built on a narrow strip of land running north and south. In front on the east is the Matanzas River, in the rear on the west flows the St. Sebastian. Distances in St. Augustine are not great. The chief points of interest are com- prised within an area of three-quarters of a mile in length; and the tourist who is provided with the Standard Guidk will need no other aid in finding his way. ^ A sea-wall extends along the water front from Fort Marion on the north to the United States barracks on the south. In the center of the town is an open square or park, called the Plaza. The principal streets run north and south; the cross streets at right angles, east and west. The main thoroughfare, St. George street, runs through the center of the town to the City Gate; from that point it is known as the Shell Road, extending north beyond the San Marco Hotel. Treasury street, crossing St. George one block north of the Plaza, narrows at the east end to an alley, across which two persons may clasp hands. St. Francis street, at the southern extremity of St. George, was long famous for its ancient date palm, which was killed by the freeze of 1885. The Alameda extends west from the Plaza to the St. Sebastian River. Some of the street names are sii-gestive of incidents in the town's romantic history. St. Francis commemorates the labors and self-sacrifice of the Franciscan mission fathers, whose monastic institu- tion was on the site where the barracks now stand. Cuna and St. Hypolita were given in the Spanish supremacy. St. George street was so called in honor of England's patron saint, and Charlotte was the name of the queen of King George III. Old St. Augusthte states that the name Treasury is from the Spanish term, which signified "the street where the treasurer lives." The treasure (/. e. funds for the soldiers' pay, etc.) was kept closely guarded in the fort. The narrow little streets, with their foreign names and foreign faces, their overhanging balconies and high garden walls, through whose open door one caught lO The Standai'd Guide. a glimpse of orange and fig and waving banana, were once among the quaint char- acteristics which made this old Florida town charming and peculiar among all Ameri- can cities. But the picturesque streets, of which tourists delighted to write, have almost ceased to be a pleasing feature of St. Augustine. Some of them have been widened; and others, shorn of their quaintness, are ill adapted to the swelling traffic A STUDY OF Lir.HT AND SHADE. Charlotte Streei. of the "rush season." Reckless drivers crowd the pedestrian to the wall, and well may he sigh for the good old times when, tradition says, no wheeled vehicle was allowed in St. Augustine. The Standard Guide, we are sure, echoes the sentiment of scores of intelligent visitors, when it expresses regret that more adequate appreci- ation and foresight should not have prompted to the better preservation of these quaint and characteristic features of St. Augustine. The aspect of the town has been modified in other respects. The style of archi- tecture is undergoing a change; one by one the overhanging balconies are disappear- ing from the streets; high stone walls are replaced by picket fences and wire netting; 12 The Stajidard Gitide. A STUDY IN ST. AUGUSTINE. Sketch from paintings by Louis C, Tiffany. moss-roofed houses have given way to smart shops; lattice gates are displaced by show windows and displays of bargains in ready-made clothing. Few of the old dwellings are remarkable for antiquity or peculiarity of construc- tion; their picturesque side is usually seen from the street. In former times most of the houses were of coquina, a natural shellstone quarried from Anastasia Island, but this has been superseded by wood and artificial concrete. To tear down and demolish has been the rule with foe and friend alike. Indian, Sea-King, Bou- canier, British invader — each in turn has scourged the town; and after the passing of each, it has risen again. If we may credit the testimony of visitors here, over St. Augustine has always hung an air of- desolation and decay. After the successive changes of rulers, the new has always been built from the old. To use the coquina blocks from a dilapidated structure was less laborious than to hew out new material from the Anastasia quarries. In this manner were destroyed the coquina batteries, that in old times defended the southern line of the town. The stone from one of them was employed in build- .^ f r ^ ;?^^.V^ , . THK GAKUKNS \V1 1 H THKIK PALMS.' 