A MON~O'GRAPH ON 51.VINCENT'S GAME PRESERVE
F OR
T H E I I.J . L·~ T R:\" I T D HL'FFA].O
rX I' K E:'~
; , A SP ECI M EN O F ST. VI ~ CE l\' T ISLA ND WI L D BOAR K ILLED BY DR. R. V. PI E RCE
CA MP r.R OU ~ D O ~ 1I 0 R ~ A [) . \ Y P ASS IlE TW E E~ I. AK ES AN IDEAL GAME PRESERVE For Sale
ST. VINCENT ISLAND. FLOIUDA !l E "nl} perfect and complete hUllt ing nnd fish ing prescn 'c left in this count ry. Situated in th e Gulf o f Mexico, eight miles f rom Apalachicola, Fla. Contains 11,290 acres. It is nine miles long, fou r milt's ® wide, about nne hal f Ctn'cfed with original for est, gra nd pines and palmetto. T here are open grassy savan na hs, five la rge f resh-water lakes con nected by a deep creek wh ich Rows by manor house to th e sea. A doz en ot her ponds afford fresh water for a large nu mber o f deer, wild hoar, wild cat tle, turkey, \ Vi!son J ack snipe, great quantities of all species of duck and some alligators, as well as a gr eat quantity o f lar ge and small fish and ovstcr beds. . T he island has been own ed since the war It)' onl y t hree proprietors, all of whom protected th e game. T he present proprietor has lived on the island for man)' winters. He has sown m;lIlY hundreds of acres of wild rice, wild celery, smnrrweed, potam ogeton and oth er duck food, so th at gr eat quantities of (luck and geese visit and live 0 11 th e island. T he owner has imported nnd successf ully bred th e Sambur, or I ndia deer, also J apanese deer, which are increasing fast, as well as wild turkey and quail. T he island is easily protected. It contains, at a low estimate, 1,500 nat ive det'r, many nativ e cattle in wild stat e which are verv difficult to hunt and shoot, and perhaps a rhnu s:l1H1 wild pigs. T here are a hal f dozen bungalows built for th e con veuicnce uf a large family or visitors, wh ich would serve well for cluh purposes. T hey are mode rn and up-to-date. A yacht, oyster barge, duck boats, vehicl es and mules and Ford automobile go with the place. For inform.nion address; Vernon J'rice-\Vill iarns, No. 1430 Sout h Bar sh" r.· D r-iv e, P. O . Box 246, Mia mi, F lorida.
Briel Statement of Facts Concerning St. Vincent Island This Island is the most sout herly o f a chain of severa l islands fnnning Apala chicola Bay, St. Vincent Sound and St. G eorge's Soun d. It is divided f rom th e mainl and at the south end hy Indian Pass, estimated to he about one half m ile wide, on the north it is divided from St. G t"orge's Island by \ Vest Pass, nbnut one mil e wide. It has scv eral large bayous making up into the island f rom the hay side. T he outside is wide white sand G ulf beach. T here are five la rge f resh- wat er lakes connec ted by a wind ing creek which run s out of the last lake into tIlt' linv ncar \ Vest Pass. I am informed that the salt water sometimes invaded the fr esh water in these lakes un til a dam was built which keeps the f resh wat er \IP to th e level and keeps the salt water out. These lakes and th e con nectin g creek constitu te pract ically th e best black bass waters ill the U nited States. 'They have nnt been fished ex tensively and read ily take any of the usual haits used for bass fi shing. T here is a chain of seven or eight ponds which ar e part Fresh wat er and part salt referred to as brackish. These contain no f resh- wat er fish hut are splendid wild fowl resorts. T he salt-water fishing about th e Island is unexcelled. N ear the Pass tarpon are found in great numbers and althoug h th ere has been hilt littl e fishing for tarpon a number were caught th ere last season . Red fish, sheepshcad, speckled trout or weakfish and oth er salt-wnrcr var ieties ca ll he caught at al most any season of th e year about the Island. I neglected to ment ion that the f resh- water ponds arc also well stocked with perch and bream. T he Island is stocked with deer estimated at fr om un c to three thousand head; several flocks of wild rurkev, from one hundred and fifty to two hundred head of cat tl e, and an estimate of six hundred head of wild hllgs and in win ter time ducks flock there in thousands. Artesian water with volumin ous natural How has ht" tll found at a depth of five hundred and fi f tv feet. I n t he early fall turtle doves flock to St. Vincent an d neighbor ing islands to feed on a weed seed that grows along the beaches and at such seasons the shuot ing is sim ilar to that in a baited field. T hese few facts have been prepared hastily hut futl in formation will follo w and will be vouched for by anl' p t'fSl l/l having knowledge of the Island.
Letter from Postmaster, A palachicola. Florida Mr. Vrn lO 71 Pricr-TVilliams, ,lliami, Floridll. Apri l 2, 192 5. GE NTLEMEN- I am informed that you, gt'ntle men , hare just purchased St. Vincent Island in Apalac hicola Hay, and I want to extend my congratulations to you on securing that propert y. I have had the pleasure of spendin g a number of hours on this Islan d and I consider it the most bcaunful and valua ble piece o f und eveloped property in our gr eat Sta tc, I also desire to extend to you, gentle men, t·\'t·ry fucil itr' of the postnffi ce departmen t in anr way that we Ill:l)' serve r ou in our line. Sincerell' yours , J. F. \ V ARREN, P ost mastrr, Scal e of Yard" "XC -a " !i!. 'f~ P i En "' 2000 ''::00 Statute Mile s
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TR.EAS l1RY DE PARTMENT . COA ST CI-IART No .18 3 .., r , ,, ,, ,, <, , '-. ,
PMT OF WEST flORIDA.
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r-k i nl' W ul At..... Bay.... f ro'" Fl a.. Iola nel C.. ~. to Oyd ,. Ponel "r- Ir-SIG II T I ~ TO T II E BIG BAYO U
~ ~ A I X T \ ' IXC EX T IsI.A X U enjoys the: distinction of being the: only rea l game preserve in ~ subtropical America, and th e only one on which any of the large game of the old worl d is being acclimatized. In at least a score of diffe rent wars, it is an island of nove lties and delights. When for twent y r ears or more a sportsma n and traveler has fitted and floated along the shores of Florida, around her keys, over her sounds and bays, through her multitudinous passes, channels, rivers, creeks, and bayous, anchoring whenever he and his boats listed, it is a 501 fe guess that at the finish of all this cruising, the cruiser has the picturesque features of florid a thoroughly sized up. W hen th at same man has fi shed and shot wisely and well wherever he has gone, it is also safe to suppose that he knows a good hunting ground from a poor one. W hen Dr. Ray \ '. Pierce informed me that at last he had cast anchor permanen tly, boug ht Saint Vincent Island, and sett led down to live upon it for eight months of each year, I wondered what his choice was like. Consu med by curiosity to know for sure whether the doctor had really secured the finest wilderness in all Fl orida, we packed our grips, and one whizzing cold da y in February we hied southward to sett le the question. Incidentally, We had an invitation , for with out one, strangers and pilgrims may not land upon th e enchanted isle. Primarily, Saint Vincent is a game preserve of the first water. In one sense it is another j ekyl Island, but with zoological and aquati c improvements, and without a big hotel, palatial stables and kennels, and a whole ra ft of peopl e. I am told that jckyl Island is so barren of fre sh water that the wild game-birds need to he watered in troug hs ; but here un Saint Yinccnt is the most wonde rful labyrinth of Fresh-water d uck ponds that the present incumbent eve r attempted to stud y out. Know, oh ye d uck-and-goose hunters, th at thi s collection contains ten distinct bodies of water. in two grou p~ , all suitab ly connected by creeks, and in thei r season they are stocked with untold hun dreds of canvasbacks, mall ards, pintai ls, blu e-bil ls and wild geese. But these d ucks arc not to be had without effort. Any bird with an edible breast that has safely run the gauntlet of guns from Manitoba to Saint Vincent may be put down as a Wise O ne, and well able to look out for the survival of th e fittest. Dr. Pierce maintains two fl ocks of live decoys-c Canada geese and mallards - lx-sides many dead ones of wood . T HE C REEK A"' D P O ~ D F RO!-t T HEW ATER T OWER
