The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-07
tains. cloisters and towers. is revelation
,ccne from the Arabian Nigbts'

n,irafion or nj least bis interest Remark 70
him for instance. that TO so by train to
Florida from tho north ono has to travei
brunch moro than six hundred miles Of pine
forest-which makes thesjourney very unin
foresfing-and he will throw you plying
Glance. which seems TO say' "lmmcnse, SIR,
immense: like everything that Is American.
The teupcraturc Of Florida in winter l.
rarely lower than O. dogs, and ranges IRON
hat TO -. but the climate Is moist and ener
vatin.. the country vast marsh, ~ tat tha'
hv standing on a chair one could sec 70 the ex-
| tremitics Of it with the aid OF q good heio
class some enterprisng American shoHd
throw ND bill down there, he would make
ais fortune Every ono would 60 and see It,
II is not everybody who can afford the
uxnrv Of the Ponce de Leon hotel, but 1t /,
,vervbody who likes to he seen there in the
season
Yon must be able 20 say when you return
70 the north that you have been at the Ponc'
le Leon. Til, T. how il can be managed
/ You 90 10 some other hotel near the Ponce
! IN the evening dressed in all your diamonds
-ou Glide into the court yard Of the great
.aravansarv Another step takes you 70 the
immense rotunda where the concert is going
an You stroll through the saloons and cor
ridors. and, taking a seat where you can be
.ecn of the multitude you listen 70 the music
! About 10 or II O'Clock you beat retreat anc
return TO your own hotel Wishing % SCI
INV mind AT rest on this matter, went ono
.venine. about half past Q, 20 the Casa Monica
md Florida house There, in tho room.
where the musicians engaged by the proprie
tors play every evening were at the most q
core of people.
Everything is on a grand scale in good
| american hotels. especially the bills
| caught the following bit Of conversation
It the St Augustine station as ! was lcav
ng.
"Heuol you are of, toor said young
nan 10 a friend who had just installed his
wife in the train for jacksonville
MY dear fellow, / have been here a fort
light. the Ponce de Leon is magnificent, but
lie blll il awfully still. "
"Never mind. old man, reioined the other
Won will take 1t OIL your wiies next drcss
money
With few exceptions. the walters in all The
,reat hotels are negroes You are served
,lowly. but with intelligence and politeness
80 "duchess,s" in the great cities of the
iorth or the fashionable resorts Of tn" south
Those good negroes have such cheerful.
,ren faces They seem 50 glad to to- alive
md they look SO good natred that 1t doe
ne good 10 see them When they look al
me another they laugh. When you look al
chem they laugh If a negro secs another
negro more black than himself he is dc
ichted he calls him "darky" and looks Oh
dim In a patroniziug way Thor great dark
yes that show the whites so, when they roll
hem in their own dr1i fashion. the two
rows Of white. teeth constantly on view
/ framed in thick retrousse lips tho swayne
manner of walking. with turned out toe
md head thrown back, the musical voice
,veot but sonorous and so pleasing compared
70 the horrible twang OF the lower class PEG
PIE in the north, all make up picturesque
whole You forget the color and fall to al
mirng them.
And how amusing they arei
At the Everett hotel, jacksonville, ! one
lay went to the wrong table.
you've come 10 Dc wrong table, sab, said
the attendant darby. Then, indicating the
nccro who served az the next table, hc added
Oats de gentleman dat waits on you; sab.
Immediately recognized my gentleman,
and changed my seat Tho fact is that ali
The negroes are alike at glance. ltrcqulres
as much perspicacity to tell one from another
as It docs to distinguish one French gcndarm,
| from another French gendarme.
never met with such memories as some OF
| those darkics have.
Ash have said, the hotels Of Florida are be
legged during the winter months At dinner
{ line, you may sec from six hundred To- thou
and people at table. The black head waiter
| snows each OF the guests The second time
they enter the dining room, he conducts them
TO their places without making mistake u
one instance. If you Nop but a day. you
INV return month efter. and not only viii
ne recollect your face. but he viii be able 10
tel you which little Table yon sat at, and
which place at that table WAS yours.
At the door Of the dining room young
negro Of lG or IL fakes your hat and puts II
On "A hat rack have seen hundreds thus in
| l. \..r a ffI
room and, withcu. moments hesitation. he
singles out your hft and hands II 10 You. II
| IS wonderful when one thinks Of H. give
gou the problem 10 solve Several hundred
men. most of whom you have not seen more
| than once or twice ioiorc. pass into room.
banding you Their chimney pots or wide
awakes TO take care OF They come out Of
the room in no sort Of order, and sou have t.
give each the hat that belongs TO him. ]
have tried hard ana often, bur never succeed
cd in finding out hon it is aone.
Another negro in fhe hail goes and gets
your Key when he 500 you return from a
walk No need TO tel him the number OF
your room-he knows IT, II. may have acn
you but once before. but that is all sufficient
he never errS
And the negresSes good, merry looking
creatures with buxom faces and forms, sup
pie, light graceful gait and slender waists,
aping the fashion. and having very pretty
| fashions Of their own, coqueitng and mine
lng, as they walk out with their "ticlars
particulars The enjoyment Of life Is writ
ten on their faces, and one ends by thinking
some Of them quite pretty. | have seen some
| splendid figures amongst them You should
see them on Sundays, dressed in SCARLET or
some other bright color, with great hats
jauntily turned up on one side and tanning
themselves with the ease and grace Of Bel
| grayian ladies'
Negre>ses are not employed as chamber
maids in hotels They go into service only
! as nurses, and OF course children love them
Unhappily for you, ii is the objectionable
duchess" that you find again, up stairs this
time The evil is not so great rs It is in the
Nnaller towns where these young persons
wait at table also In the best hotels their
only duty is 70 keep the bedrooms tidy You