The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1908-08-22

RDAY. AUGUST 22
line the doofyards, too, and mingle theil
bright green boughs with the dark
glossy magnolia, and the mournful
cedar. Here, from May to December
Towering plants bloom in the open air
and there is not . house In Bay ST
Louis, whether on the beach or on !
little back street, that Is not garnished
with towering vihes, shrubs and plants
Japonicas, the magnolia friscati, palms
roses of the most delicate species, iessa-
mine, oleandefs, Grape myrtle, mingle
with fg, date. orange, pecan, plum and
peach trees, ,-all jumbled together about
the smaller homes and separated accord
ing to the gardeners idea on the places
OF the rich. At this season the air ID
heavy with fragrance. Great white
waxen magnolias glitter among their
thick, dark leaves; roses riot every
where, clambering over trellis and gal
lery, oleanders, pink and white, are in
full bloom, as are the china berry trees.
And these 60 to make up much Of the
beauty Of Bay st. Louis. The twenty
miles of white shell roads that run
through the town are banked on either
side with all this splendor Of greenery,
making even the costliest building an
incident rather than the chief figure.
On some of the cross streets the groves
of live oaks are simply superb, moss de-
pending from the bouRhs 50 thick as to
make them impenetrable. With sea
as blue as the Mediterranean in front,
and land as green as the Emerald Isle
at its back, a turquoise sky overhead
and the balmiest of climates, it is little
wonder that Northerners have found
this dream-like place and come here in
winter by hundreds. or that an author
like Maurice Thompson should have
made this the Mecca Of his wanderings
for nearly twenty years. 1t was here at
Bay st. Lonis that he wrote "My Win
ter Garden, that idyl of the Gulf Coast
unsurpassed in English, and in the yard
OF the Pickwick Hotel that he practiced
his favorite sport-archery. His rooms
are kept intact here-a pair OF old-fash-
ioned rooms with tester beds, with more
doors and windows than wall space,
with every one looking out over the
Gulf. Elmwood, too, the fine old plan
tation house now owned by J. H. Bous-
log, a Northerner, was haunt OF the
author. In fact, every nook claimed
him, for he knew them all by heart.
No old time resident was so familiar with
the country, with the streams and waters
that lie all about, with the birds and
larger game and all the wealth OF the
flower kingdom.
One conld write indefinitely Of the
scenic attractions of the bay, but those
who may wish to visit or locate here
will want to know whether it has any
features OF business, good hotel,
money making opportunities.
SO, to begin with, it has hotels, for
these take care of the Northerner in
winter and the Southernef in summer,
and Bav st. Louis gets between 5000
and 1000 summer visitors.
The Pickwick is its ehief hostelry, as
has been said, was the stopping place OF
Maurice Thompson and family for four
teen winters. Indeed, he wrote a book
let for this same hotel during one of his
winter visits, and it is from this that we
are now drawing some of the facts con-
cerning it. This hotel is situated, as
Maurice Thompson puts it, con high,
airy bluff, in grove of oaks, magnolias
and other trees in the center Of large
ground, which is beautifully ornamented
with fountains, towering plants and
tropical shrubbery. The situation is
admirable, being just at the point where
the Bay of ST. Louis broadens into the
Gulf of Mexico. At the head OF the
bay two large and beautiful rivers, Jor-
dan and Wolf, flow into it, and these
streams are swarming with fish. South
ward are the oyster beds and the red
snapper banks, while short drive over
good roads brings the sportsman to ex-
cellent shooting in season."
And we'll Maurice Thompson knew
these good fishing spots and shooting
preserves, too!
The Pickwick is all that he says and
more. It's grounds run back from the
beach 1900 feet and contain not only
live and water oaks and magnolias Of
giant size, but cedar, catalpa, umbrella
china, holly, black gum, locust, pecan,
fig, banana, orange and old mulberry
trees, Japanese ounce, cherry and a
multitude of lesser shrubs. The hotel
property includes rambling, many
galleried building of large, open rooms,
fronting the sea, and three cottages,
which are rented to families. An arte-
sian well on the place t,0S5 feet deep,
with natural pressure of 70 feet, flows
100 gallons a minute o: remarkably pure
water containing valuable medicinal
properties. An old.fashioned, yet mod
ernly equipped, hostelry, the Piekwick
caters to all the best trade Of the bay;
its table is supplied with fresh sea-food