The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1889-03-29

Augustine, is not only tho largest and hand
soonest hotel i'll America, but in the whole
world. Standing in tho pretticst purt of tho
picturesque little town, this Moorish palace,
with its walls of onyx, its vast, artistically
furnished saloons, its orange walks foun-
tains, cloistcrs and towers, is revelation, II
scene from the Arabian Nights"
Here the Americans congrcgate in search Of
Il good time" as they call it. The charges
range from ten to twenty-five dollars day
for each person, exclusive Of wines and cX-
tras The American who goes to the Ponce
de Leon with his wife and daughters, there
fore. spends from one to two hundred dollars
a day. For this sum, he and his fumily arc
fed, played TO by very ordinary band, and
supplied with un immense choice OF rocking
chairs. On his return to New York, he dc
clures to his friends that he has had a 'ovcly
time" The American never admits that lie
las been bored, i'll America specially. The
smallest incidents Of the trip arc events AMI
adventures, and he never fails to have his
good time" lie is as easily pleased as Il
child everything American calls out lis ad
uliratou or at least his interest. Remark to
him. for instance, that to 60 by train to
Florida from the north one has TO travcl
through more than six hundred miles Of pine
forcst-which makes the journey very rnin-
tercsting--anl he will throw you u pityint
glance, which seems to say: "lm,ucnse, sir
immense; like everything that is American
The temperature of Florida III wuter is
rarely lower than Gi degs., and ranges from
that to IA; but the climate is moist and e.ler-
waiting, the country vast marsh, SO fat that
by standing on a chair one could SEQ 10 the e.
,rcniitcs Of it with the aid Of n good field
glass. Some cnterlwisins American shoull
throw up Il liiil down there; lie would E4:skn
his fortune. Every one would 60 and sec il.
1t is not everybody who ean afford the
luxury Of the Ponce de Leon hotel. but il is
everybody who likes 10 be seen there i'll the
season.
You must be able to Sav wnen you retuyn
to the north that You have been al the Ponce
de Leon. This is lloH it can be managed
You go to some other hotel near Tie Ponce
IN the evening, dressed i'll all your diamonds.
you glCe into the court yard Of the great
caravansary. Another step takes You to TIC
immense rOtunda where the concert is coin.
on. You stroll through the snooils and cor
ridors. and, taking scat where you cnn lac
seen of the multitude, you listen to tham music
About 10 or II o'clock you beat retreat and
return to Your own hotel. Wishing to set
my mind ut rest Oh this matter, went one
evening, about half past 8, to the Casa Monica
aud Florida house. There in the rooms
where tho musicians engaged by the proprie-
tors play every eveEiug, were at tho ,nest Il
score of people,
Everything is on grand scale in good
American hotels. especially the bills.
caught The following bit Of conversation!
ut the St. Augustine station rs was leav-
ing:
"Hello! you are off, toof said a yotms
man To II friend who had just Installed his
vito in the train for Jacksonville.
My dear fellow, l have been here II fort
night; the Ponce de Leon is magnificent, hut
the bill is awfulIy still
Never mind old man. rejoined the other,
'you wil! take it off your wifes next dress
money"
With few exceptions, tho walters i'll all the
great hotels are negroes You are served
slowly, but with intelligence and politencSs.
No ''duchessesa in the great cities of the
north or the fashionable resorts of the south
Those good negroes have such cheerful,
open faces They seem so glad to be alive,
and they look 50 good natured that it docs
one good to sec them. When they look at
one another they laugh. When YOU lock ut
them they laugh. Ii 4 negro sees another
negro more black than himself he is de-
lighted; he calls him "darkya and looks OH
him in a patronizinG way Their great dark
eyes that show tho whites SO, when they roll
them in their own ,lroll fashion; the two
rows of white teeth constantly on view,
framed III thick retrousse lips; the swaying
manner of walking, with turned out toes
and head thrown back; the musical voice,
sweet but sonorous, and SO pleasing compared
to the horrible twans of the lower class pco-
plo in tho north, III! make up II picturesque
whole. You forget the color and fall to adj
mring them.
And how amusing they are
At the Everett hotel, Jacksonville, one
day went to the wrong table.
You've come to de wrong table, sab, said
tho attendant darky. Then, indicating the
negro who served at the next table, he added:
"Dat's de gentleman dat waits on you, sal."
Immediately recognized my gentleman"
and changed my scat. The fact is that all
tho negroes are alike ut q glance, Itrequires
as much pcrspicacity to tell ono from another
as it does to distinguish one French gendarlnc
from another French gendarnc.
never met with such memories Us some of
those dar.iies have.
AS have said, tho hotels of Florida are be-
sieged during tho winter months At dinner
tine, you may see from six hundred to thou
sand people at table. The black head waite.
knows each of the guests. Tho second time
they enter the dining room, he conducts thc.l
to their places without making Il mistake il,
ono instance. If you stop hut day, you
may return month after and not only will
he rccollect your face, but he will be able to
tell you which little table you sat at, and
which place at that table was yours.
At the door of tho dining room young
negro of 1G or IS takes your hat and puts it
on hat rack. have seen hundreds thus in
his care at a time. You leave the dining
room and, without moments hesitation, he
singles out your hat and hands it to You. 1t
is wonderful when one thinks of it. give
you tho problem to solve. Several hundred
men, most of whom you have not seen more
than once or twice before, pass into n room,
handing you their chimney pots or wide
awakes to take care Of They come out of
the room in no sort Of order, and you have to
give each the hat that belongs to him. !
have tried hard and often, but never succeed
ell in finding out how it is done
Another negro in the hall goes and gets
your key when he sees you return from
walk No need to tell him the number Of
your room-he knows it. He may have seen
you but once before, but that is all sufficient
he never errs
And the ncgresscs! good, merry looking
creatures with buxom faces md forms, sup
pie, light, graceful gait and slender waists,
apng the fashion, and having very pretty
fashions of their own, coquetting and minc-
ing, US 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 fau,ins
themselves with the ease and grace of Eel