St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-15
THE SEASON OPENS.
Once Again Beautiful Mime
tonka Bows Before the
Public.
The Hotel Lafayette Formally
Opens for the Summer
Months.
4s
A Dance and Banquet by
Which to While Away the
Evening.
Outlook for a Busy Season at
the Many Lake Re-
sorts.

The Minnetonka summer season was
formally inaugurated last evening by
the grand opening of the Hotel Lafay-
cite at Minnetonka Beach. 1t was I'M
fortunate that the weather should have
frowned upon the approaching festivi-
ties, and the rain kept many people
away who would otherwise have attend
ed from the city. Manager Miller has
been busy for weeks in getting things
in running order, and the mammoth
hotel, with its splendid grounds.
was an inviting picture to those
who lent their presence to
the occasion. The lawns had been
trimmed as level as carpet. and the
huge flower beds were brilliant with
their variegated blossoms and parti-
colored tropic foliage. Hundreds of
hanging baskets of blooming plants
hung from the long colonade in front OF
the house; and,as the sun broke through
the clouds upon the approach of the
train from the city. the beautiful sum
mer resort looked as cheerful as the
most exacting could wish.
The attendance from the city was not
large, owing to the rains of the day,
which insisted in pouring down as if to
put thoroughly wet blanket upon the
pleasures that had been prepared for
the evening; but, when the sun
came out toward evening, the steam
launches began to arrive from different
parts of the lake, until by 9 o'clock
there was happy party gathered i'll
the spacious halls of the Lafayette,
ready to enjoy themselves to the fullest
extent the occasion allowed.
One of the features of the evening
was the dressY toilets worn by many of
the ladies, some of which were eX-
tremely rich. The opening, as has al
ways been the case, was devoid of all
formality, and little was attempted i'll
the way of ceremony. Everybody
seemed to be out for a good time,
and each one danced. promenaded,
OF listened to the enhancing strains
of Frank Danz's music at their
own sweet will. A great many of those
who attended came over shortly after
o'clock and partook of dinner that the
caterer to the tastes OF the guests OF the
Lafayette knows so we'll how to pro-
duce. Many remained over until to-day,
spending Sunday at the lake, some of
the gentlemen going out on early fish
ing excursions, while their fair partners
slept off the fatigue of the night before.
At 10 o'clock banquet was served in
the dining hall, in a unique fashion.
Tempting dishes were displayed, inter-
spersed with fruits and delicacies, on
tables set in hollow square. In the
center stood the ebony walters. who
gave out whatever was wished, the
dishes being carried to seats about the
room, and discussed at leisure. The
whole affair was eXcellently well ar
ranged and the management may well
be satisfied with the result of the
opening, especially when the bad state of
the weather is taken into account.
MI. Miller IS of the opinion that the
season is to be highly successful one.
Already many guests have arrived for
the summer, and kilograms have been
received reServlng rooms for those VINO
are to come soon. DanZ'S full orchestra
is to give Sunday concerts, and there
will also be special features dur
ing the week, which will be an
nounced before they are ready to take
place. The management intends to
spare no pains toward the amusement
of the guests. Numerous new features
in the way of lake amusements are to
be offered during the summer. Guests
are also rapidly arriving at the other
hotels that have opened, and the cot
tages are fast filling up. During the
present week some of the large steamers
will start running, and ere long the
whole mammoth chain of hotels, cot
tages, etc.. will be running in full blast,
steamer excursions will be of al
most nightly occurrence, and pic
MICS by day will add to
the gala times for which bright, pretty
Minnetonka is noted the country over.
Already dozens of little steam launches
fly back and forth through its waters,
and white-winged sailboats fit about
over the sunlit rippleS. With the first
fair weather, Minnetonka will again
assert itself, and the voice of its pleas
ure-seekers will be heard from one end
to the other of its turtuouS WindingS.