14 TIic Standai'd Guide. ing the Franciscan convent, and thence it went into the foundation of the barracks, which rose on the convent site. Another lot of coquina passed through a like cycle of usefulness, from outskirt battery into parish church, and from parish church to the repair of the city gate. So universal, indeed, has been this process of tearing down the old to construct the new, that there are few edifices here to-day, concerning whose antiquity we have satisfactory evidence. Boston worships in churches more ancient than the cathedral; New Orleans markets are older than the disused one on the plaza; Salem wharves antedate the sea-wall; on the banks of the Connecticut, the Hudson and the Potomac stand dwellings more venerable than any here on the Matanzas. — Old St. Augustine. The people met in the streets are not the picturesque beings described in the books of travel written fifty years ago. Most tourists expect to find here a Spanish population. They have a notion — zealously fostered by the stereotyped "Ancient City" letter in Northern newspapers — that inasmuch as St. Augustine was founded by the Spaniards there must be Spaniards here now. As a matter of fact, the swarthy Spaniard stalks through the streets no longer, save in the imagination of feminine cor- respondents, who send gush- ing screeds to their papers The Spanish residents emi- grated when Florida was ceded to the United States seventy- five years ago. A portion of the native population, distinguished by dark eyes and dark complex- ions, is composed of the IVIi- norcans, but they are now an inconspicuous part of the winter throngs. They have given place to the multitudes from abroad; as their ancient coquina houses are making way for modern hotels and winter -residences. In 1769, during the British occupa- tion, a colony of Minorcans arid IVtajorcaas were brought from the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, to New Smyrna, on the Indian River, south of St. Augustine. Deceived by Turnbull, the proprietor of the plantation, and subjected to gross privation and cruelty, they at length appealed to the authorities of St. Augustine, were promised protection, deserted from New Smyrna in a body, came to St. Augustine, were defended against the claims of Turnbull, received an allotment of land in the town, built palmetto-thatched cottages, and remained here after the English emigrated. "the OVhKHANGl.\(. KA1.< Si. George Street. T/ic Standard Guide. 15 The Fort, the gateway and the old houses are built of coquina (Spanish, signify- ing shellfish), a native rock found on Anastasia Island. It is composed of shells and shell fragments of great variety of form, color and size. Ages ago these were washed up \\\ enormous quantities by the waves, just as masses of similar material are left transformp:d st. george street, Shotving the Hotel Magnolia. now on the beach, where one may walk for mileg through the loose fragments which, under favorable conditions, would in time form coquina stone. Cut off from the sea, these deposits are in time partially dissolved by rain water and cemented together. The new material is a composition of sand, Portland cement and shells. A wall is built by moulding successive layers of concrete; as each layer hardens a new one is poured in on top of it. The wall is thus cast instead of being built; when completed it is one stone; indeed, the entire wall construction of a concrete building is one solid mass throughout — a monolith, with neither joint nor seam. The plastic materia) i6 The Standard Guide. lends itself most admirabl\- to architectural and decorative purposes, and possesses the very important qualities of durability and immunity from destruction bv fire. It was first employed in the Villa Zorayda, wcnlhy of note because of the architectural design and the elaborate manner in which the owner-architect has successfully de- veloped his plan of an oriental building as appropriate to the latitude of Florida. The architecture throughout is Moorish, after sketches and {photographs in Spain, 'Tangier and Algiers. Above the front entrance is the inscription in Arabic letters: IVa la ghalih ilia lla — " There is no conqueror but God" — the motto which is every- where reproduced on the escutcheons and in the tracery of the Alhambra. The Memorial Presbyterian church, erected in 1889 by Mr. H. M. Flagler, is an elaborate structure, in the style of the Venetian Renaissance, and in wealth of ex- terior decoration surpasses any other building in St. Augustme. Other changes have been made in ecclesiastical architecture, most noteworthy with respect to the Roman Catholic cathedral on the Plaza. Destroyed by fire in 1887, it has been rebuilt, enlarged and beautified. The original facade has been retained and blends somewhat inharmoniously with the spire rising above it. There is in this something typical of that incongruity which characterizes the town, THE MEMORIAL CHURCH. i8 The Standard Guide. a combination of the ancient and tlie modern, the quaint and venerable and the painfully new. Because of the pretty fable that the name Florida was given to a "Land of Flowers," and because the tropical features of the northern portion of the State have been