The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-16
LIFE IN ST. AUGUSTINE.
spiendta Hotels im the A"cfsns wy
s,ood Nabtts ofths Guesfs. Eve.

Sr. AUGUSTINE, FLA, March Sit
.o.ms r,,ber "a remarkable enterprise
that In .uch city ~ thus snou'o po
erected what H. without qu,siioii '"c
finest hotel In the world. city without
rewspaper, n oity Only IN ba"i', io'
,here xfs thousands Of towns IN Tue
United States which are immessuraoiy
ahead of this In every element OF modern
mopress. A paved street 10 nnknown,
a sidewalk i-iaiely 30 he found, ana
,rb.n ,outd il extends only TO- u lew
feet and is scarcely wide enough Tor
So {, VII abreast. Pedestrians
bayee rougll and most uncoinioIiaoio
experience plonsbiDg through nen'
sandy soil, choked and blinded WIN oas'
f,om every passing vehicle. Wua' nsne'
the aitIsction OF the place Is its an'iqui-
", its locality and climate. NO o'.e
would think of coming 10 'he ot"'o
without paying vis'f 10 81 Augus''"e'
ItIs probably not exaggerated 10 es'i-
MAZE that uibe GU. IL every Ten iei'o,
who enter FiOIiGa do not leave i. WIN
ont a stay OF "a day IT week, OF longer
a. the case may be, at tins place. No
.not in the whole State Is better adapted
Gar a first. class hotel. In determining to
hnild one here. Mr. Flagler showed Wise
Indictment, but whether such ah
rxneusive investment as ne mas
made Will produce permanent Proh'anie
returns, is not settled, promising rs too
prospect now appears. DtsciiP""ns Oh
The Ponce de Leon have been So aDun-
daut that every newspaper feauer mus,
bsv. = tolerabl- idea of It's Oh iracter aLu
oru,,ntmeIts. But the marvellous beauty
oid richness of its architecture, the
noy,ltv OF It's interior arrangements,
lie -ppcrb style of its decorations,
IN, mapnificeuce Of its furniture,
The charming eifrct of the display OF
Tropical lGXurisuce Ia IT'S extensive
rfnnpds. AID the happy forethought
vAich has provided every appliance OF
luxury, comfort AID Amusement must Do
seen L. be appreciated. Ii Is evident 10
ANY expefiouced observer that NE ques-
ZION ufrxpense was never considered ana
IL does not seem that anything could be
improved upon. Having such ideas ana
sucu purposes az the owner OF TINS stfuc-
ture. II was well that ;be millions which
sre Invested in it were not missed by MIN
NIT all. 1t IS SAID that the entire cost OF
building aud furnishing the MOTEL was
behaved 10y Mr.. Flagler tom his current
iscome without interfering III the least
with lis Ordinary expenditures. luis
will give All idea Of what "A by thiog II
l. 10 be a stakeholder III The Stsnd"ld
Oil Company. So far the enterprise mas
uroved An onoim1us success. People
uc'uallv beg 10 get into the Ponce dc
Leon. There has never been day since
a ut a..
have not been TUNED away by the
score. end some OF ihe smaller no
teIa fiji uu with The overflow. MI.
Srav.y, the manager, showed NE hla list
whrIo some who had asked for accommo-
daii,ns a month siuce had not yet been
furnished with them. Thoso who do get
In nav for their whistle, as the prices
asked are arbitrary and fabulous. The
puint as To whether The hotel will keep
up It's prestige depends, il seems 10 me,
upon vheiber the prices are kept up, for
after the niue days wonder Is over,
human nature is such that 10 Will not
care 10 pay two prices for the mere sa ke
OF Rszlug upon msguihcence. There
ara several other very fine hotels here,
all built within year or two, and
keeping fully as good If not bet
Ter table for much lower rates. How
ever, in all probability, the Ponce de
Leon will come down 10 average rates
when the times demand it. The Alcazsr,
large structure just opposite the Ponce
de Leon, and nearly completed, is to be
Al annex OF the former. 1t is also of the
Moorish style Of architecture, but not SO
pronounced As the other. 1t is to be a
mixture OF hotel, casino, bazaar and
baths, and is expected 10 prove as great
an attraction As its big brother. The
intention Is TO keep the Alcazsr open all
the year round. Southern custom only
is expected III the summer season, and
As The southeIners have not SO much
money as their northern friends, prices
WI, lao made mach lover, and doubtless
what is furnished them will deterlOrate
IN the same proportion. Many believe II
will not prove feasible 10 carry out this
plan. for they are not at all certain that
southeiners viii! wish 10 come to Florida
III the summer any more than northern
eIs.
A good thing abOut the Florida season
is the custom Of keeping early hours.
At the northern watering places in the
IL 10 HldNAit W hSoP W.,
hours, aud nO,hing l. more common than
for persons To Ietuin from the seasiiore
or ire springs complaining they do not
feel in the least rested. III Florida this
is altogether different. BY IL O'Clock ii
is rare to find 4 lady downstairs the
teis-a.tstes in the dark corners of the
piazzas have sll broken up, and the
drawing rooms are deserted Before
midnight the gentlemen have also disap-
peared, ami if any are foand II Is only a
few isolated stragglers. At the grand
ball AT the Ponce de Leon a few nights
since dancing was III full blast by
O'Clock, and at IL nearly every one was
through and gone. Early to bed, early
10 rise; 80 as early AS O'Clock IN the
morning the breakfast tables of the
hotels are crowded.
The Florida "sooiety" reporter has a
wrinkle which, If awaited Of By his col
leagues in Baltimore, Washington and
elsewhere, might result In saving then
q deal of trouble and labor. When q
ball, reception or dinner 10 to come OF
he sits down with bis typewriter and
sends To all the prominent ladies who are
sxp.cted TO be present "a little note, read