T wo years ago ( 1907) the hurrica ne temporarily damaged fi ve of the duck ponds by fl ooding them with salt water that was forced up the creek from the sea. T he saline fl ood killed the greater portion of the fresh-water plants that previously had furnished food fOI' the wild fowl, and , therefore, temporarily reduced the number of visitors. Rut Dr. Pierce has put a period to that species of calamity, by building near the mouth of the creek a concrete da m, which will quite prevent salt water from ever agai n being backed up into the ponds. At the same time, he has imported and successful ly planted in the ponds great qua ntities of pond-weed of two spccics-c-Poramogcron pcctinatus and P. perfolictus, which is gro wing well , and soon will furnish a fine quantity of food that is beloved of ducks. Aside from the seeds, the former pla nt is itsel f so tasty that if the Saint Vincent ducks do not find its equal to valfisneria, it will be because the y are hard to please. Saint Vincent Island is in the Gulf of Mexico, about twelve miles southwest of Apalachicola, Fla. T hus far, every person of the frozen ;'\orth to whom I have tried to describe the position of th e island has been sublimely ignorant of the fact that the fl owery state exte nds a long index fi nger along the north shore of the gul f pointing westward clear to Pensacola. Apalachicola and Saint Vincent are south of the midd le of Florida's west-pointing finger, and in longitude exactl y south of Rattl e Creek, Mi ch. It is on the frost line. but for all tha t, frosty weather rarely reaches it. T he island is glor iously bedecked with palmettos of two species, " cabbage" and "saw," and in appearance it is so thoroughly tropi cal as to pre-c ut an appearance totall y different from the hig hlands of Fl orida. 50 miles farther north. T he til landsia and resu rrection fern of middle F lorida are not here; but neithe r is the gloomy and depressing swamp-born cypress of the mainland ; for which we gi\'e thanks, T he Fl orida moss, beloved of the Northern tourist, beautiful on the Southern oaks, but depressingly funereal on the cypI'ess. is found here sparingly, and its increase is to he desired, T he palmettos grow rioto uslv, everywhere save on the savannas, and I never have seen th em fi ner or more beautiful. T he trai l leading southward from the bungalows to the gulf is a dream of beauty , but its live oaks must have some Fl orida moss' introdu ced upon the m. \\'e would propose rillnndsias, also, but for the fear that th e frosts wou ld punish the m too severely. In all Florid a or South America. th ere is no plant that produces so much high -class tropical effect per --
DR IVE ALOl'G TH E SOU T H R EACH capita as the pineap ple- like airplanr of th e live-oak top called the tillaudsia.At Oak Lodge ,\ l rs. Latham's jung le place Oil the Indian R iveT Peninsula, opposit e Gra nt - there arc thou sands of them. T he gulf beach at Saint Vincent is very much to our mind. f or ten miles or more you call 'Sw·iftly dri ve upon it a la O rmonde, and the wheels of your beach-wagon will scarcely leave a mark upon the hard -packed sands. T he long stretch of south shore is rapidly building seaward , and the process of beach-making, and the fores tati on of it, first with beach grass, then with long-leafed pine and palmetto, is one of the most interesting sights of the island. Saint Vincent is shaped like a right-angled triangle with its base to the cast, its per pendicular toward th e south , and the hyporhenuse on the north. It contains twent y square miles of attrac tions, of a range so varied as to appeal to many men of many minds. For example , the mout hs of the tur pentiners and lumbermen actually water at the spectacle of all these millions of lovel y pine trees, fairl y bursting with :"\0. 1 turpentine and yellow-pine lumber, all standi ng quite un touched.T he cattle-growers of th e mainland long to have a chance to launch 800 head of cattle bodily upon these savannas, and hummocks and ridges, whereon 8,00 0 acres of grass are running to waste. I think that more catt le migh t well be added to the present stock of wild rangers. T he oystermen of Apalachicola have the right to take oysters in th e Big Bayou of Saint " in cent ; but the bayou is so much like private property that they seldom avail themselves of their lega l privilege. But, even if they took all the oysters from these waters-which is fai rly impos sible-there would still re main th at glorio us unnavigable bivalve preserve called O yster Pond, which is wcll stocked with big succulent oyste rs, as line as any that my \"'ife ever ate, which is say ing much. O nce at low tide, while hunting wild catt le on its nort hern shore, I stood on its bank, gun in hand, and contemplated - more in sorrow than in anger - two solid acres of big fat oysters, fu lly exposed to view, but was unable to make good on a sing le one of the m. Another time, however, when we wert' hacked up by Colored Man Dick and a boat, those oysters thought that a hurricane had struck them. Josie Dear is related to the H ac-man-to-pod-i-dae - the oyster catchers ; and to give her the rime of her life, we camped for two days with in stri king: distance of O yster Pond. W hile Dick and I ind ustriously purveyed oysters and dry wood, she roasted and ate all unearned increment that fair!v astonished the natives. Real lv, the Xcw York oyster is anaemic and tame in comparison with t be Saint Vincent prod uct, . II U STISG LODGE IS GROVE O F YO USG LIVE O.\)....S, ( SOUTH SHORE O F ST. VISCENT ISLA S V)
Upon the island there is an abundance of game, both co shoot ami to spare. Deer arc suffi ciently numerous that we rarely went a mile from the bungralows without seeing at least one, and often we saw th ree or four. Incidentally,We discovered that the island contains two per fectl y valid and distinct species of white-tails, th e nor thern species, and Osceola's deer. T he native deer of Saint Vincent will not he exterminated in a hurrv-c-not if the v know it. For wide-awakencss, and for utter lack of the fatal curiosity that is exterminating thc ~u le deer, I will hack them ahrainst the worl d. In hunting wild hulls and wild hogs, our course was j ust the same as if we had been hunting deer. \\' hile we scared up ab out 30 deer , we never but once saw either buck or doc standing for a shot , and that was :I doc, which 110 rcaI sportsman could have shot. For the rest, the fi rst intimatio n was a big white-gu idon tail fl ying and fl opping over the tops of the saw-palmettos and brush, quite out of rifl e shut and afte r three fl aunts of derision, totally disappear ing. T he way those dee r leaped high and dry over the tops of the saw-palmettos was truly a beauti ful sight-but even had we been deer-hunting,I fear there wou ld have been no venison in it for us. \\'ith a ll the chances agai nst the hunter, it sometimes becomes impossible to kill a white-tail. Of wild cattl e there an: many, also wild hogs - jet black, speedy and tr uculent, T he rac coons and alligators are heing thinned out to rcnsonnhle limits, by two professional tra ppers whose ten ts contained yesterday JJ 'coon skins. T he all-too numerous 'coons and 'gatcrs arc inimical to wild life gene rally, the latt er being part icular- ly destructive. T wo of Dr. Pierce's horses hear on the ir hind quarters long, ugly scars from the bites of the big: and hung:rr alli gators; and it is no wonder that they are water-shy. Dr. Pierce has entered seriously upon thc experiment of acclimatizing: here the Indian sar nbur deer . Last fall threc ad ult docs and a buck were procured from the New 'York Zoo logical Park, and after a brief season in a fenced paddock were set free. The does have thriven, and adopted th e island; and one of th em has give n hirth to a fawn. T he huck developed a severe case of ente ritis, as Dr. P ierce l'el ivvcs from drinking artesian-well water , and died; which renders :1I10ther huck necessarv." T o th e writer, th is sambur deer experiment has cause for profound satisfaction. For several years I han believed that certain species of tropical deer of the O ld World could with profit he ACR ES OF RIG SUCCCLE:>:T O YST E R S. O YST E R PO I~ T AT LOW T IDE acclimatized in our Southern States; and this is the firsr effort in that direction. Saint Yiuccur Island is most admirably fitted for the developmen t of deer, in large numbers, and I expect to see the day when it will contain 1,000 head, of four or five different species. T he beautiful axis, the barasinga, and the Burmese thameng (Cervus eldi }, would thrive here, but the thameng and barasinga arc both almost ineligible, because they would both be too valuable to kill, and yet by their general color resemblance to the white-tailed species, now here, it would be impossible for hunters of white-tail to avoid killing the other two species by mistake. With the axis, however, the case would be different. T heir beautif ul coats are spotted all the year round, and would render animals of that species quite distinguishable at all times. Dr. Pierce: intend s to introd uce the axis deer at an early date, and also the wild turkey." The greater sport to be had on this beautiful island domain is in hunti ng wild cattle, for beef. T he parti es of the second part arc keen of nose, eye and ear, and as wild as the wildest deer. They have been running wild. and shot at, for so many years that they have learned that a man means a rifle; and they act accordingly. To kill a black bull is a man's job; as we proved yesterday. T he doctor and I, with Colored Dick as our guide, philosopher and fr iend. rose at ... a. m., and at daybreak were in the woods at the head of Pond :\0. ... . We wore wading hoots hip high , and carried the heaviest rifles of the doctor 's armory. That was a hunt of hunts! From 6 until I I :30 we hiked ncar and far, through 57 varieties of swamps and hammocks, and miles of pine forest of man}' kinds. About eight o'clock we found two black bulls, fi red at one of them under diffi culties, and then be gan a stern chase that I now recall with a mixture of wonde r, amu sement and regret.We never stopped for so long as fifteen seconds. T wice we overtook the bull s, but twice they heard us coming and dashed on before we could get sight of them . Finally. at eleven o'clock, wet, bedraggled, puffing, perspiring, and practically all in, we overtook them once more . All that we ~w was the top of a long, black back, a big head above the saw-palmettos