Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-02
OUTDOOR ALL WINTER
Georgia Climate Like That of
Southern France.
RESORT OF THE WEALTHY
Crying Need for the Improvement
Of the Roads.
NOTED VISITORS TO AUGUSTA
John D. Rockefeller So Much
Pleased With the Manner of His
Treatment He Will Return.
RESORT OF THE WEALTHY
NOTED VISITORS TO AUGUSTA
BY WILLIAM f.: CURTIS.

| Special Core pondeure Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
AUGUSTA. Ga. March ~ 1905
! The good people down here do not fully
realize the assets they have in the way Of
! climate and local color and it is strange
| that more tourists and pleasure hunters
| and health seekers do not come here to
| enjoy them. There is just as much of
| interest in some of these southern towns
and the climate is just as healthful and
| attractive as in Italy or sout hern France
! The negro life Is quite as curious and
| fascinating as the native customs and
| costumes of European countries. The
hotels are just as good. The amusements
here are quite absorbing as those of
the European resorts. The climate per-
mits outdoor life all winter. with scarce
| ~ day too stormy for tennis, golf
| horseback riding or driving. And one
| has large choice of location each with
its own Observation-Disclosures which
| described the other day: Aiken which
is the winter Newport and the abode OF
the rich: Augusta, with two splendid
| hotels: Thomasviile. and half a dozen
other places lying along the ridge of sand
that runs north and south from Virginia
to Florida. a few miles back and parallel
| to the coast.
Good Roads Much Needed.
could easily be corrected. The roads
generally speaking. are too bad for au-
tomobing. and some of them are terri
BILE They are good in spots but DO
! per cent are impass able at some times
ana very rough at all times.
i IL was long ago demonstrated that good
/ ROADS are the most profitable investment
community can make. and in this case
it would be very profitable for the south.
ern states to get together and make it
| possible for automobiles to go from the
Potomac and Ohio rivers to the gulf on
their own wheels. Thousands of tour
lists go to Europe for motor trips because
the roads are so good over there and
! they stay away from the south because
! me roads are so bad i'm that section. there
! isn't the slightest doubt that hundreds
! of thousands of dollars would be eXpend-
| ed annually by motoring parties if there
were a smooth, dry. clean highway run
ming down the pine ridge have mention
| ed all the way from Washington To
i Florida. with branches to the various re-
| sorts. And it would be a great thing for
| the farmers along rs line who lose
| thousands of dollars annually in the time
that is wasted in hauling produce over
| bad roads.
| | am reminded. however. of story
which President Alderman of the Uni
versity of Virginia told in the eloquent
| speech he delivered at the banquet of
! the University Club of Washington last
| winter. lie SAID That man who stopped
at the roadside one day and watched a
colOred farmer feeding dry corn to
! hog remarked:
''Rastus. don't you Know that if you
| soaked the corn in water before you feed
| 1t to the hog he can digest it in half the
! time that it takes to digest the dry
! corn?"
| The old darkey shook his head over the
suggestion if ii puzzled him. and.
after rejecting moment. inquired:
| Boss, how mlNh YOU reckon that-air
| haWg's times WORTH
There some good roads about nearly
| all these southern resorts and people
who bring automobiles with them are
pretty sure to find use for them. In Au-
gusta. Aiken and other of the towns good
| cars can be hired at the local garages.
and each of the hotels has d stable well
| equipped with horses for riding and driv
| ing. I am assured that there two
| hundred miles of hard-surfaced roads
t built of cement and gravel in Richmond
| county. of which Augusta is the capital,
and they are being extended every year
| at a cost of about 81 600 mile by work
| ing the short-time cOnVicts.
Employment of Convicts.
Whei ever you go in Georgia and South
Carolina and other parts of the south you
find gangs Of men in grindy black and
white striped suits cleaning the streets