The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-24

The dining room. which is UNIQUE, and
the handsomest in this country is bewider-
ing in the beauty and intricacy of its deco
rationS. The coats-of-arns of the various
Spanish provinces, rich with argent, guleS,
azure and or, are worked III with telling
effect. The main hall is about 90 feet
square and IS feet from floor to ceiling. and
is fianked on either side by two great
rounded windows projecting about 80
feet, and divided from the main hall by
massive oak columns. Around the main
hall runs clere-story pierced by
eight stained-glass windows. Between
these windows, on each side, are four
female figures, beautifully painted and rep
resenting two different conceptions of the
four seasons. Great high-pooped Spanish gal
leys OF the time of Ponce de Leon are worked
into the decorations, and a frieze of laugh
ing Cupids bearing cups of wine welcome
the guests. An ingenious feature is an
epltomlzed history of Florida which is
worked III on silver panels on the ceiling of
the bays. 1t would require a drawing to
convey any very accurate idea of these pam
els, which are civilized imitation of the
Indian picture writing. "A partial explana-
ton will suggest the general scheme. For
instance the first line is Ponce de Leon, a
single Spanish galley with all sails set, and
the date 1912 signifies that Ponce de Leon
came safely in one ship that year and discov
cred Florida in 1928 came Pamphilio de
Navaez with one ship. When the sails are
set, a successful voyage is indicated, while
bare mastS tell of a shipwreck. A ship re-
versed means that the explorer returned to
his home again, bloody sword indicates
fights with the Indians, spear heads mas
sacres of the settlers by the natives, the
arms of Spain, the feur-de-Iis of France,
and the cross of st. George indicate the ma
tionality of the explorers; conventional
castles mark the erection and completion of
San Mario, while the United States shield
and the figures 1921 mark the date when
Florida was admitted to tho Union
But it is worse than useless to attempt an
adequate description of the artistic beauties
of the Ponce de Leon in the space of a news
paper article 1t would require book with
many illustrations to do it justice, and even
then the exquisite harmony of color would
be lost in black ard white reproductions
The grand parlors, 104 feet by So divided
by portieres, and containing a beautiful
carved mantel. in which is set a clock of
transparent Mexican onyx; the ladies'
of small shingles resembling fish
scales; the tropical garden on the
roof, the many fountains which charm
the ear with their musical FLASHING, deserve
much more accurate description than | can
give them here. In any other house any
one would be feature which would com
mand unbounded admiration: hero they
are but integral parts of a perfect whole.
! The new beauties, as they attract notice
day by day, excite no surprise; they belong
where they are. 1t took the architects and
decorators over two years to elaborate these
! details, and it is not in reason that they
should be grasped by the unprofessional
visitor in day and written up in a news
! paper column.
Moreover, the climate and surroundings
| have somewhat to do with the charm. In
| Madison square, which. by the way, would
not hold the hotel, the Ponce de Leon would
be Outi'e, almost bizarre Here in st. Au-
| gIlstine it is as much part of the landscape
| as the glossy orange trees with their golden
| fruit or the graceful palmettoes and tropical
| flowers which bloom in the courtyard.
fancy that great part of the artistic sue
cess of the building is duo to the fact that
the architects and decorators worked in
perfect unison, and it is impossible to de-
| tect where the work of one left off and the
other began There is nothing which
strikes one as being out Of place or super
| fluous The whole has been executed under
the watchful eye of Mr. Hastings, who has
recently departed for a short trip TO Mexico,
after the long continued strain.
The weather here is simply perfect as
warm and balny as June. 1t gives a curious
mental shock to the Northern visitor to sit
out of doors clad iii summer raiment. and
read a daily paper bearing the date of
the middle of January. Habit is so strong
that it is hard to realize that thirty hours
| travel can bring one to such a change in
| temperature and surroundings
ALLAN FoRMAN.