grossly exaggerated, most persons who come to Florida in winter are apt to be disappointed when they' find the floral display less profuse and brilliant than they anticipated. They forget that like the North, the South also has its seasons, which are marked in the same manner if in less degree. Spring is the time of bursting l)uds and blossoms, summer of luxuriant and maturing vegetation, autumn of the falling leaf; while in winter much of the Florida verdure is sere and brown, the deciduous trees are bare of leaves, and beneath the sombre drapings of "Spanish moss," as in the North beneath the sheet of snow, the earth rests and recuperates. There is yet abundance of foliage and color. Lemon, orange and lime, oleander, olive and magnolia, date palm, pal- metto and bay are evergreen; rose gardens are in perennial bloom. The orange blossoms in the last of Feb- ruary or the first of March; the fruit ripens from November 15 to Decem- ber I, and will hang on the trees until the middle of the following May. In recent years the town has taken WW^ ' ''^fe^^W ' J on a new appearance and character From a queerly built old city, whose foreign air piqued the curiosity of the chance visitor, and hinted at the vicissitudes of its "three centuries of battle and change," St. Augustine has become a fashionable winter resort, whose great hotels dominate the aspect of the surroundings, and in their luxury and magnificence have no equals in the world; it is the winter Newport, whose visitors are numbered by tens of thousands, whose private residences are distinguished for elegance and comfort. Year by year the city grows more beautiful, and with each innovation and transformation it adds anew to its attractiveness. The old has been supplanted by the new, yet St. Augustine preserves a distinctive character all its own, and there is now more than ever before about the old city an indefinable charm, which leads one's thoughts back to it again, and gladdens the face that is once more turned toward Florida and St. Augustine. Can life anywhere else be like life in the Ancient City? Upon the tlrst day thereof we are ready to swear you, Nay. Upon the one hundred and fifty-first I think we say. Amen. — Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. A BIT OF OLD AUGUSTINE, THE CITY GATEWAY, ^i the head of St. George Stj-eet. ''ANDMARKS are rapidly disappearing from St. Augustine, but the pillars of the ancient city gateway still remain as notable monu- ments of the past. ^Micn first seen these towers are quite likely • T- ^•' to be a disappointment, for their proportions are not so grand as they are often pictured. Moreover the gate has been outgrown and dwarfed; and it no longer possesses the advantage of a commanding position on the town's outskirts. Dwellings crowd close upon it, overtopping the towers; a huge hotel looms up beyond. Irreverence might even dub the gateway ridiculous. But it was not always so. Inconsequential as may be these towers now, there was a time when they stood out bravely enough, and when in their security St. Augustine rejoiced. In those days they looked out upon an illimitable wilderness; the belated traveler hurried on to their shelter; and the town slept securely when the Barrier Gate was fast shut against the midnight approach of a foe from without. Stoutly their walls gave their strength when it was needed, and defended for the King of Spain his garrison town in Florida. They have witnessed many a narrow escape and many a gallant rescue. More than once have they trembled with the shock of assault, and more than once driven back the foe repulsed. To-day, dis- mantled and useless, out of keeping with the customs of the day and the spirit of the age, long since left behind by the outstretching town, the picturesque old ruins linger as cherished landmarks. Here we are on historic ground. The gateway is the only conspicuous relic of the elaborate system of fortifica- tions which once defended St. Augustine. The town being on a narrow peninsula running south, an enemy could approach by land only from the north. Across this northern boundary, east and west, from water to water, ran lines of fortification, which effectually barred approach. From the Fort a deep ditch ran across to the St. Sebastian; and was defended by a high parapet, with redoubts and batteries. The ditch was flooded at high tide. Entrance to the town was by a drawbridge across the moat and through the gate. Earthworks extended along the St. Sebastian River in the rear (west) of the town, and around to the Matanzas again on the south. The gate was closed at night. Guards were stationed in the sentry boxes. Just within whe gate was a guard house, with a detachment of troo])s. 20 The Standard Guide. 