with the nose pointing straight at us, and with no vital spot anywhere visible at which to shoot. In desperation, the doctor fi red at the bull's head; but noth ing less than a Gatling g Ull could have brought tha t animal down under such circumstances. --Away went the pair, as usual. We fol lowed thcm half all hour longer, and then the blamed A RAID ON O YST ER I'O:-:D AT LOW TWE bulb entere d a big tan gle of hammock and water, which gave pause even unto Dick. T he chase was distinctly done , for that day . Instead of b ~ i n g within measurable distance of the head of Pond :'\0. I, where Colored T om was patie ntly waiting for us with our boat, we wer-e five miles away. on t hc north side of the island, and eight miles from home. Since six o'clock we had tramped at least eleven miles, and by a uunnim ous vote of the senate the hunt then and there was adj ourned. T here being no reason why three men should tramp eight miles home when one rnau could do it qu ite as well , the doctor wisely sent a wireless message per Dick to Peter the vlulc, at the Bungalows; and Peter kindly brought the ball -bearing buggy to us at a p. m., and hauled us home. T he spot whereon th e doctor and I camped and spent fi ve hours of that glorious sunny afternoon will go down in the anna ls of Saint Vincent as Lost Bull Camp. O ur rifks were too light for such bulls, in such j ung le. T hey need a A 05 Winchester, and plenty of it.It was a glorious hike, even without success, and if you big-game sports men who huvc killed elk and moose and sheep and goat think that to kill a Saint Vincent wild bull is tame hunt ing, just try it once, tha t's all ! For r-c a] hard sport, it beats gaur hunting in the Auim allais. A week later our lost hull was found dead in a terrible tangle of hammock jungle on ly half a mile from where we abandoned the chase. Returning to th e consideration of serious thi ngs, the friends of wild life have reason to be well pleased in the fact that Saint Vincent has been acquired by Dr. Pierce, with the deliberate intention of de veloping it to the utm ost as a gam e preserve. As u subtropical zoological expc ri menr station it is fairl y ideal. During th e two years that it has been in th e hands of its present ownc r, a re:1 11 y great amo unt of work has been done toward its development as a home for wild birds and mammals. A rhcroughlv-qualified gam:: ward en has been established at the western point of the island, in a comfortable home, wit h a power boat at his command, and horses to ride on his patrols. H is prese nce insure s immunity fr om poachers. Roads have been built through out the northern hal f of the island, and another soon will be finished through the jungle parall el to the south beach, up to the warden's point. A da m and two emba nkments have been built to keep salt water out of all the ponds .M uch pond -weed, wild rice and smartwecd han already been planted for the water fowl, and. in a shor t tim e numerous sm11I fi elds of cowpe:lS will be planted in the pine woods, for quail and H ungarian partridge. T he mullet that have \ I
~YAD SI'R I !\ G
• been impounded ill the creeks and pond s already an: a great attraction for herons of several species, all of which arc now nesting on the island. I have seen two eagles' nests, and was scolded and do mineered at for half an hour by the proprietors of one. T he beaches arc well stocked with gulls and shore birds, of lll :tny speci es, some of which I could not positively identify without committing murder. Brown pelicans arc seen dai ly when we walk abroad and the reedy edges of the fresh-water ponds shelter man y a ga lli nule, coot and grebe. O f d ucks I han: seen several hundred, but on Saint Yiuccnt there is no spri ng shooting. J ust 1I0W, the wild geese an: absent, bur during the winter the y arc fairl y abundant. In the language of the bounding rea l estate promoter, I S:l. r to the lovers of wild life, " Keep your ere on Saint Yinccnr." It is an experiment station of importance, and it is in th e hands of a man of ample means and broad-m inded intel ligence , who is not only every inch a sportsman, but also a devoted presen'er of wild creatures.- Buffolo Sunday Exprrss, :\ lar 30, 1909. ..,
Description
St. Yinccur b land lies bet ween Apalachicola Bar 0 11 t he north and t he Cult of :'\1cxiw un the south. O n the cast it Fron ts on the West Pass channel fr om th e G ulf into Apalachicola Bay, carrying fourteen fee t of water on its bar at low tide and about 1,000 yards in widt h, and 0 11 the west it is separated from Ind ian Peninsula of the mainland by I nd ian Pass about -1-0 0 yards wide and carrying seven [cct of water 011 its bar. Bot h channels arc much deeper at their narrower parts opposite the island, We st Pass about fort y feet and Indian Pass about twenty feet. T he ave rage rise of tide is about fifteen inches and there is hut one tide a da y. T he island is nine miles in extreme lengt h and four ill extre me widt h. It bas been accuratel y surveyed and con tain s 11 ,290 acr-es. Its nearest point is about 60 mil es in an air- line southeast from Apalachicola, at t hc mou th of t he Apalachicola River, and easil y reached by rail from t he capiral-c-Tallahassec. T he soil is gcnera ll y sandy wit h occasiona l hum mocks, where t he g rowth and decay of vcge table matter for centur ies has accumulated a fertile soil. About t hree-fou rt hs of the island is covered wit h a forest grow th, pri ncipally of pine, pal metto and t he usual Fl orida forest g rowth. T he Palmetto is specially valuab le for building wharves in salt water, a~ it is t he on ly timber never attacked by the Ter-edo . About one -fourth of the land is savan na or wet prairie and marsh land gro wn up in grasses. A large number of ponds of various sizes are scattered about, priu ci pall y in the prairie and marsh land. T hose ncar the beach arc usua lly brackish and th ose in t he interior of fresh water, and a fresh-water stream connects severa l of t he largest. T he wet prairie and ponds swarm wit h d ucks, snipe and wate r fowl of all kinds and the woods abound in deer. O n t he nor th or bay-side of th e island is a long, narrow hay, called " Big Bayou," about three miles long and a t hird of a mile wide, affording an excell ent harbor for sma ll boats in all weath er . O n the east is another small bay called Sbeepshcad Hay, and all t he south or Gulf side is also a considerable bay, nearl y land -locked, called " Flag Island CO\'c/ ' and connected wit h it by a sma ll stream, a large salt-pond, noted for its peculiarly fine oyster-s. VIEW E,\ST W ,\RlJ FRO ~t W ATER- T OWER OVER J.OOK I:'o: G A I',\I,ACII ICOI.A 1l,\Y-(SUI'T'S IIL':'\G,\1.0W )
History Sr. Vincent Island, with a considerable tract of the adjoining mainland extending along the coast as far cast as the St. M ark 's River, was purchased from the Creek Indians by the large Scotch tradi ng house of Panton, Leslie & Co., afterward J ohn Forbes & Co., very early in the present century, when Florida was a Spanish pro vince. The Span ish government approved and confirmed the transaction , and the land was wel l known in Florida as the " Forbes Purchase." Its boundaries arc still shown on the land-maps of th at State. When Florida was purchased from Spain by the United States the title acquired by Forbes became a matter of legal investigation, and the case was taken to the Supreme Cour t of the Un ited States. T his court unanimously affirmed the title of Forbes in a decision rendered in 18.1 5. It is reported at length in 9th volume, Peter's Reports, p. 71 1, and foll owing, which may he found in any law offi ce. T his decision gives many particulars of the early history of that section, and establishes all titles which trace back to the Forbes purchase, as the titl e to St. Vincent Island docs, by a short and simple chai n. C en. Alexander purchased the island many years ago, not long afte r the war, and kept it as a ga me pre serve. It has been protected ever since and the present owner,D r, R. V. Pierce, im ported many sambur or India dee r. These have multiplied, as well as a hybrid deer, which partakes in appearance of hoth the sambur and native Virginia deer.
Adjacenl lInilllnwl T he mainland to the north of t he islan d and west of Apalachicola is entirely unsett led and abounds ill game, of all kinds known ill Fl orida, includi ng deer, bears, panthers turkeys, etc. Lake Wi mico run ning nearl y para llel with the coast a few miles inla nd, cuts it off from approach from the northward, and offers fastnesses where game will he preserved long after the increase in popu lation in Florida drives it away from other sections , as will readi ly Ix: seen on inspection of an y map uf Florida. T he old town of St. Josephs, noted OJ1 the maps 011 St. J oseph's Ha ~ ' , was entirely abandoned fort y years ago and nothing marks its site hut an old graveyard. From St. Vincent Island this tcn-itorv is accessible bv a short row or sail in sheltered water. Sr. J oseph's Hay, about f ive miles to 'the west, is a great resort for green turtle, which find Til E II O~I E IlU XG AL O\\,!'; abundant food there. It is noted, also, for the number of sea-birds which frequent it, and its shores abou nd in deer and other large game. At a place called the H aul -over small boats may be ta ken across from the Gulf into this bay.
