The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-08
THEY SEEK ST. AUGUSTINE.
Northern People FIocking into Florida by the
Hundreds.

Northern People FIockins into Florida by the
Hundreds.
New York World.
ST. AUGUSTINE, February 1.-The
winter population OF st. Augustine is in
creasing at the rate of very nearly
hundred arrivals a day, and of these
about ten per cent. are season guests.
As a natural consequence the hotel pro-
prietors are looking happy and are bless
ing the clerk of the weather, who
seems to be busily engaged in freezing
the mercury in the Thermometers in the
North. There are larger number of
tourists from the West and Northwest
than ever before, and the st. Augustine
sunshine seems to be even more keenly
appreciated by the citizens of St. Paul
and Chicago than by those from further
East where billiards are of less frequent
occurrence. They are coming very early
in the season too, and are, many Sof
them, making arrangements to stay
late, fact which is hailed with delight
by the natives, who, to a great extent.
follow the example of the New Eng
land coast villagers, and nine months
in the year live on fish, the other three
on boarders. Within the the past five
ually heightened from five weeks to ten.
This year it will be nearer twelve. and
next year the Ponce de Leon proposes to
open before Christmas. If the expert
ment is successful it will make the sea-
son five months, which is pretty good
for any watering place. With our rap
idly increasing Leisure class place
| like this is godsend, though it will un-
douotedly make a material difference
i'll Northern, especially New York So
ciety. When New York society swing.
around the circle of Newport, Lennox,
| Tuxedo, st. Augustine and Lakewood
and the other early summer resorts there
is very little time left for New York.
| st. Augustine is only one of the winter
resorts in Florida where wealthy North
erners congregate, and new ones are
| springlne up every season.
The Standard Oil Company evidently
believe in the future of Florida. for they
have recently purchased the Sanford
House, at Sanford, and as individuals
| members of the giant corporation own
considerable land IN various parts of the
State. These purchases, together with
Mr.. Flaglers immense hotel. have giveu
rise to the widest sorts of rl1mors con,
corning the intentions of the STANDARD
Oil people. A steamship line from St
| Augustine TO Europe, connecting with
railways all over the country and a Sc
ries of palatial winter hotels throughout
the State. was a scheme told me in sober
earnest by New York gentleman who
has had sufficient business acumen Il
amass fortune. An ''orange trust, wa,
another idea suggested, more IN Jest thai
in earnest 1t is largely the infiuenc,
J of the hotel which gives birth to thes,
| ideas. Tell man after he has STAYED a
the Ponce de Leon for forty-eight hour
that Mr.. Flagler has purchased the Stat
of Texas to lay 1t out in tennis court.
! for his guests and that electric train
will be run between Galveston and ST
Augustine every half hour, and he vii
look you calmly in the eye and say b
knew 1t. He is prepared to believe any
thing. Moreover, average business men an
not disposed to believe the story that til
Ponce de Leon was built to CRAFTY