The Saint Paul globe., 1901-07-14
MODERN WHITE CITY
HoCHESTER PEOPLE ESTABLISH
UNIQUE SUMIER RESORT AT
WINDSOR BEACH
LIVE IN HANDSOME TENTS
Best Felix's in Flower City May BE
Found in Canvas Homes
on Lake On
tnriO

In this age of municipal experiment
and social study the city of Rochester
n. Y feels that it has solved one clas-
tion satisfactorily to 1,5e0 of it's iahabi-
tants at least, says the New York Trlb-
une. That is how to spend the torrfd
term of summer in health. happiness ard
economy. The answer spells the name
| White City. The Columbian exposition
installed that designation into the vocab-
ulaTy OF the day. That Write CITY was
a creation Of staff this newer one IS
! constructed of canvas.
Tents have been considered the most
temporary and a rather primitive rorm
OF human habitatiOn. That was before
the City of Tents on the blu1s at Wind
sor Beach was conceived. The poets cpl
tome of re5tIcssness is the Bcdouius. WHO
"1old Up their tents and silently steal
away The tents of the White City are
pitched in April and folded in November
This may seem an eXaEgeratiOu to the
reader who pictures the cold winds OF
autumn sagglng the fraiIs walls ana
sweeping under yhe flies But these tents
are different from the kind which dot
the shores of Canadian lakes on August
nights and are packed in canoes when
the sun rises. The White CITY has cali
Z ~ A4AbC S-A47lGilCG Il LO-Ll OF canvas tents
| which, cool in summer and warm in
autumn, marks probably the -lugthcst adj
vance Ill the manufacture Of ten.s AMI
| has given name to the make which
! distlng guishes it from all others
WINDSOR Beach is a sLrgtch of high
BUNS and shallow, sandy shore, a lui.e
east of Charlotte, across me Genes. q
| river. 1t 1aces the north and lies 09-l
| to the vines. Below, the LAKE rolls On
a Z no p -st-g .r a5
| the broad boulevard, with its finely k.yL
bicycle tracks and It's eIectrlc railroad 10
Rochester, eight miles away. On the west
are the Genesee river, tie long pI-rs,
Ontario beach and Charlotte. To the
east the snore line winds in and Gus,
past the narrow mouth Of the irO11c-
QUOT pay then swinging outward, ends
III the Jutting wooded promOntOry called
Nine Mile Point. To the north lies the
blue leyee OF the lake. The official
course OF the international yacht races
| Is staked out directly before the thr, s.
| holds Of the tents. The site is Ike tina,
Of miniature Newport.
The White CITY came into existence
about ten years ago. The SummervIle
hotel achieved fame. Between Summer
Vile and Windsor lay a level line Of
| bluffs, heavily grassed and prettily wood
ed. A small party of Rochester folk de-
cided to spend the summer there A
few cottages had already been built.
! These were too expensive for a short
tents. That fall the campers returned 70
Rochester tanned, triumphant and ten
acious Of their resolve TO return next
year. They enlisted the sympathy OF a
lew more. Thus was the White City
founded.
The men who owned the tracts of land
on which the tents were pitched suddenly
/ saw fortunes awaiting them. Rents went
! up. Each summer brought an increase
! III the number of campers The tents
| spread further east and west. Streets
! came into being. AS the encampmcuJ
| grew, a name was sought Viewed from
the distance III the bright sunlight or Il
| summer afternoon, the name was easily
! liked upon. White City it was cal. ed, and
! White City ii has remained.
| The present year records the high wa
| ter mark Of the city. Its inhabitants
number 1850, and its tents crown tine
! bluffs for a mile and Il half east and
west ana half a mile north and south.
! The streets are named after the pr53I-
| dents Of the United States. Harrison aHI
! Lincoln avenues aIe the abiding places
| OF the arl5tocracy. Inc city IS surprls-
/ in6ly ike real, permanent municipality.
! 1t mas its clques and it's sets. Many
campers do not know the names Of their
| nelgnbOTs in the next street any more
! than they would in New York itself.
/ They come and so, and live their own
! manner OF life. Early in the morning
| the men start for their business in F.pch-
! ester, returning at night. In the White
City may be found the tents Of bankers,
! lawyers, ministers, college professor
| ana, indeed, people III every calling jon
life. They rent the plots of land, erect
! their houses and enjoy life in cJClnesa
! and health.
The tents are marvellous creations
I FHst framework is erected, Ike that
/ Of an Indian bungalow, in its apparent
( fraIlly and SlCndGTneS3. On tuis are
| stretched the canvas walls. Sometimes
the cloth is pure white; sometimes a
| striped pattern gives Il touch Of color 10
/ the almost universal hue. Most Of the
| tents are double. That is a large tent
( 1t a little distance is another smaller
one, in which the cooking, washing and
other domestic duties are done. Within
/ the living tent one hndS luxury and com
/ fort little dreamed Of. The tents are
spacious enough to allow three sleeping
! rooms, sitting room and Il dining room.
! The largest are being described now.
! occupants demands. At night the flies
! are caught up, and the cool lake breezes
! which are always Hitting about, even On
the hottest nights of summer, penetrate
/ the fnnermOSt reCesSes Of the canvas
houses. Visits are paid, cards are left,
musicals, card parties, dancing, Tece p
tlous, dinners, and, indeed. all the social
part of tie daily life Of this city by the
lake. Late in the fall the flies are drop
ped, I'll made fast. fires started in the lit
tie stoves and comfort kept in spite OF
storm and wind.
Although the fame Of this strange and
: successful experiment in solving the SUM
mer problem has not extended far il has
visitor. Many of the tents are occupied
by families from remote parts Of the
country. AS far as IS known the White
City Is alone OF its kind.