Commercial Value 01 St. Villc(!tIl
Althoug h there is good land upon St. Vincent suitable for market-ga rden ing 01" for grow ing oranges and bananas, it is not for agricult ural purposes that the island is to be specially valued . Gardens and orchards may be cultivated for the: usc and enjoyment of those living on the: isla nd, but for market purposes main land locations possess the same facilities. Hut it possesses some peculiar ad vantages as an investment propert y from its location, configuration, and its hav ing an abundance: of fresh water and wet prairie-land for t hrce especial pur poses. First : As a cattle-ranch this island is unequalled hy any other location all the coast. It has, in addition to its other ad vantages of size, fresh water and isolation, a ready market at its door for all the beef it can prod uce. For many years the " Sr. Vincent Beef" has been known in Apala chicola as pr eferable to any beef from the main land. As this city contains nearly 3,000 inhabit ants, th e marker will he easily maintained for a ll the isla nd can produce. T he island catt le are always fat and require Ill) feeding. A hull recently shot weighed 800 pounds. It is esrimarcd by those who hnvc heretofore raised cattle all the island that over 1,500 head of catt le can be pastured constantly upon it. T his should easily supp ly about 600 beeves a year. T here arc now upon the island ab out .+ 00 head of cattle, and a large number of wild hogs. T he wild boar grows to the size of the Germ an wild boar with long sharp curved tusks and is a splendid anima l to bunt. A keeper and hel per live upon the island to protect the catt le and game. The catt le req uire no feeding, housing or any attention. SNf)1z,[: T he pine forests on th is island arc composed of rnagnificeut tall trees. T hey grow faste r here tha n inland, because occasional fogs and heavy mist give trees ple nty of moistu re in the dryesr time of the vear. That is why pccall trees, orange and grapefruit trees grow faster than on the mainland. E xperienced rneu in the turpen tine business have said that more than one hun d red thousand do llars net profit could be made out of turpentining the sea- island. piuc on St. Vincent which yield much more sap than those inla nd, and the owner has had fl attcring offers for the island from turpcntincrs who would like the pri\'ilcge of tapping the trees. A B IT O F T ilE PI XE WOODS
T hird : St. Vincent is land controls ti::.h ing privileges and oyster grounds which arc already \ ery val uable and which must in the fu ture acq uire far greater valu e. T he popu lation of the United States is increasing at a tremendous rate and before long will exceed one hu nd red mill ions. Improved refrigerators and icc machines, and cheaper freig ht and express-rates and faster ti me: over the railroads arc largely increasing the consumption of fish and oysters in the interior. T he rapid develop ment of Southern minerals and manu factures, too , is especially rap idl y increasing the population of those states which will get their fish and c vstc rs easiest from the G ul f. M eanwhile, too, the ovstcr-bcds of the Xorth Atlantic States and tilC Chesapeake are already insufficient for the dem:;nds upon them, and arc rising rapid ly in valuc , although they arc more expensive and di ffi cult to work in wint er, and arc liable to he ruined by sta r-fish and other enemies of the oyster. Alt houg h oysters arc found at many places along the coast, the tinest -tiavored and fatt est arc only fou nd ncar the mouth of some fresh-water stream, where the full saltness of the ocean is reduced to a certain degree of brackishness. T his greatl y limits the num ber of localities where it will ever be possible to raise tine oysters , and the number is still further limited by th e additional necessity of having abundan t ice, and cheap and prompt transportation. O n the whole Gulf coast of F lorida then: arc but five places between Pens acola and Key \" est where lines of transportat ion reach the coast: Apalachicola, St. M arks, Ced ar Keys, T ampa Hay and Charl ott e H arbor. O f all these Apalachicola has decid ed ly the ad vantage of location, and at none of them is there such an island as St. Vincent control ling such fishing and oyster-grounds. Its beach affords th e finest seining grounds; the narrow passes at each end are ad mirable locations for pound nets to take fish passing back and forth between the G ulf and rhc bay, and Big Bayou fu rnishes a safe har bor for small boats, and hun dreds of acres of oyster-beds and grou nd suitable for planting. T he oyster-s of that vicinity have F I S IIER ~IA :-'; ' S H UT AT MOU T H O F C R EE K
T he /lefl :-;w1/lper fishery " T he present industry was founded about 1874., when the completion of new railroads and the improved facilities fur handling fi sh and icc made it possible to supp ly the demand for the red snapper through out the South and West. An extensive and substantial ship ping trade soon sprang up, choosing Pensacola for its headquarters. " T he best fishing grounds for the red snappe r arc between Pensacola and Cedar Key. There are other good gro unds ill the lower part of the Gulf, but they art: too far from railroad counce tion with th e important We stern and Sout hern markets. "The red snapper is taken wholly with hook and line, ill from ten to forty fathoms of water . Vessels of fi ve ttl eight tons, carrying crews of three [ 0 eighteen men, arc tin ed up fur this business. T he fi sh are preserved in icc or else, in the smalle r vessels, alive in ' well s.' A week or tell days are consumed 0 11 a tr ip, and the catch ranges from 2,000 to 30,OO lJ pounds, or 500 to 4. ,000 fi sh. As soon as landed at Pensacola th e fi sh are packed in icc and sent off by rail in every direction, far and near. " The red snapper f is hing has gro wn very ra pidly during the past live r ears and now stands next to the sponge fi shery ill importance. It seems safe to predict that it will, in a few years more, stand head of the list of Florida fi shing industries. T he (;roll!'er Fishery " T he grouper is caug ht with hook and line in about the same manner as the red snapper, but is always preserved alive in 'wells.' " T hose taken to H an na arc caught in fi ve to ten fathoms of water, 200 miles north of Key W est, so that they may be hardier and better able to bear the long journey in con fi nement than those that arc found in the dee p water near Key West. Th e .IIullet Fishery "While not the most val uable commercia lly, the mullet fi shery is prob ably the most impor tant to the Fl orida sett ler. " T he mullet occurs about the coast everywhere, and for a large part of the r ear is the most abundant and easily secured of any of the fi shes. In season (during the fall) it is also a very eX4 cellent food fi sh. It ranges in weight from one to fi ve pounds. It is most extensively pursued during the fall months, when it is schooling. "Seines arc run around the schools and great quanti ties are often taken. 'statio ns are selected at the most favorable points 0 11 the coast, where crews of fi shermen arc busily employed for severa l months." ~ ~ I I
UEAUTIF UI. C REE KS CO S~ECT T HE l'OXl)5 OF ST. V IS C E S"T long lx cn l'clchr:Ht:d for their quality, and in Apa lachicola there an: several oyster-canni ng csrahlishmcnts and :111 icc fncrorv. Shrimp, crabs, and terrapin are also abundant, and sturgcolI, tar pon, por poise, pompano, red. snapper, grouper , sbeepshead, channel bass, Span ish mackerel, blue fish, sea trout and all the varieties of fi sh found in th e G ul f of :\I cxico freq uent the adjacent waters. T he fresh-water ponds of th e island also furnish the soft-she ll turtle, a rare and greater delicacy than the te rrapin. Oysters: T he Worhfs ,1I0st Vn[,lllble JVnler Crop T he beneficial results of the government's effort s in beha lf of the oyster industry of the various States han: been conspicuous and lasting. T he recent remarkable increase of the oysrcr output in the G ulf Stares is directly attributable to those efforts. Especially noteworthy has been the outcome of certain experimental pla nting operations in L ouisiana. In Barataria Bay, where there had previously been 110 oyster indu stry , experimental beds laid our by experts of the Bureau of Fisheries yielded mark etable oysters at the extraordi nary rate of 1,500 to 2,O()[) lurshcls per acre ill two years fr om the time the clutch was deposited Oil bar ren bottom. T he nat ura l consequence has been that all available oyster-growing land has been leased by the State, and a great impetus has been given to oyster cult ure. T he oysters th us produ ced on bottom never utilized arc of high quality and meet with read y sale in Xcw Orleans. From N ,lI iomt! G t' o ,~r' l p h i, ' .\l:Z.'{.dzillt', by H ugh :\1. Smith, U. S. Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries. T he following fr om a recent j acksonvil le paper give s a littl e detailed information about some of the Florida fisheries: "When it is considered that the most import ant fishing ind ustries of Florida an: but tell or fifteen years old , it will appear tha t they have made remarkable progress. "I n 1885 the late Silas Sterns, then Un ited States fish commissioner for Fl orida, locared nr Pensacola, divided and treated th is ind ustry as follows : "The leading branches of the fishing ind ustry arc as follows: Sponge fi shing, red snapper fi shing, grouper fishing, mullet fi shing, fi shing for pompano, Spanish mackerel, etc" oyster fi sh iug and turtl e fi shing, T he Spon~e Fishery "The small schooners that arc fitted out at Key Wcsr and Apalachicola for this business carr)' crews of five to f Freen men, who go in pairs in the small boats ..... hen a ll the sponging grounds. O ne man uses the sponge-hook, while the ether sculls the boat slowly along. "It has been demonstrat ed that sponge culture is Feasible and profitable, and it may be classed :lmollg the future great industr ies of Florida . • • -- - _->=F" -
