Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-02-16
CHAPTER xXXIX.


Hotels are one Of the strongest attractions
In America to Americans, especially tho
ladies.
When we Europeans travel, we alight at
hotel, because II Is impossible that we should
have a pitching place Of our own In each
town We visit, or friends able to receive US;
In other words, wo go to tho hotel, because
we cannot help 1t. When we leave our good
bed and table, and set out to see the world q
little we say to ourselves; "The worst Of It il
that wo shall have to live In hotels perhaps
for month or two; but, after all, It cannot
be helped, we must put up with hotels since
we have made up our minds to see Switzer-
land, or Scotland, or Italy," Our object In
travelling is to SEQ new countries. make pleas
ant excursions, climb mountains, ETC., and to
attain that object we must use the hotels as a
convenience as a sad necessity.
In Europe, the hotel is a means to an end
In America, 1t Is the end
People travel hundreds, nay thousands Of
miles for the pleasure Of putting up at certain
hotels Listen to their conversation and you
will find that it mainly turns, not upon the
fine views they have discovered, or the ex-
cursions and walks they have enjoyed, but
upon the respective merits Of the various
hotels they have put up at Hotels are for
them what cathedrals monuments and the
beauties of nature are for U.s.
In February, 1883, went to SEQ the Ameri-
cans take their pleasure In Florida During
the months Of January, February and March
focks Of society people from the towns In the
north go to Florida where the sun Il warm
and the orange trees are in full beauty Of
fruit and flower. Jacksonville and St Au-
gustine are In winter what Saratoga, New.
port and Long Branch are In summer, tho
rendezvous Of all who have any pretensions
to place In the fashionable world.
But what do they do at Jacksonville and
St. Augustine, all these Americans In search
Of "good timer You think perhaps that,
in the morning, they set out In great numbers
to mako long excursions into the country or
on-ths water; that picnics, riding parties and
such out Of door pastimes are org6hized.
Not So They get up breakfast, and make
for the balconies or piazzas Of the hotels,
there to rock themselves two or three hours
in rocking chairs until lunch time; after this
they return to their rocking chairs again and
wait for dinner. Dinner over, they 60 to the
drawing room, where there are more rocking
chairs, and chat or listen to an orchestra
until bed time And yet. what pretty en-
virons the little town Of Jacksonville has, for
instancei For miles around stretches villa
dotted orange grove.
And the table dhotel
r,x LII Al ~ 4
study it, we discuss the dishes, arranging
them discreetly and artistically In the mind
before making their acquaintance moro fully
on the palate. We are gournets In America
the question seems to be not, (which Of these
dishes will 60 well togetherf' but, "How
many Of them con manager It Is 90 much
q day; the moderate eaters pay for the glut-
tons
You SEQ women como down at to break
fast In silk attire, and decked In diamonds.
And what breakfast First an orange and
a banana TO freshen tho mouth and whet the
appetite; then Hsh, bacon and eggs, or ONE
Let, beefsteak or chop with fried potatoes,
hominy cakes, and preserves
"How. little you eat, you French people!"
said an American to me one day, as was Or
dsring my breakfast Of cafe au lait and bread
and butter.
"You are mistaken" said, "only We do
not care for our dinner at O'Clock in the
morning."
The larger the hotel Is the better the Amer
leans like It A little, quiet, well kept hotel,
where, the cookery being done for twenty or
thirty perSons instead Of a thousand, the beef
has not the same taste as mutton; hotel
where you are known and called by your
name. where you are not simply No. SIS like
q convict; this kind Of pitching place does
not attract the American He must have
something large, enormous immenss He Is
inclined to judge everything by its size.
Jacksonville and St. Augustine boast q
score Of hotels, each capable Of accommodate
ing from six hundred to a thousand guests
These hotels are full from the beginning Of
January to the end OF March
Ihsvs almost always accepted with reserve
tAs American supslstivsA followed hy tho