Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1916-09-09
Thousand Islands
An Editorial Jaunt
D.0100a1eQt8oa.01

When one just happens to be at
great resort through chance, no mat
ter what brought it about, there is
scarcely way to keep from observ-
ing what is going on. No matter if
ones heart has been left behind and
is far away.
Record Breaking Year
This has been the greatest year of
all record at Thousand Islands, due,
no doubt, to the European war. When
the American seeks relaxation in sum-
mer he turns to where he can get the
most for his money and the cost
doesn't matter. Hence the European
exodus every year, where hundreds
of millions of American coin has been
freely spent in every way that ap-
peal could invite it to lend itself.
Over there the art of inducement has
perhaps reached the heights. : But
one has to observe, also, that over
here this summer art has not been
asleep. -
Season Virtually Over Now
The amount of money one can
spend here depends, of course, as it
does at Saratoga, Bar Harbor, or
anywhere that society bends itself in
the summer endeavor for recreation,
to just finding ways and channels
through which to spend it. The
watering place attracts the health
seeker, and good old Saratoga this
year, also, has broken records. But
as between the places where health
seekers go and where pleasure seekers
assemble there is difference oceans
wide. Here at Thousand Islands where
the grand old Thousand Island House
that was built by it's present owner,
Col. O. G. Staples, in 1877, still
stands as it was originally planned
thirty-nine years ago, they have been
crowded all season, and in August it
was the daily custom to turn away
from one hundred to two hundred
people a day. And mind you, there
are hundreds of other hotels in this
neighborhood. People have come
from everywhere. Every state in the
Union found its way this year to
Thousand Islands. The help at the
hotels isn't a bit sorry the season is
over. The walters began to get away
this week, and by Wednesday great
army of then had moved south, hum
dreds getting back to Atlantic City
and the Virginia resorts that have
longer seasons. The season at Thou
sand Islands opens June 10 and is
over by September Is. But in these
three months the activities represent
about all that those who do the cater
ing want to handle. This season
August here in addition to being very
hot was literally seething with people.
They came in boat loads, in auto
mobiles and by trainful.
$3,0oO,OOO Spent This Year
Alexandria Bay on the American
side in New York State, is the big
center for the summer colonies, and
afGholghvits own population is| only
about 1000, in summertime the num-
Der gets too big to count. All that is
counted at Thousand Islands is money
and nobody would believe the big sum
that came here if l stated it, though
mine host Warburton, of the Thou
sand Island House says there was
spent this year the enormous pile of
almost $3,00O,000! That is great
sum of money to go out at one place,
and it shows how European tours by
Americans must have poured cash
into the continental countries as well
as Great Britain, like water over
Niagara by the ship-load.
Col. Staples Has New Baby
The Thousand Island House is the
head-center for all excursionists, and
is known all over the continent. Col.
Staples, who built it, is still around,
active and clipper, with no thought
of turning loose the reins of govern
ment, as is evidenced by the pride he
exhibits in his latest heir, a three
months-old baby girl And the
Colonel is nearly seventy! He also
owns the Raleigh at Washington, and
built and owned the old Willard and
National hotels of that city.
Myriads of Power Boats
This whole Thousand Island sec
ton is not only one of natures
beauty spots, but wonder spot as
well. The St. Lawrence river, the
outlet for the great American chain
of lakes, is deep as an ocean, almost,
it's blue-green, transparent waters,
clear and limpid, being sea-deep
everywhere, with no shoals of con-
sequence. Big steamships, steam
boats and yatchs ply the river every
minute of the summer season, adding
a touch of life and action to scene
of SURPRISING beauty. The power
boats in and around Alexandria Bay
are legion. They bear every imagin-
able name, generally something short.
/ have seen the "Bee," "Bud," Frost
King H." Overland H." "Qui Vive,"
Ramona" "P. D. O." Maxine ILL.,"
and many others. Col. Staples fine
yacht, the "Nireid," is one of the fin
est on the river, and there are many
that go ploughing the waters cost
ing from 100000 up. Some of them
are palaces af1oat. Parties visiting
Thousand Islands can go the rounds
in rapid power boats in jig time from
fifty cents to one dollar a head, or
one may hire boat of great speed
at So an hour. Most of these power
craft We're made right in Alexandria
Bay by their owners, and are shapely