The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-01-21
WAY DOWN SOUTH in DIXIE.
Trip ofth. soath Dakota Editors
TO the Home of tsls. Alligator and
tine Orauae.

Trip oftf,e soath Dakota Editors
to the Home of t.ls Alligator and
tine Orauac.
The Tampa Bay. aud Ponce de Leon at
st. Augustine are conceded by ali native
and foreign travellers TO be the finest and
most elegant hotels in the world. When
the reader stopsto consider the b%roadness
Of this statement; that non Of the cost
ly hostelrics with which America
abounds are overlooked. mol any Of the
palaces for tourists in the southern
European watering places and winter
resorts, he can comprehend something of
the elegance of these Florida hotels. and
in view of thisthey are worthy Of a much
more extended description than we can
give to them in this already over-lengthy
epistle. And this reminds us.
After addressing the good little boys
and girls ut considerable length. the Sur
day school superintendent said. Now, IL
there is any little girl or boy who would
like to ask o question l will answer
them" Up went a chubby fist in the
rear Of the room.
swell, my little man, what is it,"
"How longs this jawin' goin' to lastY,,
If there are any readers Of the GRAPHIC
growing impatient over the space given
to this writc up they can get their money
back by applying Mt the box Office.
Judging by the demands for extra Copies
and the readiness with which missing
copies asked to be duplicated. the report
IT the southern trip il very interesting
to a large number, anyway. We will
add, by way Of parenthesis. that at the
conclusion OF the write up Of the trip
proper we shall have something to say
Of the industrial and political complex
ion Of the South. which will not prove
dry reading, il this wo are nov at does.
1t must be borne in mind that the Flori-
da people, asa rule, treated us as lords
and are, thereby. entitled to the consid-
GRAFTON OF their guests. It's never polite
you know, to jump up from the hosts
table and light out for home as soon as
one has had ones lll. But to get back
to business.
1t would take a page Of tho GRAPHIC
to describe ever partially the two hotels
named, and then the average reader
would have but little idea Of them.
Thev are so unlike the principal hotels
OF Chicago, New York, San Francisco OF
of those at the California winter resorts
or ut Saratoga or Long Branch. One
writer, in speaking of the Tampa Bay,
says lit is more like a palace than q
hotel and in its appointments more like
a gentleman's residence on a scale en-
largcd to positive magnldcence-totally
unlike any other and the most unique
in the world was about to say Of its
kind-it has no kind; there is none in
similarity with il. and taken all in ali
is The finest in the world" Others there
are who give the palm to the Ponce de
Leon. AS a matter Of fact. the latter
cost 100000 more than the Tampa
Bay. We think the cost OF the two was
81. 100000 and S3,5OO,GO0 respectively.
Tho Tampa Bay Is new structure aud
not vet completed, while the P%Once--ts
the Florida people call it-has been con-
structei some years. IL and the Alcazar
and the Cord0ya-the two latter both
beautiful hotels In st. Augustine-wcrc
all bnilt by a Standard Oil millionaire
and are within a st~onesSelhrow of each
other. His Instructions to the architect
who planned the Ponce was to build a
palace without regard to cost, and right
well were the instructions carried out
It's "a m0dera Aladin's palace. The
Tampa Bay hotel is located in ,lie little
city Of Tampa which, in turn. lies at the
head Of Tampa Bay. The building has
no wings nor extensions, but occupies Il
vast amount Of ground. 1t is something
like q mile around it. In place of a
square structure with the necessary
courts, the Tampa Bay is long and mar
row and fronts east aud west. 1t is con-
structed of brick. four stories In hight
and is built after tho Moorish style Of
architecture. II the reader isn't familiar
with the Moorish style a copy Of Mr.
Moor's work can be obtained OF almost
any bookseller. The building is relieved
by six massive Moorish minarcts, n at
each corae and two at tue center. The
furnishings arc simply magnificent.
Every sleeping room has an elegant
hardwood mantel and fireplace, velvet
carpet aud costly furniture. The parlors,
drawing rooms, grand chambers and
Railways ar. dreams OF elegance indes-
%criba6le. The old world and the new
have been ransacked to furnish them.
The grand hallway, 700 feet long, is
lined with paintings OF the old masters,
life-size bronzes and .%-statuary, and the
beautiful building adorned from eud to
end with the most costly Of cabinets and
bric-a-brac. Its furnishings arc far sl
pprior to that of its rival, the Ponce de
Leon. There is no more striking feature
than the table porcelain. These are ex-
quisite works OF ceramic art and the
m~illionaire's table service is here equally
rs elegant and duplicated a hundred
times. The grounds are no less beautl-
full and so extensive that the excursion
party was requested to keep together in
double Gle that the grounds might be
gone over eypeditiously and DO seen by
all. Beds Of growing pineapples and
other tropical fruits and all manner Of
rare plants serve to make the place a.
most a second Garden OF Eden. An
orange grove with trees just loaded with
ripe fruit is not the least attractive
feature to the average guest just from
his northern home. Tho broad piazzas
and %esplnnades arc banked with hun
dreds OF gladiolAs in full bloom.
Much that has been written Of the
r .-.- Dec, -.-lS.z :. A.. $780, -