The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-06


 of the size of the Hotel Royal Pain- ciana It contains 1500 bedrooms, IS six and eight stories high, has miles of halls and piazzas, and requires 1500 persons to look after the comfort of the guests. This does not include a small army of laborers and gardeners who take care of the grounds. The guests and employees equal in number the inhabitants of many right good sized towns. The name of the hotel is that of tropical tree, which re- sembles somewhat that of a honey To- cust and somewhat a mimosa, but the color of the flower is a brilliant red and orange and the tree presents q most striking appearance when In full floom. There are a number of trees on the grounds, and MT, Flagler being impressed by them named the Hotel Royal Poinciana, and determined that as the tree excel1ed every other tree in the country as to brilliancy, so should the hotel excell all other hotels and he has carried out the idea. He had probably as fine a collection of tropical trees and plants these grounds as can be found anywhere and takes pride in constantly adding to the collection
 After dinner I went out into the TO- tunda of the hotel and, taking an easy chair, near a pillar under a whispering palm, listened to the fine orchestra play selections from Wagner, Sousa and ragtime and watched the brilliant as- semblage. 5 There were youth, beauty, grace, age and dignity intermingled and the jew els were enough to dazzle one. The ladies wore exquisitely beautiful gowns (dresses) but I thought as l looked at them how many girls there are in Jeff ferson county, Alabama, who are more beautiful than these even with the bril- liant setting. Also,
 eff she be not fair to me, What care I how fair she be?' One dress which impressed me es- pecially was worn by a tall, willowy blonde. It was of cream colored crepe de chine, skirt made demi train with a garland of pink embroidered roses around the bottom; a tight fitting waist. embroidered front and back in pink roses, diamonds. One worn by a slender brunette was of black and white mousseline de soie, made en train. with a founce of valencienne es lace about two feet wide around the bottom; puffed waist with elbow sleeves, white ostrich feather In hair. The lady wore an elegant diamond soli- taire, a marquse, an emerald and ruby on her left hand and dude on her right arm.
 A striking costume was black lace over canary colored silk heron plume aigrette and diamonds Another an old rose drar dete with sapphires. This was worn by a young lady with peacock blue eyes: admired a gown of red crepe de chine with short bolero, a coffee colored guipure threaded with black ribbon worn wlth mousseine undersleeves and yoke One NF rxrhi mousseline with bolero and skirt, yoke oi renaissance lace. A very fetching gowr was of light blue challie with black polka dots black velvet trimmings Another was of striped lavender silk with violet velvet sash, collar and cuffs o1 cluny lace. One young lady wore g simple gown of white cloth with embroid- cry of gold thread on skirt and forming yoke of bodice, three narrow plaits on eacf side of waist, which buttoned with two rows of gold buttons and gold frogs; also shoes, but enough of this Mr. Flagler has built for Mrs. Flaglei here modest nest of cottage near the hotel. The ground on which it is built l cost $20,00O the building $250,00O, and il is said that the interior decorations sur pass anything ever seen in America ano cost way over $1,O00,000.
 I have completed a modest nest of ] cottage on my 40 down on Shades creek below Bessemer. It is made of peeled 1 pine poles, is covered with clapboards 1 and cost me S7, besides the nails and trees, which grew on the land. The floor | is of earth and the ventilation is perfect l The interior decorations are not finished | but they will be in keeping with thu building. Pine trees sigh around the dool and violets bloom all about. Come an6 see me. There will be a pail of water on shelf near the door and an ole fashioned gourd, out of which you car take drink of the sweetest water that flows. As my friend, Miss Howard Weed en, said, in her Sons of the Old South:" "Whenever you want drink dat shall
 mean
 De best in de way of water
 Jes manage to take it out of gode, An den hit will taste like hit orter.
 NO matter de place. hit will put you at
 home
 As if you an godes was kin,
 An you know you can't feel as friendly
 as dat
 Wid a cityfied dipper of tin.
 You can drink to de fields, you can
 drink to de crops,
 You can drink to yor work an your load, You can drink to everything simple an
 true,
 When you drinks from country gode. ?
 Here's looking at you