1923) HOWE 



95 



Tt 



at Fort George describe him as a 



man of great charm and refinement. His house or rather the single 

 room and ell, which was all that he ever built, was a veritable museum of 

 bronzes, china and curios and was regarded with awe and wonder by those 

 who were privileged to visit it. The grounds were a bower of all sorts 

 of tropical plants, lilies of many kinds flourished, especially in the neigh- 

 borhood of a little pond at the rear. All this has long since disappeared 

 and the writer in a recent trip to the island could find nothing unusual 

 in the way of plants save a Magnolia- tree of great size and some fine Live 

 Oaks. The house or room, however, remains, though moved from its 

 original location, and now forms part of the dwelling of Mrs. Manning. 

 Two rows of massive Live Oaks, planted across the back of Dr. Hall's 

 place, and extending to the land of neighbors, bear impressive witness to 

 the effect to establish windbreaks for the Orange-groves, and to protect 

 them from the disastrous frosts. 



Dr. Hall contemplated at one time setting out an orchard of Chinese 

 Sand Pears at Fort George. Helen Harcourt in her excellent book " Florida 

 Fruits, How to Raise Them" speaks of the great results to be expected 

 from the planting of this fruit in Florida. She also mentions the Satsuma 

 Orange as having been originally planted at Fort George, we may presume 

 by Dr. Hall. This Orange is believed today to have considerable possi- 

 bilities in the colder sections of Florida. Another introduction of Dr. 

 Hall's was the Celestial Fig, plants of which still thrive in the neighbor- 

 hood of the house. 



Fort George Island is today a beautiful and romantic spot. The land 

 is at a considerable elevation above the water and is partly surrounded 

 by salt marshes. Great Live Oak-trees, intermingled with Cabbage 

 Palmettos, and a few exceptionally large Pines shade the ground. A 

 number of miles of shell road make all parts of the island accessible. 

 Beds of oysters line the shore in some places and there is a fine sand beach. 

 The island is reached by crossing the St. John's River in a small boat 

 from Mayport and landing at the little settlement of Pilot Town. 



In spite of misfortune Dr. Hall continued to visit Florida in the winters, 

 his last two trips being to Lake Worth. The writer, a small boy at the 

 time, remembers the doctor at Bristol. At this period he was an old man 

 with pointed white beard and rather a gruff manner. On returning from 

 his morning visit to his garden he was accustomed to have a rose in the 

 corner of his mouth, a habit which the older inhabitants of Fort George 

 also recall. On one occasion a grapefruit or pomello, as Dr. Hall called 

 it, was brought out at Bristol and at another time there was an alligator 



pear. Neither of these fruits at this time had been generally introduced 

 but the doctor had brought them with him from Florida. Dr. Hall 



Mrs 



Milton 



1899. On December 24, after a short illness George Rogers Hall, then in 

 his eightieth year passed away. 