7 t ^^ «>a» ^ *K S^ J 34 The Standard Guide. bits of marble, laid in Renaissance manner. The wainscoting of the vestibule is of choice Numidian marbles imported from Africa; that of the corridor is of quartered oak. Marble fireplaces of generous dimensions give an air of welcome, and all the suggestions are of hospitality and comfort. In composition and decoration the rotunda is a marvel of grace and beauty. The immense dome is supported by four massive piers and eight pillars of oak, carved into caryatides of life size, cut from the solid quartered wood, and terminating in. fluted shafts. The sylph-like figures have laughing, mischievous faces, and a won- drous semblance of life. They are in groups of four, standing back to back; and so graceful are the forms, so light and airy the poses, we forget the tremendous weight they are supporting. The rotunda is four stories in height, forming arcades and galleries at each story whose arches and columns are of different designs. These galleries overhang each other, and are supported by decorated vaults forming pene- trations. The effect is most pleasing, as one looks up through the entire open space, to the great circular penetration in the vault of the dome, sixty-eight feet above. While the decorations here are true to the Spanish Renaissance style, the motives for them have been found in the Spain and the Florida of the sixteenth century; the symbolism is of the spirit of that age and the impulses which then held sway. Painted on the pendentives of the cove ceiling of the second story, are seated female figures typical of Adventure, Discovery, Conquest and Civilization. Four other figures, which are standing, represent the elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The paintings are in oil on a silver ground; the colors are rich and varied, and the ac- cessories chosen with excellent taste. In the four subjects last named the com- position is completed with arabesque figures of appropriate designs; and the several backgrounds are scattered with distinctive emblematic devices. Adventure wears a cuirass and in her helmet an eagle's crest. She holds a drawn sword. The pose is eager and alert; the features and the bearing denote reckless enterprise, courage, readiness to encounter peril, and the resolution which overcomes. The emblems on the background are arrows radiating in different directions. Discovery is robed in drapery whose blue is the blue of the sea. In her right hand is held a globe, the other rests upon a tiller. The pose of the head and the far reaching gaze are as if with swelling heart she were surveying the outstretched ex- panse of a newly-revealed continent. The emblems are sails. Conquest, clad in martial red, with helmet and cuirass of mail, firmly grasps an upright sword, significant of might and war-won supremacy. The look in her face is of exultant mastery, grim consciousness of power, and a purpose inexorable. On the background are daggers. Civilization is clothed in white and wears a crown. In her lap is an open book, the symbol of knowledge. Her face has the repose of dignity and benevolence. The. background reveals the repeated figure of the cross, suggesting the civilizing in- fluences of Christianity. Earth is represented as of dark complexion and is clad in robes of russet. She extends a horn of plenty, overflowing with fruits and the bounties of the earth; and by gracefully floating ribbons holds captive two peacocks, the most gorgeous birds of < a. J 6 The Standa7^d Guide. the earth, as distinguished from those of the air. Snails are the devices on the background. Air is an etherial form, with winged heels, fair hair and diaphanous drapery of a very pale blue tint which fades at times almost into absence of color. One hand restrains the flight of two magnificent eagles, and in the other are lightly held dande- lion downs, ready at a breath to spring into the air and float away on the zephyrs. This is one of the most charming conceits in the whole scheme of decoration. The emblems on the background are dragon-flies and butterflies. The figure of Fire, auburn-haired and clothed in drapery of glowing red, stands amid tongues of flame and holds on high a blazing torch. The arabesques are sal- amanders, embodying the only life fabled to live in fire. The emblems are flames. In sharp contrast with these brilliant hues are the marine tints which predominate in the pictured fancy of Water. She is fair-skinned and fair-haired; her robes are of a very pale green and white; and she stands in a shell to which sea- mosses are clinging. With ribbons she controls two prancing sea-horses, emblematic of the ocean's restlessness and might. On the background are starfishes. The decorations in the penetrations are lyres with swans on either side. The lyres are surmounted alternately by a masque of the Sun god of the Florida Indians, and by the badge of the most illustrious order of Spanish knighthood, the Golden Fleece, depending from its flint-stone surrounded by flames