CREE K COSSECTISG I>QSDS
SI. Villt'ell l us a C um e Preser ve Hut va luable as St. Viucenr Island mar be as a cattle-ranch and fur its fi shing and oyste ring privileges, for its possibilities as a rur pcntiue cam p, it possesses eve n a r-arer combination of ad vantages to an)' club, 01- private individual, d esiri ng to secure a game preserve, or a primeval forest estate for winter residence and the entertainment of friends. T o be available for such a purpose an island must not only be large enough and han: abundant game 011 it to stand much shooting, hut there arc a number of other conditions essential to its full and economical enjoy me nt: Ist. It must be easily accessible by public COII VC)':lncc . 2..1. It must have, convenient to t he residence, a gou...t harbor, safe in a ll weather for SI11:1I1 boat s or naphtha lau nches. 3d. There should be a buoyed channel tu rhe sea with suffici ent depth of wate r for vessel s 01' the largest ple asure yach ts, and a safe and she ltered anchorage where t hey may lit: ill all weath er. 4-th. There should be, within two hours' easy reac h over sheltered water, a to wn, where mail s and telegram s can he received and sent, where game can be sen t off by express, and where icc, provisions, ammunition, medica l atte ntion, horses, boars and extra men call always be obtained un sho rt notice. An examination of the map will show th at not on ly is th ere no other island o n the entire Gulf coast fulfilling t hese necessary conditions, hut t hat th ere arc ·;:t!ry f~.:: IUI) ":.:.:!Jt!rt? :'\Iost of the islands on th e Gulf an: merely long and nar row sand spits, destitute of fresh water and of suffi cient forest cover for gam e. T hose on the Atlantic coast arc already taken lIJl hy clubs or hy wealthy pri vate ind ividuals, such as j ckyl Island ncar Brunswick, owned by rhc j ekvl Island Club, and Cumber-land Island, owned by M rs. Carnegie. St . Vincent Island has in comparison wit h these the disadvantage of bei ng fart her off from X ew York, hut it has over them th e advantage of heing far enoug h Sou th for greater variety o f shouting , and for fishing d uri ng t he entire winter, and for tropical fruits and flowers rc be grown upon it. Its latitude - abo ut th at of P alatka, Florida - is just wh at mig ht be se lected as the best mean. T rout and brea m in the fresh-water ponds, and various fish in the salt waters arc caught throug hout the year. D ucks; sni pe. ctc., arrive br October 1st and sta y un til April, and wild gee:'C, which arc ra rely seen on th e Atlantic coast, arc abundant dur ing th e wint er . Vlun-of-war birds, water-t urkeys , shearbil ls, plover, curlew, herons, egrets and all the sea and land-birds of Fl orida frequent the island . Duvcs are part icularly abundant. W oodcock arc fo und at ti mes, and {here arc some quai l in t he woods. The qu ail and wild turkey will become very abundan t, as then.' is p lenty of feed fur them in th e woods and the climate the best fo r them ill the count ry...... r " ~ / - ~ : ~ . .. / -.....-:;-.... - . ....
~ . -. • - •
S.\"DY tH . l.· F FS AT W ESTER" E"I> O F ST. VI~ CE~T, SE,\ R I" I>IA" PA~"
Deer arc \"ery abundant upon th e island. Upon the mainland adjacent besides deer, bear and panthers arc found. W ith the large extent of the island, the variety of game, th e choice of fresh and salt-water fi shing and th e unlimited opport unity for excursions, either long or short, on the mainla nd, or by water to Sr. J oseph's and St. Andrew's Hays and to the least frequented parts of Florida, a num ber of sportsme n can fi nd constant occupatio n and amusement d uring the whole winter . Sm ·i,,/{ the Hucks amI Geese At Palm Beach, Fl orida, where no hunting is allo wed within a mile of the town, ducks have become so tame that they will come for food within a few feet of a person, while outside the mile limit these same birds arc so wild that it is difficult to get within gunshot range of them . Private enterprise and generosity have joined forces with the national and State governments in extending protection to the birds. O ne of the most striking examples is the Ward-M cl lhcnny Game Refuge in southe rn Louisiana, in the very heart of the region already designated as th e greatest winter home of ducks on the North American continent . T hese two gentl emen- C. W . Ward and E. Mcll henn y-c-purchascd some 50,000 acres and hired game wardens at their own expense to patrol the district and prevent all shooting. Later they deeded 13,000 acres to the State of Louisiana to serve as a perpetual bird refuge. T his dis trict had long been a favorite with the mar ket gunner, and its 15 miles of now protected shore line cannot fail to he a safe abiding place in winter for innumerable water-fowl.
Domestication Proved Pou i/JIe Artifi cial propagation is worthy of consideration . T hat this is feasible has been strikingly shown by J. \\". W hcalton, of Chincotea gue Island, Yirginin, who has been raising the Canada wild goose for more tha n 50 years, and some of his oldest and best pairs are well beyond the half centur y mar k ; in fact, have had th eir golden weddings. T he homing instinct has become suffi cientl y developed for t hem to be tr usted to feed at libe rty, and the Rocks, now numbering several hundred, forage on neighboring islands even 15 miles distant. No run aways have been known, and many pairs which spend the fall and winter on adjacent islands ret urn regularly every spring to their breeding pastures and their old nests. Even the black mall ard, one of the wilde st and most untamcablc of all water-fowl, has he cume semi-domesticated and has shown remarkab le powers of re prod uction ; 1,200 ducks were raised in th ree years fro m a beginning of on ly 80 pairs. :\Ir. W healtcn has also succeeded. in breed ing the grea ter snow goose, although its nest and eggs in the wild state are almost unknown. From .,Va/irmal Gt'fJ t raplti, .\lagazint', i\1:1rch. 1913. By Wel ls W . Cooke. M OUT H O FST. V INCEN T C R E E K A S IT F L OWS I NT O A PA LAC H ICO LA BA Y
Climate The climate of 'st. Vincent is not materially differe nt from that of St. Augustin e, except that it is more equable and drier, being sur rounded by t he sea and sheltered from the occasiona l Atlantic nor th easte rs. It is well known in Florida t hat the Gul f coast is fa r t hc more pleasa nt of t he two-healt hier and fr eer from mosquitoes. M aur-ice Thom pson wrote of it as fo llows : " It seems to me that the old theory wh ich makes th e 'southern climate enervating is a fa lse one. So far as I am concerned it certain I\' is false. I fi nd an exhila ration in th is lat it ude which to me is a temptation to ove rwork rather than to the contrary. Sooner or lotor all this G1Ilf coast -::.:i/l be 10 Ihe United Srates ';;,:htll Ihe .H etiitel'rtlUefl ll is 10 FI'{/I/Ce and flaly- a grear uiintor resort , nor only f or invalids, bIll f or nil -rho prejor -rarnr ';.I.:ca lher and so]t air:"
T he fo rmer owne rs of the island have lived Oil it winter and summer for ove r twenty years, and always enjoyed excellent health. F rom Apala chicola to the island is a sho rt sail over she ltered water, and there arc tug-boats, steam-launches and sailboats to hc had on short notice and reasonable ter ms at all times. T he island has beautiful j ungl e drives through miles of tropical j ung le, palmetto and pine woods- t hen there is a straightaway beach drive of eight or ten miles - hard as macadam wider than Broad way- t hat makes an excellen t speed dri ve for automobi les or horses. The dee p creek t hat r- uns by the door of the ma in bu nga low affords an eve r enchanting boat ing stream. On e call paddle a canoe-c-or drive a launch f rom the bunga low- fo ur or five miles up this wind ing creek-into one lake. after another - for they all fi ve connect and inter-com municate. T his is also tr-ue of seve ra l of the duck ponds on th e nort h side of th e island.
Possible Future l terel opments Stocked and run as a catrle-rnn ch alone it will yield n handsome income and large interest upo n the investment, while its fishing and oyste r pri vileges will g row in value ever y year, and make another for tu ne in the f utu re. Its possession, enj oyment and grad ual improvement will fur nish at once an inve stm eur sounder than an y stocks, bonds , or business credits.exposed to all the panics of t he world; a fancy estate and delightful winter home, and an ind ependent occupa tion fo r as mud, or as litt le leisure as t hc owner may desire to givl: it.
