The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1909-04-17
MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST.
AS Viewed BY a Famous Travelling
Correspondent.

Correspondent.
William E. Curtis, the famous traY-
cling correspondent of the Chicago
Daily Record-Herald, who was re-
cent visitor to the Mississippi CUR
Coast. has been writing a number OF
interesting letters to his paper. 1t
is always interesting to read what
stranger has to say of this locality.
The following was written from Pass
Christian and much of it is associ-
ated with Bay ST. Louis and its his
tory. We do not agree with Mr.. Cur
tis In that part of his letter relative
10 the shell dust penetrating window
sashes, etc:
There is an almost continuous strln
of white cottages and bungalows
along the coast of the Gulf of Mex
leo from Bay St Louis to Scranton
about one-half the distance between
Mobile and New Orleans. The rest
of the coast is succession OF
swamps and jungles, bayous, pine
forest, tall grasses that are alive with
game and rivers that abound in every
sort of fish. There is a train run
ming to New Orleans in the morning
and running out at night which is
patroniZed by rich cotton and sugar
planters. bankers, merchants, lawyers
and men of all degrees, each OF whom
has his chair in the parlOr car en-
gagged by the year, as is the case on
several of the suburban trains run
ming out of New York and Chicago.
These people go into town late in the
morning and return early in the af-
ternoon. for they are leisurely and
are not possessed with the fever OF
haste that chafacleFlzeS 1Nol 'llei II
men.
In olden times they used to go
back and forth by boat. The set
Elements along the coast have beeh
there for many generations, even cen
turtles. The Spaniards settled first
upon the coast between Mobile and
New Orleans. Biloxi is the third old
nst town in the United States, Pass
/ Christian claims to be fourth, ana
/ some plantations between the former
city and Bay st. Louis have been
! occupied for 200 years. A consider
able portion of the present popula-
| ton are defendants of the original
French and Spanish creoles. Al
! though most of them rae poor, lney
| are proud of their pedigree as
princes Of royal blood and some OF
/ the bungalows and cottages along the
| coast are filled with fine old furnl-
! ture. delicate porcelain, antique jew
| elrv and other heirlOoT5 that are
priced next to the noble names their
| owners bear.
The cottages stand close to the
beach, with shell road between
| them and the water. The Al be-
tween Bay ST Louis and Pass Chris
! tan is nine and a half nti55 long
and seventy or eighty years old. 1t
was originally made and has since
been kept mp simply by @umpfnS
loads of oyster shells upon the
ground, raking them out smooth ana
allowing the hoofs of the horses and
| the wheels of the carriages to crush
them. A new layer of shells is put
on every year, and the surface is
petched in places wherever necessary
between times. The shells pulVerlze
rapidly and shed the water like a
rubber tire. but during the dry days
of summer the breezes and the pass
ing vehicles raise an impalpable dust
which penetrates everywhere. II
will sift in between the window
sashes and through the cracks
around the doors and cover the furnl
ture and clothing with a thin Whlie
film Nevertheless, this is an ins1g
nificant objection compared Wlti
the great enjoyment a shell roac
gives. and shell roads are the only
good roads in this part OF the SouIh
There is considerable difference II
the value and a great variety III the
designs among the long rows o
houses. Some have cost great dea
of money and have considerable ar
chitectural pretensions. Others ar
humble. small bungalows, unplaster
{ ed and of the cheapest materials
| asked my companion what they ma
cost and he said from $500 to 500, 0,o0'
according to the station and lncom
Of the owner. And the same may D
said about the grounds. The beacl
, | is shaded for the entire distance o.
irregular groups of grand live oa
, trees. and many of them are drape
with exquisite festoons of SPANS
: moss.
Each cottage. whatever it's prefer
sions has at least one of these splel
did trees within its grounds, al
J most of them have magnolias, paine
tos and occasionally palm You WI
: NOT find larger or finer specimens
Z the magnolia anywhere. Some -
Ithem are as large as the oFulilhi
trees of a New England village al
their ustrous leaves have shlmme
j ing effect as they reflect the rays
the light from the sun. Most OF tI
Z grounds arc well kept. with hea
fences and walks, and the houses d.
s generally painted white with gree
:. blinds. but occasionally there Is
3 paintless, shiftless, neglected loohli
S place. with the house out or repai
8 and the grounds grown up WI
= ragged bushes. asi,
8 The bungalow is the favorite desl'
II evidently, and is probably best su
y od to this climate-a one story stil
81 ture with a gentle sloping root, a.
s surrounded by wide pofches, SO VI
. the occupants are upon one iioof
g y,snend most of their time out
s doors. Usually, too, the Servants
2 lodged in detached quarters ana f!
3 cooking is done in a separate oul
IS ing in the rear SO that the hea, d d
* odors may be avoided IN the NV
u rooms of the house.
There are few hotels, put lhiiun'