of gold. Where this ap- pears, the design of the border is the Collar of the Golden Fleece, the chain of double steels interlaced with flint-stones. Below in the spandrels of the corridor arches is seen the stag's head, barbaric emblem of sun-worshipping Selpy. Shields bear the arms of the present provinces of Spain, and on cartouches are emblazoned the names of the great discoverers of America. Cornucopias are favorite forms here, as elsewhere throughout the hotel. The decorations do not end with this story. The upper dome is modeled in high relief; around its base dances a band of laughing Cupids; between these figures are circular openings; and the vault above is all modeled with delicate tracery of pure white and gold effects; casques and sails signify the military and maritime achievements of Spain; and the crown of the dome is surrounded with eagles. A broad stairway of marble and Mexican onyx leads from the corridor to a landing, from which is entered the passage leading to the dining hall. In delightfully antique letters set in mosaic in the floor of the landing, is the aptly chosen verse of welcome, taken from Shenstone: Whoe'er has travell'd life's dull round, Where'er his stages may have been, May sigh to think he still has found The warmest welcome at an inn. From this landing, stairways of oak lead to the rotunda and halls above. The wain- scoting of the stairways is of Verona and pink Numidian marble; and above this, set in the walls, in frames of oak, are two paintings, "The Landing of Columbus," and "The Introduction of Christianity to the Huns by Charlemagne." The passage to the doors of the dining hall is beneath a beautifully chiseled arch of Verona The Standard Guide. -.7 marble, of a deep red color; and in the spandrels are mosaic patterns of Numidian, Verona and Sienna marbles, and African and Mexican onyx. A font-shaped bal- cony projects above, supporting a musicians' gallery, which overlooks both the rotunda and the dining room. This balcony is of Verona marble, and the railing is delicately carved in oak. Here again note that the effects of elegance and richness are not secured by surface paint, but by the employment of materials in which those qualities are inherent. The dimensions of the dining hall are magnificent. It has an area of 90 by 150 feet; and there are seats for 800 guests. The main hall, 90 feet square, is divided from two semi-circular alcoves on the east and west ends by rows of oak columns. These columns support a great elliptical barrel-vault, and the clerestory is pierced with stained-glass windows, forming penetrations. The ceiling is 36 feet measured from the floor to the apex of the vault. The rounded ends of the alcoves have great bay- windows. Two musicians' galleries overhang the hall, one on the north and one on the south. In its wealth of adornment this hall is the pride and masterpiece of the hotel. Beauty of form, which everywhere charms the eye, is supplemented by richness and harmony of color, and these in turn by the good taste shown in the choice of themes for the decoration. Of the work which has here been lavished, on every side, by loving hands, no just appreciation can be had except after repeated study of the details, and no description of it can be made fully intelligible without the aid of illustrations. The light is mellowed in its passage through the stained- glass windows of the clerestory and through the magnificent masses of stained and clear leaded glass which make up almost the entire ends of the rounded extensions. The prevailing shade is a creamy yellow, variety being secured by the different colors employed in the decorations. On each end, north and south, of the central hall is a high wainscoting in antique oak of choice grains. Above this, on a ground of blue green, is a panel of dancing Cupids, with roguish faces and outstretched hands, representing the feast; some ex- tend clusters of luscious grapes, and bread and cups of wine in welcome to the guests, while others ladle steaming oUa from great Spanish calderons. On the wall above are pictured ships of Spain, with sails full set and gracefully waving streamers and pennants; they are the high-pooped Spanish caravels of the sixteenth century, just such vessels as that in which came Ponce de Leon to Florida in his search for the fountain. In the key of the arch over the musicians' balcony is a shield bearing an heraldic device, with legend, '' P de L — 1885-1887." Dancing girls support the shield, and outside of these are figures of Fame blowing trumpets. Four mermaids one in each corner, support the border which goes over the ends of the ceiling. On the yellow surface of the vault are delicate arabesques traced in various colors and gold and silver. On the pendentives between the stained-glass windows, allegorical paintings represent the Four Seasons. They are female