The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07
WAYSIDE INNS FOR THE AUTOS.
TRADE SPRINGING UP ALONG
COUNTRY ROADS.

The Demands OF Automobile Parties Hsv'
Led to = New Glass OF Country Hotel
Tho Gourmet Runs Out OF Town Nov
ami Il Unafraid-sOme OF tho Guests
The growing popularity Of the automo-
bile and the revival OF interest In coaching
are responsible for the improvement and
prosperity OF the public houses along the
fine roads OF Westchester county to which
the tourist instinctively turns.
Country hotels began to prosper when
the bicycles rush into popular favor car
ried 30 many city jewellers out on the roads
But the average cyclist wanted cheap ac-
oommodations, and his demand on the host
OF the wayside inn was for twenty-five and
hfty cent dinners and for ive-cent beer
A different class Of patronage IL carried to
the doors OF the inn by the automobile and
the uoAcil. The traveller by that method
freely, but he wants his viands az choice
to in the city.
Now that this patronage has assured
all corners Of good living. these inns attract
many people who do not travel by coach
or motor car hut by steam train and trolley
and who have found in them an occasion
Tor Q pleasant outing with slight discom-
fort of travel.
The four inns that rank best In favor
are the Woodmansten at Morris Park,
Hunters Island Inn in Pelham Bay Park
Blossom Heath Inn on the Boston post
road and the Hermitage in Williamsbridge.
OF these. the best known, perhaps, Is the
Woodmansten Inn, which by reason Of its
location opposite Morris Park racetrack
has introduced itself to thousands who
might otherwise never have visited it.
All these inns are open the year round
and arc conducted at loss during I'M
favorable seasons The Woodmansten
proved to be bad investment under several
managements. 1t passed into tho control
Of James B. Regan seven years ago. Mr..
Regain discovered that it made an admirable
summer home for his family and found a
little later that it had a very large earning
capacity.
1t began to be profitable when regular
coaching tour was instituted from the heart
of Manhattan to the inn. The coach Good
Times made the run every day, and the inn
attained large popularity among those
tired city people who wanted little dash
into the country. Tho coaching service
has given way now to an automobile coach
which leaves the Waldorf Astoria every
day at $50 o'clock, reaching the inn at Z.
An allowance Of two hours is made for
dinner, and then the coach starts back
getting to the Waldorf at 80 O'Clock.
The auto carries only six passengers.
1t Is an eleven-mile drive from Fifty
ninth street through Central Park, by
Macomb's Dam bridge. along Jerome
avenue to Fordham Hill thence by the
High Bridge road to Fordham station,
through Pelham avenue to Pelham Park
way, passing Bronx Park and the Zoolog-
cal Garden. to Williamsbridge road and
thence to the inn.
To reach it by train take the Third avenue
elevated to nth street. fremont avenue
car to Silver street and walk two blocks
Or one may 60 by steam cars to Westchester
station.
As one approaches up the road the fine
old country house peeks through the trees
and shrubs. its white sides with the green
foliage and grasses around lending to it
an air Of delightful GOODNESS. The paths
are broad and winding, or you may tread
across the soft lawn. past flower beds
and blossoming trees, to the deep verandas
sweeping plot OF green, fat as a floor.
spreads out to the south, and there in the
protecting shade Of the trees are half .
hundred tables where one may dine when
the weather favors it.
Here at the dinner hour, when the rae
ing is on at Morris Park, one will find men
and women of several grades of society
eating and drinking as the sun sends its last
red shafts from the west. 1t is not unusual
In the racing season TO feed 500 people on
the lawns and verandas Red yellow and
white. automobiles, coaches and tallyhos
OF mixed oolors stand along the paths
waiting TO carry the diners back to town.
Inside the house are dining rooms in
white and gold opening on the verandas
so that one has his choice OF an eating
place. It used to be an excuse of sucn
the best service because the patronage
is Of short seasons. while the New York
restaurant enjoys, practically. the same
patronage through the year. But the
automobile has so increased the custom
Of the inns that they are improved in the
things.
The born rich and the rich for day
may be found in the territory served by
the same waiter: Here's a man who in
herited millions from an apoplectic father.
dining with his own wife. while at the next
into the possession Of bundle from the
bookmakers.
Here. waiter. he is saying, while the
servant is drawing one cork PUT two
more bottles Of that champagne on the Ice.
Evidently he fears that the waiter keeps
the wine in the kettle. Sharing these
bottles Is girl, recently graduated from
a Sixth avenue shop, proud in a fourteen
dollar shirt-waist suit and forever waving
hand ornamented with two gaudy rings.
Over the way is the local manager of
. bucket shop whose head office is out of
town. salaried man, paying for wine 40
recklessly that one wonders how his thefts
escape detection.
Blossom Heath Imp sits back from the
Boston post road between Mamaronetk
and Larchmont. For him who has not
automobile or coach the quickest route
New Haven and Hartford Railroad and
then take the trolley line down the Boston
road. which brings one to the gateway of
the inn
green hedge skirts the little hill on
which the inn rests and traces a winding
path up from the dusty road to the inviting
GOODNESS OF the broad verandas and TO
tables spread under the branches of rugged
trees Of half q century's growth As the
knoll lifts above the surrounding country
one Is generally sure Of breeze as well as
a view Of the rolling land The sloping
acres In the rear are cut with the geometri-
cal figures Of the farmer and gazing at them
one may pick out the green things to dress
his dinnar Turning from the rear view