F OI' further particulars apply to \ ' E R ~ O ~ P R I C E- \ \ ' I J.l ,I ,\ -,IS, 1'\0. I+30 South Hayshorc IIrivc, P. O . Hox 2+6, Miami, Florida. FROST OF T HE 1I 0~f E IHJ ~ GA I.OWS- FI. OW F. R il E US
DUCKI'OS D
SAI,\T VlM:E,\T. FI.OHIIJA A Ih-:.\ UTt FUL S£ .\ tn n o P ICAL Isu: UF 1' 11 1-: S t:.\ A, lIu·:.\I. <; .\:\u: PnEsEuvE The glamour of romance and adventure hovers around the Florida coast and adjacent is lands. Stories of bold buccaneers, of pirates, of shipwreck and hidd en treasure in bygone days; tales of Cortez, of his conquest of M exico, and of one of his mutinous followers, Alve rez, who ret urned to Spain and organized an expedition of his own to th is locality and probably made St. Vincent Island a temporary camping gro und only to meet disaster from the natives. T he story of onc of these hold adventurers reads like one of Robert Louis Stevenson's romances. Among the followers of Alverez was a young Spanish nobleman, Don Rod rigo, who had joined the expedition for love of adventure and who was destined to be th e sole survivor. T he story runs that the ship was attacked and set UTI tire by the hostile Indians, he was wounded and about to sink when a beautiful Indian girl, the daugh ter of a Seminole Chid, came over th e water in a canoe and rescued him. H e was adopted into the tribe, married his rescuer and a few years late r :1 Spanish ship visited the Florida coast and he returned to Spain with his bride and lived on his ancestral estate . In the early days when Florida was a Spanish colony, the Franciscan monks bra ved the perils of the deep to carry the gospe l tidings to the natives and named this lovel y isle afte r Sr. Vincent, It possesses all the requisites fur a d ub, or the estate of a man who loves to live in "the open" " far from th e maddening crowd." Clirnarc, scener y, fresh sea breezes) all are delight ful) and here one may dream aW;IY the days, or if a more active rernpe ramcn r, enjo y fi shing and hunting unsurpassed by any ot her game preserve . T here is everyt hing to make life enjoyable, fine beaches for drivi ng, fresh-water lakes and creeks for canoeing or rowing, fl owers and orchards near the bungalows all conduce to real enjoyment for th e tired business man. Out on the gleaming waters under the soft glowi ng: southern moon, waving palm tree s nod ding on the dusk>, shore line, aile can th row aside all business cares and enjoy Nature in her loveliest moods. Few can resist the charm of this " beautifu l isle of the sea," which is practically the only island left on the entire sout hern coast either of the: Atlan tic or Gulf suitable to the pur pose of a club or a private game preserve. YACJfT "LILLIAN" I N Oln-ANCE. Oyn-EU AU CULTW AU O HU E. ( LOOKING T()WAII. O $T. VINCENT rll.OM MiDOU Of " BIG BAYOU", A LANO·LOCKED HU BOII. WIT H ,. lueE E;rATUUU OV l
- ~: ."~. . ~ -- " PICKOU S E", ON BAY 81 DE Of I ~ L A SO TO NOIlTH -
T hus rhe gla mou r o f romance pervades the Fl orida const and adjacent islalHb, o f which St. Vincent, situurcd in tIl<' G ul f of :'I1cxicn, is the most importan t in rhe vicini ty o f Ap.dochic»la, ht'ing: nhaur ten miles f rom that old tuwn fu ll of mcmmcs of early Spanish comlucst. St. Vuircnt is covered with primeval forests of pinc , ami palms, also SDme live oak, hickory and othe r t r-ees. T he gi:lllt pines haw never- been cut or t urpentined in the history of th e island. E ver since the Civil \ \'nr th e islam! has been protected as a ga m": preserv e, first by G eneral Alexander, for mer cnnunnudcr of artillery und er Lee, then by Dr. R. V, Pierce and now his estate. Accor din g: to a government surn:r: "Between tbv islands and thc mainla nd is nn extensive sound or hay, till' different pan s of which have diff erent names . T Il(" centra l part, which is the largest, and inro which the Apalac hicola River empties, is known as Apalach icola Bar j the western end is known as St. Vincent Sound, and th e eastern end :lS St. G o: or g:l"s Sound and a sa fe and com modious harbor with fourt('ell f"l,t of water »n the bar and buoyed channel adjoins St. Vincent on the cast." T here is no cultivated land on the Island except ga rdemallli orchards nca r the "Houu-stcad." wh ich is made nf several bung alows accommodating: three or four fam ilies, including bachelor quarters ami dining ro om, all con nected or pnrches ; these arc modern nn J up-tu-dntc ami wouhl serve well fo r club puql:lscs. T here is a beautiful nnd exten ded view from the vcruulas o f the residence. T he Pierce Estates n DW own ovcr two hundred b~o(l del l cattle 011 Sr. \ 'ill(('nt and t he Island will easily maintain three or four times that number and can h ~ mule a mun cj--rmker. ' The 51. Vincent h,'ef is con sidere d by far the he.•t brough t to Apalachicola , the dem and alwavs exceeds the supply, and the Sr. \ 'inn 'llt oysters arc noted t hrou ghllllt the South, Apulacicola h:ls expr,'ss, tvlcgruph aml telephone faci lities and an icc factory. Game and fish arc t'asily sent in ref rigernt rr- ca rs t .. New Yor k "r an~· part of the country, 'The present owners have their own exclusive oyster beds in O yster /lotHl ;l11l1 Flag Islaml Cove, sufficient to supply a city of m;lllY thousand inhabi tants, T he winter cli mate of St. Vincent, and of th e whole G IlIfCoast, is much dr h-r, murv l'(luable and in vigor nting th an that of the Atlant ic C oast. The G utf is sure to become 10 th is continent as a winter r- esort what t he :'I ledih:r rancan is to Europe, T he latitude of St. Vincent is between that of St. Aug ustine and Palat ka, a good mean, low enough ttl perm it th e cultivation nf ornnges and bananas and to permit fishing all win ter, wh ich can not be dane fnrrhcr north, but not so as to be ener vating, or to have mosquimes during the wint er m-mrhs. As we have already said, St. Vincent is practically the onl y island now avai lable on the Southern C oast suita ble as a club or a private estate and game preser ve, and it is for one of these purp JSes we recomm end it to th ose who would appreciat e a wonderf ul home wh ich could be nude a ver itable fairyland at sma ll expense. T he few oth er islands on [he Gulf ar c long narr ow sand pits with out f resh water or fo rest cover f ur game and far away f rom good harbors and th e fa cilit ies before mentioned, including medical attendance, supplies uf all kind~ and extra men and b...at-. T he....· ~...... nrial-, nre al v.. a ~' s available at Apal achicola with in :10 hour's sail. O n the Arlamic CU:h t there an' no i~ b n d s Inr ~' r\ll u g: h ..ourh for the cul tivation of trupical f ruit, Ill' til gin,- winter fi,h i n~, G :nnl' is much k ,;, ahulltLulI tha n on t he G ulf (ge~"St-· for instance are plentiful O Il the G ulf and arc rareh' seen nn the Sourh Atlantic) and all Ih ~' available islalltl.. from Ch arh':'lnn 1:-0 );Iek son villc have been aeql;irnl hy weal thy individ uals, nr hy dulls at pric<."s fa r exceedi ng th:tt asked for benuti ful St. Vincent. O ne great edvoneage pus~es.....d hy t his Llnnd is its lIe\"l' r- failin g" supply of f n'sh wat er from th e lake. creeks an d ponds, mak ing it ;11\ ideal place for gamc birds of nll varieties. T he en'eks and ponds are f ull o f bluck bass, bream and IWI'eh, which in that clim .nc ar c mkcn al l winter, and th e "~ ' s {('r beds afford nbund ancc o f this dclcc tnhlc bivalv e. I n an nrticlc in tlu- S";"'ltijic A mrri..,m , h ~' Dr. \ Vill iam T . Hornaday. he sa}"s: " The New York ZIH,logieal Pu k, lo cated in th e benuri f ul Bronx Park of l'\ew York C i t ~ · . has nlrendy ,1 11 env iable record as the mother of herds o f wild animals elsewhe re. Scveral non-won hv herd s of de er ha ve nriwn from (....ginnings d ra wn f rom our 11.1fl'nt ~ toc k. T ht· fi n l was due to the e /l t t'fp ri~~ of the lat e Ray V, Pia n ', :\1. D.• whn, during: the 1a,1 ~ · t· ar of his life, owned and lived Up:lll SI. Vincent Island, just off ..\ p:liachicula. nn rth w...-tern Ft uritla. O f all thl' places we ever hare seen in th e sou th, St. Vincent Icland is th e most beaurif'ul, must interesting, and m "'t pcrf"' Cl I~' adapted tn th... requirem en ts of an idea l ga me pre ....