The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-14
81. Aueusr1NE,s SEASON.
The Hotels Offering Every Inducement
TO Bring in Guests.


the cyclones of August and October upon
This prettiest of Florida towns, and the
alleged latent influences of the "strin-
gency' affecting the purses and move
ments of the habitual tourists, St. Angus
tine has much in the way of patronage to
he thankful for. The arrivals at the Cor
dova and the other hotels and boarding
houses now open, compare favorably
With corresponding dates of last year
The reduced rates of 50, So 90
and 81, offered by the Cor
dova management has established pOpu-
lar rates in this city, and will doubtless
draw many more people, especially as
these low rates. at this one of Henry NJ
FIagler's trio of hotel palaces, implies a
rate for ''permanents" within the means
ofmany who could not possibly sojourn in
the Ancient City heretofore for any great
lengthOf time in one of the hotel palaces.
There is a growing fear that the pop
Uar prices thus esta blished by Mr.. Flag
Ter might affect the business in profita-
hlc way AS did also the fear" when
Mr. Flagler first opened his Ponce de
Leon and Alcazar, take hold of the owners
of the hotels which previously held the
tourist trade at their own prices, that
his hotels would be so grand that
il would be difficult to retain a paying
number of guests, which was, in part,
true for the first season but things soon
right themselves, and when the minor ho-
tells and even boarding houses, realized
that modern improvements must be in
troduced, and that rates should also be
reduced in proportion to the prominence
or grade of the hotel, business took an up
ward tendency, and to-day St. Augustine
possesses an array of good, comfortable
hotels and boarding houses, it having
been found that Mr.. Flagler's movements
we're, from the start, solely in the inter-
ests of both the hotel people, the mer-
chants and their supporters, the tourists.
It is said that mo table will be fur
nished" at the AlcaZar this season, and
that the grand structure will be used to
accommodate the overflow from the
Ponce de Leon. However this might be,
remains to be seen on the first day of
January, on which. the hotel is to be
opened 1t would be but matter of
few hours to determine on serving meals
in the Alcazar did that become the wish
Of the travelling public, as everything re-
mains in waiting. ........
THE ROUTE TO THE SOUTH
The extending of the st. Augustine
route Jacksonville, ST Augustine and
indian River railway) south of Rock
ledge, its terminus last winter will have
some influence on this city's tourists
business, as the people are 10th to stay
at any one place when easy access is of
fered to them, especially in the manner
provided by Mr. Flagler's railroads. He
has provided the best of rolling stock
conceivable, and by consulting
the time card printed in the
MORNING News it will be seen that tray
elers can now reach Lake Worth in less
time than they could Rockledge two sea-
= i
from St. Augustine to Eau Gallie and
thence south to Jupiter by boat thence
via Mr.. Flaglet's railroad to West Palm
beach gives the wayfarer about ninety
miles by boat-either the Sweeney or
SAINT Lucia-coverlng the most entranc
ing part of the Indian river. The East
Coast Lines are running on schedule
to Sebastian, % miles south of Eau Gallie,
but as many beauties of the river are met
with north of Sebastian, the former point
has been selected for the boats until
about the last of January, when it is ex-
pected the railroad will be completed
through to West Palm beach, and by an
ample feriage passenge rs will be landed
almost at the portals of the new hotel
Royal Poincianas and this the average St.
Augustine hotel proprietor again fears
may induce the tourist, as one of Flor
ida 5 poets writes, to sing:
SO get your grip to-day,
Tia IA ra boom de aye;
And let uS HE away.
At Palm Beach we Will stay,
The East Coast route you go,
The yellow. cars you know;
SO throw your furs away, ......
Ia ra ra boom de aye. ......
to the detriment of st. Augustine as the
chief resort, and will make them hustle
to preserve its reputation as the Newport
and Saratoga of America.
TALK OF NEW COURT HOUSE.
Notwithstanding that ST Augustine
derives mainly its sustenance from the
tourists the board of county commission
crs is COntempIatin the building of a new
and more commodious court house. al
though the one on hand was only built
after the fire THAT destroyed, not only the
old cathedral, but other prominent land
marks including Capt. Wallis old-time
hosiery. the St. Augustine hotel, about
six years ago. The proposed new court
house site will occupy three fronts, one of
st George street, one facing the Matan-
zas and the other the Fort Marion reser-
'atlon. 1t is proposed to use the
PRESENT court house as matter
OF economy, for one armory for
the two local militia organizations
10 is gratifying to the taxpayers to
Know that through the economy and judy
Hent OF the board of aldermen the city s
financial condition grows more robust and
with every prospect of the retiring of the
script issued to tide over matters while
Inc solonS We're overcoming what have
proved to be evils growing out of the
boom which struck the town when the
flagler hotels were in course of cOnstruc-
ION. Then over a thousand mechanics
and laborers had to be provided with food
ana shelter and raiment, and the mer-
'nant and property owner thought things
would remain ever thus; but the usual re-
action struck them, and the metropolitan
neat subsequently, had time to cool down,
and careful consideration of contracts
lhen made showed on close figuring
mat all the taxes would be needed
10 meet them and salaried officials, and
nothing remained to pay the current eX-
pthSes. However, another year will see
me city again on good financial footing.
Meantime the question of bonding the
guy to the amount according to law of
10 per cent. of the taxation is taking hold
vi the property owners, who now want d
system of sewerage, good paved streets,
wafer supply and provisions for disposing
night soil and garbage.
he winter schedule now in effect
rings the SAVANNAH MORNING News
uere 50 that readers get, at II O'Clock in
-ue morning, all the latest news of tho
World twenty-four hours ahead of the
northern papers.
o. Augustine boasts of new evening
'5.WN,spaper, The Evening Press.