The Washington times., 1908-12-23
Augusta Throws Off Tradi-
tional Lethargy With
His Advent.
SEES POSSIBILITIES
AS ADVERTISEMENT
He Brings Business to Hotel and
Is the Observed of
All Observers.
By JAMES HAY, Jr.

AUGUSTA. Ga. Dec. 23.-The coming
OF William Howard Taft to Augusta
has wiped out forever that treasured
old picture Of a languid ana unenter-
prising South Incidentally. # has dem
onstrated beyond dispute that as an
advertising medium "A President-elect
enjoys a prestige all his own
The morning after he arrived one Of
the stores here inserted IN a local news
paper his photograph. and under that a
few Well-chOsen words. as follows:
Taft and prosperity are here. We
Will S:ve tomorrow a double number OF
trading stamps"
And for get-lID-and-getnesS, wide
awake hustling. and a few other fine
business qualities. such a feat Is going
/ some south Of Mason and DixOn's lire.
A rev days later. II was mentioned in
the hearing OF "A few individuals that
! Mr. Taft would attend the theater that
night As there is only one theater Of
any consequence I'm Augusta, II was
I easy 20 guess where he would &c, and
a gais anized press agent nearly ran a
leg on TO reach the afternoon Daper fD
time 10 get an announcement. printed to
the effect that anybody who went 10 see
his show could also get a look AZ the
President-elect when he vas near bv.
helpless and I'm fun view OF the audi
ence.
Already one baby has been named
after the great man-one Augusta baby.
Hotel Business Brisk.
The advertising ne has given the Bon
Air Hotel has brought the moneyed
members Of the Upper Ten" the
-Four Hundred and every other fash
iouabie numeral rushing into that hos
telry on the double quick Frantic let
teTs and kilograms come every hour 10
the room clerk asking. praying. and
Deseeching for reservations Ordinarily.
the season at the Bon Air begins IN
January. but this year II rs already on
with vengeance.
Just across the Savannah river. on
the South Carolina side. -here is an
other hotel called Hampton Terrace.
When the President-eIect was at Hot
Springs, and It was announced that he
would go 20 Augusta, the Hampton and
the Bon Air Immediately sent agents TO
Hot Springs TO beg Mr.. Taft TO honor
lAelr houses The Bon Air man won
out. and. ever since then, according 10
ueighborhoOd gossip. the manager OF
the Hampton. instead or enTOving his
Z SAce!ient menu, has taken up most OF
MS time In biting his fingers In the
meantime, the Bon Air is being crowded
10 It's capacity with the ,,!tra-fashlon
able, who often run The rIsl, of dislo-
eaJlng their necks in attempting TO see
Taft Ruling Figure.
II pays 10 advertise, but il is gold
mine when YOU use d President-eIect
as the advertising medium. And the
soItherners have walked up TO this
fact with a wakefulness that creates |
many a masterful device and uuexpect-
60 motto TAFT is the ruling figure. as
IS Mary Queen Of Scots I'm EdiG-
bUrgh, or Napoleon In Paris
There are no people in Augusta except
the true Southern gentlemen and the
leading families" ." but times have
changed since the war L Is now the
rule among our leading people To make
slave labor, and a lot OF the output
or -ue mind IN this town is Circling
around William Howard Taft. Even the
hack drivers are making money out Of
the distinguished visitor. They catch
the ear OF the tourist down town with.
Lemme drive you up 10 de Taft cCt-
tage."
AND the tourist, being merely hu.r m,
drives TO see the roof which shelters
the next President.
Profit by Advice.
NIr- Taft has made several speeches
advising the South To get up and hustle, I
and he has come TO Augusta to see
the fruits OF his advice. Standing on
his front porch, ne can hear the whir
OF wheels and vead the advertisements
that he is in town with prosperity as
h0dygUard- Augusta is on a boom
Taft bOOm-and the goose hangs high |
Thus Is a tradition made TO look abb
Surd. and in this manner is "A Dop-,Iar
belief proved 10 be a fallacv and a |
snare. With fine defiance of the pro-
Ilhltion law the Georgia gentleman
may drink his iuiep or his tcddv with
out the fear OF wolestatiOn by any man. !
but On the second required TO swallow
the beverage. hc may bc seized with
an inspiration Of how To- make money
out Of the stay of the PreSidcnt-eIect !
In this thrifty city. business is bust /
ness in Georgia as well as New YORK. |
ChlValTy and courtesy and the love
Of fair women is still in our midst but /
business also stalks at our side
William Howard Taft Is advertising
Augusta and her wares