Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-14
R0uqhi1q 1t "De Luxe" in Colorado

care to know just where it was until he
got there He had his wish, at least
geographically.
But I forgot Sloke. Sloke met us at
the train, because he knew we were
coming, otherwise we might have trav-
eled as far as Main street without being
noticed. Sloke pointed the way to the
hotel, only a few doors distant-call it
the Pueblo house, that's a good western
name-and we proceeded thither,
How different from the effete East!
And in many respects how much bet
ter! No doorman bawling out to your
taxi driver. No bellhops nearly upset
ting you in grabbing your valise-L
mean your grip or bag, as some folks
call 'em. We just went in, and Slokt
told us to make ourselves comfortable.
1t was easy to do, for there was plenty
of room and no one to bother us. Pres
emily Helen came in and told us to Sc
lect our rooms upstairs. Helen spends
her vacations with her mother, who is
the proprietor of the hotel.
Now, what do you think happened?
Doc and Ed had been to Lake City be-
fore on mining business, and no sooner
had they reached their rooms than they
dug up from somewhere high laced
boots, flannel shirts and other garments
such as miners wear, and they were
soon logged out in real western fashion.
My wardrobe included nothing like that,
but l didn't propose to be outdone, SO
! sought Sloke. He fitted me out with
high boots, khaki trousers, coat, etc.,
and pretty soon I felt so much like a
miner that / was tempted to take
''chew of terbaccer'' to make it more
realistic.
Listen! Just because you shun the
beaten path that tourists are wont to
follow and go way out to the jumping
off place it does not necessarily mean
that appetizing food never passes your
lips. Far from it! It's true that fresh
meat comes to Lake City only once a
week, but what of that? 1t might peeve
the finicky person to be segregated
from his tough beefsteak" for a meal
or two, but that's where many tourists
make mistake. They go "Roughing 1t
de Luxe to borrow the title of a
magazine article by Irwin Cobb. At the
places exploited in the guide books they
are astonished to find nearly all their
favorite dishes on the bill of fare, and
they usually are astonished also at what
they find on the bill" when they 90
to settle. The result is often Hnsatis-
factory and the ''de luxe" frequently
overshadows the trough" stuff.
Nobody ''roughs it de luxe" in Lake
City, for they don't carry "de luxe" in
stock there. It's mostly "de rough"
but by that term l do not mean to cast
any aspersions on the food. Far from
it.
But I'm keeping supper waiting.
Helen finally got the gang to the table,
miners clothes and all. Now, | ask
you, what's a beefsteak of more or less
uncertain texture when you have placed.
before you large platter of mountain
trout-rainbOw trOut-done to q golden
brown? Don't say you don't care for
fish. These were real fresh mountain
trout. Mother matter altogether. We
had other things, but do not remem-
ber what they were-don't care to re.
member. at was late" when we pushed
back our chairs.
To bed? No. Lake City is not exact
ly beyond the pale of civilization. Right
across the street was picture show
Same movie stars. Same popular music
on the piano as back East Now.
mighty night. Tomorrow Fourth AZ
Jvly,--The Tenderfoot.