The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-26
THE JEKYL ISLAND CLUB.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND
AND BUILDINGS.


err with Those of the Omicers-A
Place Where Rich Men Find Pleas
ure for n Few weeks in the Win
ter SeasOn--An Abundance OF
Game and Fish--Superb Roads and
Attractive Scenery-other Matters
markable Clubs in the World.
Brunswick. Ga, Jan. 25.-The Jekyl
Island Club. the island winter home of
some of the multi millionaires of
America, has only ninety-two mem
bers. Many are applying for member
ship. but few are chosen. Not only
is the membership limited, but this
year, in accordance with the wishes
of the majority, the number OF invi-
tations allowed each member is linz
tied to two. so that even should all
the members go to Iekyl during any
one season, which is very improbable,
and should each one of them carry his
limit of guests, there could be only
276 on the island during the season.
In connection with this present limi-
tation of guests and the desire OF
Jekyl Island Club members to be re-
moved as far as possible from the
world outside there is an interesting
story. The passenger agents of the
great railways to the South are i'll
some measure responsible for the
exclusiveness. Jekyl had not escaped
the passenger agents eye for adver-
tising purposes, and Jekyl was heralded
on the railroad advertising folders rs
one of the winter resorts of the South.
Some of those people who travel with
the changing of the seasons conceived
the idea that .Tekyl was a resort to
which all could go, and the mail to
LekyFs Club house, asking for rates,
ETC., increased to an annoying rate.
The members decided that it would
be better to emphasize the exclusive
ness of their retreat, and hence, 1t is
told. the limit order on guests went
forth. Through the kindness of the
superintendent, Mr.. Earnest Grob,
your correspondent, and Mr.. Gustave
Kobbe, the well known author, visited
the island a day or two ago. Mr..
Grob furnished a fine team for a drive
over the island.
The club house has been thoroughly
gone over during the summer and an
annex has been built which cost some
s125,000. This ANNEX, in exterior APP
pearance, is on the Italian Renais-
sance order. This part of the club
house was built by six members, viz:
Messrs. Charles Lanier, Cornelius N.
Bliss, Norris K. Jesup, Samuel Spen-
Ger, John S. Kennedy of New York
city, Messrs. Edmund Hayes and j. J..
Albright of Buffalo, N. Y, and Mr..
Francis Bartlett of Boston, Mass. Mr..
Samuel Spencer has selected his apart
ments and they are now being pre-
pared for his coming. Mr.. Francis
Bartlett, accompanied by his niece,
Mrs. Guy Norman, a prominent social
leader of Boston, is now at Jekyl ar
ranging the apartments. This apart
ment annex bids fair to rival in pop
ularity the famous Sans Souci," the
first apartment house built on Jekyl.
The "Sans Souci," in fact, is almost as
much discussed by the club members
as the island itself, and it was in its
upper rooms that the meeting between
Senator Marcus Hanna and ex-Speaker
Reed occurred during the visit of the
late President Mckinley a few years
ago. The Sans SoucI' is owned and
was built by Messrs. j. Pierpont Nor,
gan, William Rockefeller, Joseph Stick
ney, Robert c. Pruyn, J. A. Scrymser
and Mrs. w. p. Anderson, one of the
two lady members of the club.
This season one of the most active
members of the club promises to be
Mr. Edwin Gould. His brother. George
Gould, is also a member, and his other
brother, Frank, has his application in.
Mr.. Gould last summer bought the D.
Fl. King, Jr., cottage, al picturesque
Mexican building, with swimming pool
and court to add to its attractiveness.
This is the cottage which Mr.. King
offered donated to the Marine Hospital
Service for use during the Spanish
American war. Mr. Gould has spent
several thousand dollars in beautify-
ing the yards and surrounding grounds
and some $4,000 on a stable in which
he keeps some of the best blooded ami
mails that come to Jekyl Just off from
Mr. Gould's grounds is the church, in
which Jekyl Islanders worship, and in
the small. but neat, wooden building
Dean Hoffman, the richest clergyman
in the world, breaches to the richest
people in the world, during his stay
on the island. The Dean is fond of
Jekyl, and comes down early for the
season. Near the church Is the "Mau-
rice" cottage a 900 structure, built
of tabby and wood, and is owned and
occupied every season by Mr.. and Mrs.
c. s. Maurice of Athens, Pa. 1t is one
of the beautiful buildings that one sees
from the steamer deck in passing
Jekyl en- route to Fernandina. Mr..
Struthers, of Pennsylvania also has a
beautiful cottage near these two, and
its hospitable doors have often opened
to the merriest of the many merry
Jekyl entertainments. On the river
side roadway is the Mckay cottage,
owned by Mr.. Gordon Mckay, a New
port society leader, and Mr.. H. X.
Porter, a wealthy Pittsburger. The
river side road leads to the beach and
1t is one of the most beautiful in this
country. On the beach the broad At
lantic rolls and tumbles while over the
white clean sand the members find am
pie room for the famous sun baths en-
Joyed only on the beach at Jekyl. Here
the temporarily care-free men of
money talk with their coats off lie
in the sun In luxurious ease and enjoy
that which nature gives them out of
clear sky, while the music of the surf
Is heard with its comforting notes.
There are about thirty miles of the
finest drives that shells and level
roads can produce on the island. and
throughout the entire distance the for
est in almost primeval state, gives
shade and cooling comfort to the ewes.
The massive, gray bearded moss COW
cred trees attract and delight the
Northerner, who always associates this
tropical foliage with the land of flow
ers. All through the drives the wood
land scenes are magnificent in their
quiet beauty, and the woodsman's axe
never fells the towering branches until
decay begins to make their longer stay
dangerous. The moss-covered roads
are now more attractive than ever be-
Nr..s. H. u. II -.