The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-03
HOTEL LIFE IN FLORIDA.
What One Sees and Hears on the
american Riviera"

"American Riviera"
Julian Ralph, in HdrDer's Magazine
1t is said that famous writer remarked
that he had not the ability to describe the
Ponce de Leon and its outlook upon the
luxurious court and park, and opposing
Cordova and AlcaEar hotels. l see here no
excuse for trying hand upon it at this late
day. 1t is it's general effect, rather than its
details, that charms the beholder, and that
effect can be expressed In a sentence-it Is a
melody or poem in gray and red and
green. The pearl-gray walls of shell-stone
lift their cool sides between pillows OF
foliage and masses OF bright red tiling. The
graceful towers, quaint dormer-windows,
airy logglas. and jewel-like fountains and
galleries all melt, unnoted, into the
some persons, too dear for others, too arti-
fetal for others, and for another class not
sufficiently restful. Many fiud the life
there too closely like what they left behind
in New York, or they zee there the same
club and business friends from whom they
wish TO get away. Al Raschid could not
please every one if he gave away his eelth
and scepter, aud even his clothes. | was so
perfectly content and thoroughly fascinated
in the week lived there that the place
seemed all-sufficient. Yet when | went to
nother resort, and saw green and white
country hotel in a shady grove beside a
cool river, and observed the men and
women in the refreshing undress Of hannels
and soft hats. | confess that my heart went
out to the old, old JOY Of country rest and
quiet and uncoucern.
But, for a time IL was pleasant to elbow
the rich and watch the fashionable, to see
the gowns and turnouts, to hear the small
talk and now and then TO have tete-d"tete
With dressy woman. and to find that she
could repeat the pretty prattling of her
babe recorded in the lkst or a Rrandmas
letters; or to sit with a very wealthy man, as
did and hear him exclaim: Don't lay
any stress on wealth; there's nothing in it.
have it. and tell you / would rather
have q college education and enough to live
in plain comfort than to hold on to my mill
ions. only give away my surplus. All
the world seems banded TO get 1t away
from me. and it does me little good. Give
your boys an education; Won will be kinder
than to give them riches"
This was an uniooked-for note to be
sounded in house where a woman and her
lady friend and maid erepaying $50 day
for rooms and meals; where an Astor and
bis bride had paid the saue sum per day
during a week of their honeymoon; where
cne lady took a room solely for her trunks
at $l0a day, and where an economical
young woman told me that sbe was filing
her mothers closets and her own with
dresses, while the mother put her things on
the chairs. Mamma has had her day, you
know" said the maiden, and she doesn't
care"
There was one little party that occupied
three bedrooms, a bath room and parlor,
taxing up whole corner Of the house on
the ground floor, whose bill at the hotel
might easily have been $75 day. And in
all these instances the extras are lost sight
of-the IS to the head waiter the g. or 80
week to the waiter at table, the fees to the
bel boy and the ice water boy and bout
black. noted. though, that these minor
expenses are variOusly met. In modest
Jacksonville saw man meet them cheaply,
and yet with a flourish. He was leaving
How many boys are there heren he asked
Mine, sir.n Then call them all up-an