Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-14
PLAYGROUND OF
AMERICA LOOKS
GOOD AT FIRST
Emotions Vacati0nist Feels Enter
ing Atlantic City Much Diff
feFent Than When Leaving.
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.
Washington Bureau. The Argus)

" d1aAAA3Etu1 hLlEdNa Inc AEbuet
Atlantic City, n. j., Aug. IA
welcome to Atlantic City. Ameri-
cas- playground says the big
electric sign on the building of the
Atlantic City Electric company.
The vacationist sees it from the
train window, and his pulse quick
ems with anticipation. Here is a
veritable city of joy. greeting him
in letters of fire.
Two weeks later, as he is pull
ing out for home, sunbuTnt. broke
and bitten by sand feas in II of
the most inaccessible parts of his
anatomy, his imagination pictures
under that welcoming sign pro-
viso as follows: Provided you
made a reservation four months
ago and do not mind paying two
or three prices for everything you
get"
CSRing to-the TACT that some eigha
81 ten Atlantic City hotels adver-
Eised in his home paper, the vaca-
zionist did not think it was neces-
sary to make a reservation. II the
hotels had all their rooms engaged
for the next two summers. why
did they advertise?
But this question is forgotten as
the hunt for room grows fast
and hot Atlantic City is reputed
TO have over one thousand hotels.
or these perhaps seven are pretty
good hotels. where you can spend
q day in mid-season, provided one
OF your ancestors hequeathed you
a reservation, for about what it
would cost you to spend a week
at home.
These good hotels front the
beach. The other 993 hotels are
small frame shacks. built shortly
N~before the Civil war They line
e&ery side street in solid ranks for
@Narter of a mile back from the
beach In appearance and quality
Of service they are about on a par
with those hotels in big cities
which have the Office upstairs. and
advertise rooms at so, I5 and a
dollar.
Season Changes Price.
In off-season times, these hotels
will give you a room on either the
American or European plan. In
fact. they will give you anything
you want, at your own price. In
October you could probably rent a
whole hotel for about two dollars
a night. But not in July-not by
a darn sight! The worst room in
the humblest hotel is around six
dollars a day, American plan. The
Atlantic City people are very
strong for hotel Americanism.
Which means that where you find
shelter, there likewise you eat, and
you take whatever they give you.
They wouldn't have you cat a meal
away from home for anything.
That's how +hospitable they are.
Welcome to Atlantic City!
It is to these endless rows of
small wooden hotels with long
names that our hero, the hopeful
vacationist, ultimately comes. But
do not imagine that he gets one of
these rooms with meals inextric-
ably included Such things are re-
served with those with forethought
and political pull.
The first thing that Atlantic City
gives this trusting guest is long
wa& With his suitcase in his
left hand. tanning his dewy brow
with a chip straw hat in his right.
he plods from door to door like a
book agent, interviewing clerks
and Enthusiastically the latter
AuObN aLAhnJAC lily IULEAb al e run ny
MISUNDERSTANDING persons who turn
you away from their doors with a |
patient kindness and an obvious
regret that almost brings a tear to !
the eye.
All of them are full up" but
some few can be found who will |
take you in anyway. just because
they are naturally kind and hos |
pitable, and perhaps because they |
want to live up to the electric |
sign. The proprietor Of the Mag |
nolius hotel for example, which |
has IA rooms and one bath. and al |
lows guests to wear their bathing |
suits in the lobby. tells you with a |
smile that all of his rooms are en- |
gagged until Sept. l.
SOfey is Cheapv
Tell you what I'll do. though,
just as an accommodation" he |
adds See this sofey in the par
Slor? Well. just as an accommoda-
N2n I'll let you have that for seven
do&ars, with your meals. There |
won't be anybody in here after IL
or l o'clock, less'n / pat another
man on that settee over there
Feeling that if the Magnolius can
do that well, perhaps some other
place can do better, you continue
on your way. and so come to the
Hiptochonorius house, which ad-
vertises in New York and Wash
ington papers as Atlantic City's
Hotel Unique" II is made by
throwing together several ancient
residences. The dining room is in
the basement and the Office is
across the street while unlimited
bathing facilities are afforded by
the Atlantic ocean, just two blocks
away.
The stout lady who runs the
Hiptochonorius house leads you
by devious and creahng stairways
to the attic. where she shows you
q small rom in which all of the
floor space is occupied by two dou-
tle beds and three cots.
You can have half a doubled
bed for three dollars, or a cot all
to yourself for five" she admits
We amt got no more chairs in
the dining room-No. there won't
be no more than seven men in
here tonight. and l never put any
drunks in this room.
So it goes until the painting, per-
spring supplicant is willing to
IA L5eR. almost arythinr and bepins