The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-31
SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON.
Some of the Architectural, Physical
and Social Attractions of the Two
Cities.

some OF Ine AFcnttecNuFHA, EhSSlcsAA
and Social Attractions of the Two
Cities.
Savannah Letter in the Charleston News
and Courier.
This may be called the city of magnin-
cent areas, as the grand breadth of streets
and avenues and broad sidewalks, with
the magnificent openings devoted TO pa
rade grounds parks and squares which
greet you with surprising frequency and
cause one to wonder at so eXtravagant
appropriation of precious acres, are the
first points which attract attention; but
though the smooth asphalt paved high
ways and drives are very comely, and
though there are very handsome single
residences and other buildings throughout
the city, yet the general beauty effect is
somewhat married, in the eyes of your
scribe, by a peculiar propensity for tene-
ment building, with fronts and entrances,
from duplicate to octuphcate, so fault
lessly identical that, we opine, it would
puzzle a stronghold toter to find his own
domicile and wife on a murky night. The
invariable "stoop'' which is affected, from
the most squalid shack to marble halls"
though adding much to the comfortable
habits of the occupants, is as often
disfgurer of architectural consistency and
beauty.
The use of the "stoop," or porch, is also
a distinctive feature of Savannah.
Charleston is more seclusive, and doesn't
sit out in the street, though The seat be
under her "own vine and fig tree"
The parade ground and parks and
squares are spacious and healthy resorts,
and the monuments are handsome, but we
remark the absence of the beautiful Ber
muda sward and wired shell walks which
appeal to the aesthetic in the more con-
tracted pleasure grounds of our Carolina
city.
The postohice, now in course of construc-
ton, is of exquisite design and finish, but
not so imposing structure as at the corner
of Broad and Meeting streets; but, on the
other hand, her county court house is
larger and more handsomely fronting edi-
flee.
There is no such caravaneary as the De
Soto in Charleston, but Savannah has no
Thomson auditorium. Her highways and
drives are more smoothly and
handsomely paved and her SUI
burban environments more pic
turesque but her trolley cars and sys-
tenn does not equal Charleston's and there
is no substitute for our peerless Battery,
nor Chicora Park, nor our (Coney lsland)
Isle of Palms and its al.urements
Mules are much in vogue here otherwise
than for draying. We have noted very
many beautiful women and very many
handsome teams, but the latter are fire.
quently disfgured by an odd taste for
reaching their names and nicking their
tails.
The women, God bless them, are left in
tact.
on our arrival we noted brigade Of
vehicles aligned along the street opposite
the depot and each one was an identical
duplicate OF the next one, and all were
short-coupled. under-cut Surveys for the
accommodation of travellers. and they re-
mind US much of the tenement fronts.
The unpaVed streets are a feather bed
of sand and doubtless necessitate the use
of mules for hauling purposes.
Withal we are charmed with Savannah
and Savannahians. Charlestonians are
| proverbial for their heightened manner and
| courteousness of bearing; here there is a
| free and easy bonhommie in the houses,
on the streets. in the stores, or from the
| stoops, which possess equally as magnetic
| charms to The stranger and is doubtless
| owing, in some measure, to the more or
| less cosmopolitan character of the popula-
ton. changing and shifting from this huge
| thoroushfare line Of travel.
We will close with the accentuated sem
| tence that Savannah is pre-eminenty a
| neat and cleanly city; the streets being
daily and perslstently scraped and cleans
! ed OF ali offal, and her system of water
work SO ingenuously utilized as to render
| the entire absence Of all maodorous scents
| remarkable. GUY.