The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-15


main In a wideawake city like Sum-
ter 'over Sunday" to going to a
small place, or dull place, that has
finer hotels, the aforesaid CONNER
cial travellers" Of the Gamecock City
don't get mad with the drummers
| from other places. Oh no, the Came
cock City commercial traveller comes
home on Saturday night, and jumps
on the member Of the Chamber OF
Commerce at the postofiice on Sum
day morning and tells him a few
about what ought to be done towards
building a modern 100000 hotel in
Sumter. and they know what they
talk about too. The secretary passes
II up" to Colonel Thomas" and every
body knows Col. Thomas Wilson,
chairman Of the hotel committee and
his associates Of that plain talking
committee. Chairman Wilson. and
his associates Of the hotel committee
will "pass It up to the business men
Of Sumter at City Council Chamber
next Thursday evening. at O'Clock.
Manager A. L. Jackson did not
build the Hotel Sumter and the Hotel
Jackson. Neither Is he responsible
for those two buildings being of
wood. Nor 10 he responsible for the
cold rooms complained Of by travel
ing men. Mr.. Jackson doubtless
gives the best accommodations to the
travelling public at his disposal The
owners of the two hotels are not re-
sponsible for the lack OF a modern
brick or stone. fire-proof hotel in
Sumter. The owners Of the two no.
tells deserve high praise for giving
Sumter as good hotels as Sumter has.
They are much better than Sumter
ever had beofe. and had 1t not been
for the enterprise Of the owners of
the present hotels Sumter would be
In much worse shape than she is for
hotels. But Sumter has simply OUT
grown her hotels. That sounds bet
ter. Many other places have inferior
hotels compared with Sumter hotels
And many 100000 to 100000 no.
tells do not give better table fare than
the Sumter hotels. It Is not that
Sumter hotel accommodations are
really bad as compared with nun
dreds of other hotels. but the fact
that other towns and cities so close
to Sumter have such better hotel
buildings and equipment than Sum-
ter induces commercial travellers to
hurry up to get through with their
business here and move on to "other
places
The commercial traveller is a good
booster. and we'll housed. we'll fed.
and Hospitality treated he is a walk
ing and travelling advertisement for a
hustling town. But he is also good
"knocker" and he kicks more about
his hotel than anything else II 1t isn't
up to date. The hotels are his home.
He is paying big price without de-
murring. But II he does not get what
he pays for. or can get It, or better
In Florence he is going to Florence,
that night.
Chairman Thomas Wilson is load
ed for bear" and other big game next
Thursday evening. 1t IL his ardent
hope that the Sumter business men
will come out In a public spirited,
good natured. and united humor
feeling as good as though they were
loaded with beer. and that they will
subscribe the necessary money to
erect such modern hotel as Sumter
will be proud Of. and that will help
to build up this city.
Right now. II Is fact. Sumter has
to entertain her distinguished visitors
In private homes. Private citizens
have had, again and again to take
dozens of visitors to their homes on
special and other occasions because
our hotels are not large enough or
equipped in that comfortable and
| creditable style that We wish all our
visitors entertained in.
Sumter wants good roads and mod
ern hotels to induce the Northern au-
| tomobile tourists to come via Sumter
when they go whirling through
South Carolina to Charleston, Sa-
vannah and to Florida points. The
Sumter-Columbia highway, and ev-
cry public road In Sumter county
made hard and smooth and with that
modern hotel in Sumter, and then
turn loose the Coast Line and
Southern Ry. traffic department Off
cials with the data about Sumter and