figures, winged to typify their rapid flight; and the two different fancies present a dual conception of each subject. In grace of form not less than in their admirable color effects these paint- ings are as worthy of careful study as were those of the rotunda. For his colors the 38 The Standard Guide. artist has gone to nature. I'he pale draperies of Spring reflect the deUcate green shades of the fresh May foHage ; in one fancy she is pictured as sowing grain ; in the other she holds spring flowers and a brancii with bursting buds. The draperies of the figures of Summer are bright in color ; in one fancy the accessories are a sheaf of wheat and a sickle; in the other luxuriant summer verdure. Autumn is given russet robes ; one flgure with bunches of purple grapes represents the vintage ; the "cool, invitinc, vistas." other dancing, with a tambourine, the merry-making of the harvest home. In the paintings of ]]^intcr the colors are rich and warm ; the two aspects of the season here depicted are its hardships and its festivities ; tlie first figure, warmly clad, with bright scarf and closely muffled hood, bears an axe and a bundle of fagots; the other, partially draped, is bringing in the boar's head. The grand parlor is a mag- nificent room 104X53 feet. The walls and decorations are in ivory-white and gold, with fresccjes by Tojetti of ("upids and garlands and filmy drapery amid the clouds in the corner ceilings. On the south side of the Alameda, opposite the Ponce de Leon, is the Alcazar, an adjunct of the hotel, and in architecture a fitting complement of it. The Alcazar, of Spanish Renaissance style, and of a design which, like that of the Ponce de Leon, The Standard Guide. 39 is original throughout. Within is a court of flowers, shrubbery and vines, with an ingenious fountain playing in the center. The court — not unworthy to be compared with the patios of the Alcazars in Spain — is surrounded by an arcade, upon which open shops and offices. Beyond this court are the great swimming pools of sulphur water from the artesian wells and of salt water from the bay. South are tennis courts. The group of concrete hotels on the Alameda is completed by the Hotel Cordova. The Cordova was designed by Mr. F. W. Smith. In style it does not follow the Spanish Renaissance architecture; the suggestions for its heavy walls and battlemented towers were found in the .strong castles and town defenses of Spain; it recalls those architectural monuments of the warring ages of the past; vast piles of masonry, which grew with the increments of hundreds of years, amid the conflicts of Roman and Goth and Moor and Christian. Thus the archway on the north fa9ade, formerly a gateway, flanked by massive towers round and square, was an adaptation of the Puerto del Sol, or Gate of the Sun, of Toledo, one of the famous remains of the Moorish dominion in Spain. There is something in the strength of the Cordova that recalls to old residents of St. Augustine the coquina defenses which once distinguished this locality; opposite the Cordova was the high-walled garden of the Spanish Governor with its battery facing the west. The balconies of the lower range of windows are the "kneeling balconies" of Seville, so called because the protruding base was devised by Michael Angelo to permit the faithfu' to kneel at the passing of religious festivals. THE CORDOVA. FORT MARION. ORT MARION is at the north end of the sea-wall and commands the harbor. It is not occupied by troops. Open daily (admission free) from 8 A. M. to 4 P. M. Afternoon is the most pleasant time for visiting the fort. Sergeant George M. Brown, who is in charge, will conduct visitors through the case- ^ ,^ - mates. For this service, which is entirely voluntary, a fee ^■-^^S^^'^- -- '^ J is usually given. The fort, which is the only example of _^^^^^-> mediaeval fortification on this continent, is a magnificent specimen of the Trt of military engineering as developed at the time of its construc- tion. It is a massive structure of coquina stone, with curtains, bastions, moat and outworks, covering, with the reservation, more than twenty-two acres. Surrounding the fort on the three land sides is an immense artificial hill of earth, called the glach. From the crest of the glacis on the southeast, a bridge (i), formerly a drawbridge, leads across part of the moat to the barbacan. The barbacan is a for- tification, surrounded by the moat, directly in front of the fort entrance, which it was designed to protect. In the barbacan at the stairway (2) are the Arms of Spain. A second bridge (3), originally a drawbridge, leads from the barbacan across the wide moatXo the W/)'-/^r/ (4), which is the only entrance to the fort. This was provided with a heavy door called the portcitUis. On the outer wall, above the sally-port is the ereutcheon, bearing the Arms of Spain; and the Spanish legend, which