-rve and priva te huntin~ gw und. It is highly diversifi ed both in irs foresrr j, its vege ta tio n and its land and wa ter , If an v kin g ev er hat! a hunting gruund like that, he was luckier th an m .....1 kin as." SI. \ 'ince;u hl~nd has been IIwlleJ~ sinc e rhe Civi l \ \'ar by unlr three prupri.·tors,;11 of .....hnm hare pro.... tcct ed th e game. T he prt'sent incum ben t, D r. \ ' . :\1. Pi... rce, rerrrt Prospectu s 01 a St. Vincent Island Club ami Game Pre...erre St. Vincent Island is in the G ulf o f :\texico, seven m iles from Apalachicola, F lorida, and is shown Oil al l l1I a p.~ of the Stat e. and also on a large scale, ..... ith atljacem coast lines and soundings, on l" nirl'd SLues C oa ~ t Survey Ch an No. 183. Its extreme length is nine miles, and gr l'at t'st widt h fnu r miles, and it contains 11,290 acres, exclusive of several hundred acres of land-loc ked bnvs, valu able- oyster and ducking g-ro ulltls. T here are a num ber o f lar ge f resh-wat er ponds, and n stream connecting t111'Jn and flowing into th e bay, and several salt or brackish " I IC 1 ~ '-OtJ" , ! -oyllTt:" "'NO" 0 .. totrnl ' IDI! OF "L~SD O>MMU S ICATlSC WITH cuu' or Mi llO> BY n DAL nux OSI-HALF MI L! LOSe. AT HK:H nDI! ULT ",""Tn O>MU IS-U' JTH W W nOl raUH WATn .USI DL'T. TH!!U " U IIU "'U.to "ClEl o r o ynn 8 lOl II Ul ha \ II11~. Thrce-fou nhs u f the Island is wo,....I t'd with P't'v- p.1Im,·tt", nnd till" \h llal Florid.. for csr g-rllwth, an·J ;ue...ut UI1'·- fcurtlI W,·1 pnlln. ."e or savannahss.." T he Island has long: been noted for the abundnucc of deer UpUIl it, and fr ulll (Jctobc r to Ap ril, the ponds, bayous , we t prair ic, and beaches, swarm with wild ducks, gn 'M" , snipe, cu rlew, plover, "grels and Fl or ida water fnwl uf ;III kind s. The [eland i, a not ed resort allli brn'din g- groun d fo r doves, am i th ere arc many quail in th e W O' l{1... There arc also a number o f wild hugs 011 the Islund, and man y large all ignrors. The Ircsh-wnrcr creek and polltl, ar c fu ll of black has" bream ;111 . 1 perch, wh irl! in that clima te ar c taken all th rough the winter. O p tl'r, of finest qualitr, shrimp, crabs, terrapin and suf't-shcl l turtle nrc nhund nut . I n the ndjaccn t channels , and in the Cl> ves and un the "pt.·r beds, all the sail-water fish of the G ulf nbonnd , includi ng" ta rp(lIl, pl.mpall'l, Span ish mackerel, sea bass g- roulwr, ~ hl'l" ps l ll' : ..l, wh itill g- , sna ppcr, etc. There arc fine bcaclu-s fur dri\'ing, seining, ...tc. :\ sa fe nnd commodious harbor, \V ...S[ Pass, with f" urh'l'n fn ·1 of water U J! rhe bar, ami a huoycd chan nel, ,uljo ins the Island un the cast. O il the west, and nearby, li.·s St. J u", ph's peninsula nml hay, and all indefinite I'XI I'nl of unfrequeured lunds alltl waters, l'asil.\' nc...-s-ihlc f rom St. Vincent, and scarcely acce'>.sihl e from all ~ · other direceion, where .I{"(T, bear, panrh cr, lu rh'}s, gcvsc, duck-, nud W:HIT fow l and sea birds and fish (If :I ll kinds arc p r oha h l~ ' mor e plenti ful than nn j whvr e else in Flor ida, ;t S thl·rc arc nu wt rlcmcnts, ami Lake \V i m i ~· " cuh utf direct approach til the c..:lst from the int(·rior. Small h...nts From St. Yinccnt gl' .Iirccd r into St. )l"",·ph's Ib y bv a short "haul over." T hcre is no cuhivnted laud on the Island cxccpt a small gordcu ;\IId " rang" orchar d near the r....[de uce. It has heretofore been ut ilizl·tl Three Cottages, size about 22 x 50 feet "each," having large living room with firep lace, bath room, bath-tub, shower, wash-bowl. Supplied with rain and pond water under pressure-from elevated tanks. Luge bedroom, size 15 x 22 feet, with two large linen and clothes c1 o~ts . T hese cottages all face the sout h and each opens on a good-s ized covered piazza, that in tu rn abuts on a roofed porch, I-J. O feet long and 30 feet wide. Opposite th e one occupied by the owner are three smalle r buildings consisting of : I. Dining room, with ope n fireplace, and butler's pant ry with passageway leading to kitchen, and well provided with shelving for china, also butler's sink. 2. Kitchen, with all modern improvements - large ra nge, hot water boiler, and cold water pressure, sink, various tables and cupboards. J . Store house, div ided into six rooms that open into a hall way, interior shelves and doors with locks. There are three brood approaches b)' steps with railings, leading to th e large piazza for en tra nce and exit in the most important directions. These buildings are all new and erected upon concrete piers, raising them about five feet above the ground, and are open underneath for fre e circulation of air-built of Cypress beaded inside cypress ceiling-chimneys of brick. All foundations are excavated to hard-pan , and water supply encased in protected covers. Floors arc all on the same level. All buildings painted with uniform color and lead paint for protection from weather. Roofs are all of cypress shingles, laid th ree inches to the weather. Eaves guttered, and spouts of iron water pipe leading to large charcoal filter, enter ing storage reservoirs of ample size, two in number. A windm ill (airmotor) 65-foot tower, 12-foot wheel and large pump elevates the water to a series of very large tanks, three in numbe r. T he topmost is +5 feet from the ground. W ater pipes supply all the houses, also th e fire hydrants that are carefully placed and provided with J -inch best linen hose. A large artesian well supplies a constant strea m of warm sulphur water. A large roomy horse barn affords amp le space for horses, mul es, and carriages. Cow stables are separate and pastures well provided with water. The poult ry yards are properly fenced and contain separate enclosures for chickens, ducks and geese-being well supplied with ducks and geese for tame decoys - all well housed under sanitary conditions. There are four cottages of four rooms each, with fireplaces and chimneys separa te for kitchen ranges. These are now occupied by the help, the superintendent and the game keeper. There are two small shelter lodges, one on each side of the island midway---one is provided with fireplace, range and beds. Close to the main building is a three -room cottage with bath , toilet, and fire place-now used for the house servan ts. There are about 800 acres fenced with Page galvanized wire fence for pasture. About fif teen acres carefully fenced around the house for garden and flowers, so as to keep out the deer. Some hardy fruit trees have been planted on this tract. T here are several roofed boat houses and a number of rowboats, a steel canoe, and a half dozen batteaux. A large six-cylinder engine d-i ves the roomy trunk-cabin motor boat, that is used to bring supplies and passengers. It has a large cabin furnished with cushions, compass, charts, toilet , etc. In the stern is a roomy self-bailing cockpit- Dead eyes giving light. A life boat is launched from davits. A small motor boat is used on the inland lakes of the island . For fucl supply there is any quan tity of large Jive oak trees on the island and plenty of fat pine. A woodshed t OO feet long wi th cedar shing led roof gives storage for a winter supply. A steam boiler and engine of ample power is used to run a large circular saw so as to cut wood. easily of proper length for fireplaces and cook stoves. T here is also a large intern al com bustion engine, that burns kerosene for this purpose and as an auxiliary pumping engine. T he owner's houses are piped for lighting with gasoline, having mantle burn ers, also well lighted with electricity; storage batt eries, gasoline engine and generator. Under the tank a house is fitted up as an office for the owner's use with fi replace, gu nroom, bath and toilet. The view from here is extensive and charming. T he bayou boat landing is provided with a small dock and a series of concrete steps with gates. T he island is provided with about 30 miles of roads, that have been cut through so as to give access to the various parts of the island. Bridges being built where necessary. The beaches are fine roads consisting of hard stretches of sand of about fi fteen miles in extent. T he late Dr. R. V. Pierce occupied the island for five years past and has expended carefully