The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-09-29
IMPORTANCE OR
TOURIST CROP
CLIMATE AND SCENERY Al
MONEY MAKERS
Great Need Of First-Class Hotel I'm
Friday Harbor-An Eastern Mans
Opinion of San Juan as a Sum-
mer Resort. Enormous Revenue
From Tourists in Switzerland

II AAOA AAASAN VAoAVOA0 NA w
~ see and emphasize the great
need of first-class hotel here, equip
ped with especial reference to the
thoroughly comfortable accommoda-
tion of summer tourists. Perhaps no
other one thing, at all likely to come
to us through proper effort, would do
so much to attract the attention of
wealthy people to this charming re-
gion and so greatly and rapidly stim-
ulate the growth of Friday Harbor.
This is the view taken by Mr.. NJ G.
Price, of Richmond, Indiana, who
with Mrs. Price, left few days ago
to return to their home after a most
enjoyable visit of several weeks with
Mrs. Prices brother, Postmaster A.
S. Hall. For number of years past
they have been spending portion of
each summer at popular resort
near the straits of Mackinaw, in
northern Michigan. 1t is town Of
considerable size and is almost entire
ly supported by tourists and summer
visitors, and vet Mr.. Price says that
Friday Harbor is immeasurably su-
perior to it in point of natural at
fractions dear to the heart of the
tourist. He is keen business man
and close observer, who has travel
ed quite extensively in this country,
and it is worthy of note that he re-
CARDS Friday Harbor as one Of the
best points he has ever seen, not only
for really first-class hotel but for
homes for we'll to-do retired people.
He believes that with suitable accom-
for the entertainment Of
visitors and proper advertising it
would be only short time until the
permanent population of Friday Har-
Dor would be more than doubled and
it would become widely known as one
of the most attractive points on the
Pacific coast.
'sWhat the west might accomplish
by attending to the tourist crop as
well as the wheat and fruit crops is
forcibly suggested by the experience
of Switzerland, where the globe-trot-
ting, money spending sightseer is the
principal source Of income, "says the
Tacoma Ledger" The annual income
of the hotel proprietors in that little
corner of Europe is now $50, ,O0O,O
and government statistics show that
more than a third of the total in
crease in the value of Swiss property
during the last half century-an in-
crease from 1000, 600, 900 to $780,
900, OOO-has gone to the hotel pro-
prietors. This is not remarkable
growth when estimated on American
standards but it is noteworthy for SO
small and comparatively poor q
country as Switzerland. In the Uni
ted States, Florida is almost like
Switzerland in its dependence upon
visitors, who spend millions at Palm
Beach, St. Augustine and other re-
sorts every year. California is rapid
" increasing its income from the
tourist trade. The New England,
New Jersey and Canadian resorts
collect vast sums from it.
"Here in the northwest we are
Just beginning to realize the value OF
scenery as q money-maker. When
we shall have roads and hotels equal
to those of Switzerland, or even OF
California, we shall have the traffic.
It is fine thing of course, to have
other crops beside the summer tour
ist but with the travel and sightsee-
ing habit growing even faster than
American wealth is growing, it IS
worth while to cultivate the summer
resort as q market for home products
and source Of income for the thous-
ands who will profit directly and IN
directly by the tourist trade.
Cant Warbass and VIM. Douglas