read: REYNANDO EN ESPANA EL SEN^ DON FERNANDO SEXTO Y SIENDO GOVoR Y CAPN DE ESa Cd San AUGn DE LA FLORIDA E SUS PROVa EL MARESCAL DE CAMPO DNALONZO FERNdo HEREDA ASI CONCLUIO ESTE CASTILLO EL AN OD 1756 DIRI^ENDO LAS OBRAS EL CAP INGNRo DN PEDRO DE BROZAS Y GARAY Translation: "Don Ferdinand VL, being King of Spain, and the Field Marshal Don Alonzo Fernando Hereda being Governor and Captain-General of this place, San Augustin of Florida, and its province, this fort was finished in the year 1756. The works were directed by the Captain-Engineer, Don Pedro de Brozas of Garay." The Standard Giiide. The inscription has been almost obliterated by the elements. Its present condi- tion is admirably shown in the illustration on the opposite page. At the second drawbridge we come face to face with tlie main entrance, surmounted by a tablet bearing an inscription and the Spanish Coat of Arms. ' It seems to be two dragons, two houses for the dragons, and a supply of mutton hung up below,' said Sara irreverently making game of the royal insignia of Spain. — Constance Fcniniorc IVoolsoii. Within the fort on the right of the entrance hall (5) is the old bake room (6), and beyond this are two dark chambers (7 and 8), which were probably used for storage. On the left \^\\\q. guards room (7 left). The hall opens upon a large square court (103 by 109 feet). Around this court are casemates (10), or rooms which were used for barracks, rnessrooms, store- rooms, etc. Some of these casemates were divided into lower and upper apartments. To each casemate on the west side a beam of light is admitted through a narrow window or embrasure^ high up near the arched ceiling. From the first east casemate a door leads back into an in- terior dark room (9). From the furthest casemate (11) on the same side an entrance leads back into a dark cham- ber (12), off from which a narrow passage leads through a wall 5 feet deep into a space 6 feet wide; and from this a low aperture 2 feet square gives access through another wall 5 feet deep, into , „ , , , 0^1 . /i»f,\ „,„,He' an innermost vault or cham- 5, hall, 6, bake room. 7, 8, dark rooms. 7 (lett) guards room. 9, interior dark room. 10, 10, casemates. 11, casemate. 12, interior bcr (14), whicll is 19/^ fcCt darkroom. 14, bomb proof ig.chapel. x6.darkroom. xo., treasurer's room. ^ / ^^^^ hxO?.d., and 8 ICKT, casemate from which Coacoochee escaped. B, bastion. W, water-tower. &) J/ ) feet high. The arched roof is of solid masonry. There is no other outlet than the single aperture. This is the far famed " dungeon " of Fort Marion. It was designed for a powder magazine or a bomb- proof. When the fort was in repair the chamber was dry and fit for use as a safe deposit for explosives; but when the water from above percolated through the coquina, this bomb-proof or powder magazine became damp and unwholesome. For this reason it was no longer used except as a place to throw rubbish into. Then it bred PLAN OF FORT MARION. From Old St. A ugustine. I, bridge from barbacan to glacis. 2, stairway to barbacan moat. 4, sally-port 3, bridge over 7 (left) guards' TJic Standard Guide. 4: fevers; an-d finally, as a sanitary measure, the Spaniards walled it up, and the middle room (12) as well. They did this in the readiest way by closing the entrance with coquina masonry. AMien the United States came into possession of the fort the officers stationed here did not suspect the existence of these disused chambers, although among the residents of the town were men who had knowledge of them, and of their prosaic use as a deposit for rubbish. One of these residents, who was still living in iSSS, related to the writer his recollection of the disused powder maga- zine, as he was familiar with it when he was a boy employed at the fort. In 1839 the TO-DAY TOUCHINTt HANDS WITH ^ i .- I KK h A S masonry above the middle chamber caved in, and while the engineers were making repairs, the closed entrance to the innermost chamber was noticed, and investigation led to its discovery. Refuse and rubbish were found there. The report was given out — whether at the time or later — that in this rubbish were some bones. From this insignificant beginning the myth-makers evolved first the tale that the bones were human; then they added a rusty chain and a staple in the wall — a gold ring on one skeleton's finger — instruments of torture — iron cages — a pair of boots — and a Spanish Inquisition tale of horror. The guide books of ten years ago were devoted chiefly to the dungeon story. Writers from St. Augustine have rung the changes on it; we quote some of them and by way of comment add a paragraph from '' Old St. Augustine:" 44 The Standard Guide. In one of them [the two chambers] a wooden machine was found, which some supposed might have been a rack, and in the other a quantity of human bones. — William Cullcn Bryant (1842). A human sl