about fifty thousand dolla rs in ju dicious improvements, all of a per manen t character. A concrete dam with sluice gates makes it easy to regulate the level in the fresh-water lakes so as to keep them uniform and thus ensure the growth of duck foods of which many varieties have been planted under the direction of experts from th e U. S. Department of Agriculture. M any ducks under the careful protection afforded make the island their permanent winter home. A steady increase in the numbers of ducks u;ing the island lakes has been noted. Game Preser ve - Owned by a Club ,,,,- authority r u o .tly l aid : "As every bunter knows, tbe w ild Rame of tbi. country is fa it following the buffa lo. \ \'hile th e Federa l a u ~ h or itin are doing all in their power to prnerve Ihe bird. and ani mal., the breedinll: ca pacit y of tb e Federal ga me reserves does not supply enoug h game to repleni. h th e fa . t-d iminish ing preserve. "E uro pean countries bav e long rea lized th at ga me must be rai sed scient ifically. On e of th e la rg est breed en' p r e s ~ r v n i. located at M aitinitz, Bohemia, w bich not only .uppliu the cl ub memben with th eir seaso n's shooti og bur wh ich annuallv sends game to all the cou ntries of Europ e. . "1'h;s preserv e is kept by pr ivat e cap ital. It pays a lari!: e d ivi dend, although wh en it w as first s: a rted the pr omoters ha d no idea of ma kin g money. " W hile a cl ub p reserve is fo r th e conven ience of cl ub me mbers, it will in a few years pro ve a money-r.1aking proposi- tio n. A preserve wi ll eve ntu ally become va luab le to th e State as a gam e sup ply st ation. - "A t p r n ~ nt game ea nnot he purchased in the open ma rk et except under cen ai" cond itions. But gam e raised on a pr e serve ca n be either sold or glven away. T hi s item al one would prove a source of incom e to a cl ub." Mr. lIARDI N 11. LITTELl., of Buffalo, N . Y ., Ex-Prn iJ ent of Ike America" El ectric Rail'u:ay A I10c;al;on, and 'IJ.·ell _ "" o,«-n amOIlf/ Slrrrl R. R. mell and fin-/lleial illrunlt, 'lJ. rirN: "Fortunately, I wa s ena bled to spend Slime time on St. Vincent Is land , an d from my pers"n a l ob.erva tions I do not hesitate to say th at th ere i. oat a beller located or more deair able pl ace, for a gam e preser ve for propagating w ild an imal s, such as cattle, deer a nd boa r, the Is land now bei nR w ell stocked w ith the above-na med an ima l•. 'I he fr esh-w ate r pond . are we ll provided w ith food such as allract w ild geese, Brant, a nd many va rieties of w ild du ck. The woods and th ickets afford ample protection for w ild turkey a nd quail. M any of th e ba yous contain quantities of delicious oyslers, a nd for rhe ma ll ..... ho is fond of fishing there wou ld be no end of SpOil. "T he Is la nd is an ide a l place fo r a cl ub of gent lemen w ho a re fond of hu ntinl/;, fishinR and sai linR. T he eanle on the Is la nd a re qu ite numerous, a re big and strong a nd ver y w ild, beinJl: ha rder to approach w ithin . hootinJl: di st ances tha n deer in the Canadian w ild s. T heir meat is . ,,-eet and nu trit iou s." - Janua ry 19, 1914-. M r. R. L. OGDEN, of tIlt Jr "y llJlallJ Cl ub, 'IJ.-rou in {Sr)l, al f allo~ I.·I : "S umming up the adv an tages an d aliractioIlS St. Vincent is land a fford . to the sports m an, and as a location for a clu b of gentlem en devoted to the pa stime of s"ootinR a nd fi. hing, I c ;"\ n .afely say ther e I. no location on the East Coa.t as fa, down as K ey Bi. cayne, oa r on the west Coast of Florida as fa r north as Ced ar K eys th at affords the quantity an d variety of game tha t can be found on this Isl an d. 1 am famili a r w ith botb coast s an n am confident th at this assertion ca nnot be d i.prov ed . T he great a rea of marsh and sn ipe ground an d Rre at nu mbe r of f H ~ b - w a t e r lakes, render it free fr om the objection of a more limited spher e for epor.s nen w here muct shooting is liab le tu drive th e birds awav, Th:s ca nnOf be the case in th:s instanc e, a. it is unneces. ary to cunfine the sh ooting TO one location. That of tod ay ma y be left unmoles.e d for se,'era l da }" a nd another more dista nt subst itut ed, but ow inj1; to the fact tha t it is the resor t of migrmo ry birds, new a rriva l. a re consla ntl}· replaci nR any that may ha n been d riven a way by too much sboorinR, whic h could ha rd ly he th e C3M with"" much g round to be eove red an d a vail abl e. A Rain, as the Iala nd is t he on ly one for a distance of perha ps 150 mile" in eitber d irection, ha viog fr esl water ponds and wet I/: rou l1 d a nd feed, it necessarilr become. th.. du ni. r rcsa r! of th .. m ig ratory game fro m the North, find ing its way so fa r South, " T he re is no oth er Island w her.. feed and fr esh wa te r ca n be obta ined south of the main land. There a re about 400 head of cattle on the Is land, and a jl; rnt num ber of w ild hOR" The eenle seemed in excelle nt cond ition, and a ,'e ry con aid era ble rev enue cou ld be der ived ther ef rom, a. h..ef lind . a rndy ma rk et in Apalachicola. and that fr om this Is la nd i. hig hly esteemed," 110U' ../ RD 11. BilKER , Ex -Pott mtlSUr of Buffal o and r ia -Pro 't T hird Xat;tl1wl Bad, Buffala, ~I,' rir o Ja n, 19, 191-1 : " I have vi. ited the Isl and on two occasion s an d it i ~ my firm belief that it would make a n id eal game presen'e for a clu b of men w ho desir.. to ln ve our ~o r t h er n cl imate and am use th emselves w ith hu nting, fishinR, a nd al l outdoo r spart. I fully en dorse al l tha t Dr, Horn aday sa>'s of the hIand wh ich i. not in th e lnst o,·ersta ted." GE ORGE B . JIA J'ES, Ex-Pres'; U. S. Cal l frail Pipe f:!! Foundry Co" X arlh and El m••,:ood .h .'r" ,u, Buffalo, N. Y .: "I believe that St. Vincent Is land is the most at t ractive pla ce in the United Stales fo r genrfemeu who bunt an d fi~ h . " It ha s been protected s As a Timber Proposition T here a re on St, Vincent nea rly 5,000 acr e. of rh.. fin e ~t Pine timb er remain ill,!:" in ' the State of Flnrida . T he pos sihilities of turpentining tb's body of timher- an d eill: hl years after wa rds CUUinR it and ma rkNinJl: sam. would aloue re p a~' th e ow ne rs for the purcha se price. AN IDEAL GA ME PRESERV E FOR SALE S T. \' I ~ C E:\:T I S LA ~ D. F LORIDA The only perfect and complete hunting and fi shing preserve left in this country. Situated in the Gulf of Mexico, eight miles from Apalachicola,F la. Contains 11,290 acres. It is nine miles long, and four miles wide, about one-half covered with original for est, grand pines and palmetto. There arc open grassy savannahs, five large fresh-water lakes, connected by deep creek, which flows by manor house to sea. A dozen other ponds afford fresh water for a large number of deer, wild boar, wild catt le, turkey, " Tilson J ack snipe, great quantities of all species duck, and some alliga tors, as well as great quantity of large and small fi sh. T he Island has been owned since the war by only three pro prietors, all of whom protected the game. T he last proprietor lived on th e Island for man)' winters; he planted man)' hundreds of acres of wild rice, wild celery, smart weed, potamogeton and other duck food, so th at great quantities of duck and geese visit and live on the Island . Then he imported and successfully bred the Sambur, or India deer, also J apanese deer, which are increasing fast, as well as wild turkey and quail. The Island is easily protected. It contains at a low estimate, 1,500 native deer, 300 or +00 head of catt le, in wild state, which are very difficult to hunt and shoot, and perhaps a tho u sand wild pigs. There are a half do zen bungalows built for the convenience of a large famil y, or visitors, which would serve well for club purposes. They arc modern and up-to-date. A yacht and laun ch, du ck boats, vehicles and mules, milch cows and chickens go with the place. For infor mation address: V E RS OS P R I C E - \V I L Ll A ~I S, :\'0.1 +30 South Hayshore Drive, P. O . Box 24- 6, M iami, F lorida. " " .' / / - .- .' to" . -, '" ... r ox T ItF. SOUTH HE,\C II AT r\OOX TIlE ISLA X I> YAC HT---QUICKLY CARR IES aXE TO A PA I.AC HICOI.A T i n : I~J) I ,\ ~ S,\\IBl:R DEER