The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-24
CROWDS FLOCK|NC
TO THE GULF COAST
Wilson's Visit Has Popular
lied Entire Section
GAME is PLENTIFUL
Many Birmingham, Montgomery and
Atlanta People Have Already
Made Reservations at
Various Resorts
BY HARRY J. BURNEY


Coden, January 23-(Special.)- w cary
of the annual holdup of the F1,rida re-
sorts, northern tourists are turning their
faces toward the shirt-sleeves belt and
the gulf coast from Mobile to Bay ST.
Louis is enjoying a new winter pros
perity.
The visit of President Wilson had much
to do with the movement in this direc-
ton. He was delighted with the winter
climate at Pass Christian as he saw it.
though the coast weather did not put
its best foot foremost during his stay
by long ways.
Some of the old-tim who have been
slipping off and coming to this coast for
a number of winters regret to find that
their Fairgrounds, which they ha1 ro-
garded as a sort of original discovery,
are being found out by the multi tde, and
may be overrun with assorted tourists
and winter visitors who will catch the
fish, kill off the game and run up prices
for board. boats, guides and InQian relies
from the aboriginal shell piles
This particular part of the Ala hama
seacoast has long been popular as a
summer resort, patronized by all sorts
and conditions of persons from the M
terror of this state. Mississippi ~ even
more distant points. Its great future
though, will be developed by its adapta-
bility to the needs of the winter visitors
who seek to escape cold colds, coal bills
and nervous collapse.
Since I came to Coden a week ago the
average day time temperature has been
about 60 degrees Fahrenheit as shown
by thermometer ON the front gallery
of the Rolston hotel. Sometimes at night
and in the early morning pine knot
fire in the broad flreplaces has not seemed
amiss, though some of the yourg men
who are here for the duck shooting spend
six or seven hours in blind al Grand
bay without Inconvenience. And they
have been slaug the ducks.
Mallards, black ducks, red heaGs and
teal are brought in after the early morn
ing or late evening shooting wien the
launch comes sputtering across the bay
and the hunter brings home an appetite
that feels as big his game bag
Our host, Mr.. Rolston, plucks his own
oysters from his own oyster beds anl
his strawberries from his own strewpery
beds. The two kinds of beds so 1iffer-
ent in many respects, are less than a half
mile apart Both the oysters ana the
berries require cultivation, and tncy are
highly cultivated. 1t IS said taat the
Coden oyster does not take off It's lid to
the Blue Point or to any other oyster in
the world.
1t seems pity that our people ir the
interior Of Alabama and adjoining states
know so little of the charm and beauty
N Of Hh1 20.
to cling around the ancient shell piles
that were built through the centuries by
tribes whose names have long neen for
gotten. Today in company with an em-
inent physician whose name Is widely
known in connection with the work f
the public health and marine hospital
service, I explored one of the shell
mounds on the east bank of the Bayou
Coden, between Rolstons hotel md the
railroad station
We found many fragments Of Indian
pottery among the shells Some of them
were marked with strange figures. where
an ancient live oak had been uprocted by
a storm the doctor found human bones
amcng the oyster shells. The skeletons
found In these old shell mounds are SAIL
to indicate by their size that there we..
giants in those days.
Then, there Is Dauphin Island, which
cut such an important figure in the CO.
lonial history of this section. We can
see 1t with a good glass from the upper
galleries of the Rolston hotel. Judge
Peter Joseph Hamlton's Colonial Mo-
bile" gives its readers a brand new idea
about the ancient importance of Dauphin
Island, and Mr.. Dewberry, of the Tide
water company, who is here. has been
giving us some new ideas about the flu
ture greatness of the island as resort
and seaport. A company in which he
is interested has bought all of the island
practically, except the Fort Gaines reser-
walton on the extreme eastern end of the
island. A channel and harbor is to be
dredged, great hotel is to be con-
structed and cottages for summer and
winter residences are to be built. A rail-
Lis to connect the island with the
mainland, and it is to become a great
coaling station and naval base. there
under the protection of the guns of Forts
Morgan and Gaines.
Besides the northern visitors, there will
be quite party of Montgomery, Bir-
mingham and Atlanta people at Rolston's s
hotel during the months of February and
March a number of reservations having
been made fo1 them. They will come in
time for The redfish and speckled trout
fishing in the bayous and rivers, though
too late; for the duck shooting, which ends
by edict of the John ii. Wallace game