Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-11
Detroit Attracts Tourists
BY Frederic J. HaskIn

has suggested that IL Is because 40 many
people want To see where their autos
come from, but anyway the city is always
filed with visitors, laden with cameras,
umbrellas, maps, milk chocolate, and sll
the other paraphernalia indispensable 10
sightseeing People who used 10 buy
rouDd-frip tickets To Niagara Falls now
extend their journey TO Detroit, managing
70 get here before tbe first gorgeous iuster
Is worn of their wedding rings.
Everywhere you turn you sec large
yellow Sightseeing bus, and IL is always
sagging under heavy load. One OF these
departs from the sightseeing headquarters
every hnlf-hour during the day, and as
each passenger pays two dollars for the
trip, you can see that the bus company
likes tourists
But oil the facilities Of Detroit are
equally oyer-patronizcd. Every ferryboat
which leaves the Woodward avenue docks
~ packed with adrniring tourists; every
trolley car carries its quota Of inquiring
strangers; every lunch room has its party
Of excursionists, while the hotels do such q
thriving business than On arriving guest is
usually ushered TO his room just as the
baggage Of the former occupant Is going
but the door. Indeed il is often neces-
sary 10 sit patiently in the lobby waiting
Tor vacancy 20 occur. Provided you can
find place 10 sit, that is, because the
tourists also monopolize the lobbies. IL
is impossible 20 walk about without bump
ing into one of them, and az for the ele-
vators, they fairly creak with them.
THE ELEVATOR RgBELLyD.
In fact, the elevator we we're. in the
other morning did more than that. II re-
| belled. One instant IL was floating rapidly
| ffy1- vi nj he srsas = al AZ
ped midway between two floors. Inn
mediately hysterieal giggling broke forth
among the feminine passengers, who were
| visiting school teachers, while the only
| other occupant, a small foreign-looking
priest, was obviously disturbed. Apparent
~ he had rot become accustomed 20 the
dizzy activity Of American elevators. Il
shall have to report this, he said when the
porter came with a ladder. This is what
comes Of elevating whole conventions ~
once
One Of the reasons Detroit attracts 20
much tourist travel IS the fact that Il adj
| vertises itself 70 extensively. No one will
| deny that Detroit is one Of the most at
tracfive cities Of the Middle West II has
A personality and charm quite different
. from the rest but this charm is appreciat-
ed by none quite 90 much as BIZ Detroit
In its own estimation, Detroit is perfec-
ton. Beautiful and dynamic Detroit,
- the modest term il has selected for IL
self, and the only way in which You can
get II 10 admit any possible faults - by
yourself pretending q violent lnfatuatiOn
for IT,
We have discovered that If YOU want 20
be taken into the confidence Of a city and
given private view Of Us closeted skeie-
/ tons, you have only to follow this method
/ Criticize Il, and you will have every citizen
rising Rallantly to It's defense, but praise il
| and they will point out its unpleasant
+ features Just to be contrary Even the
/ local Chamber Of Commerce will forget
| itself under these circumstances. Thus IL
/ was from the Detroit Chamber 81 Com
/ merce that we learned that while Detroit
/ is beautiful and dynamic, it is also un-
/ healthfullv overcrowded; that il is fun Of
/ petty graft; that the housing conditions IN
It's Negro section are disgrace, and that
everybody is becoming more or less
peevish owing to the terrific tension Of
rapid money-making.
DETROIT HAS NERVES.
Detroit makes the impression Of running
chiefly on its nervous energy, under the
constant menace Of a nervous break
down. OF course, the rapid accumulation
1 Of millions Of slghtseers, as well as dollars,
/ is a narrowing business, so that the
I citizens Of Detroit cannot be blamed II
/ they do appear a trIfie preoccupled and
/ cross As one Of the salesglris in one of the
! leading bookstores remarked: Its bad
| enough TO have rush of people like this
/ all during the hot weather, but the ques-
/ tons they bring with them are worse.
/ The tourists, however, do not seem 70
/ notice any Of the city ; faults. They are
3 = - -t-r-
| their own meanderings, and too delighted
| with the many really delightful sight
| seeing opportunities Of Detroit 70 bother
1 much about its disposition.
| Belle Isle Park, one OF the most beauti-
| full natural Fairgrounds possessed by any
/ citv, Is located on an island IN the center
| of the Detroit river about three miles
| from the heart of Detroit, and Is reached
by ferry The ferry boats making the
| trip are equipped much the same as ex-
cursion steamers, with an upper deck con-
tanning comfortable chairs, and pleasant
cabin. 1t requires an hour to make the
round trip 10 and from Belle Isle, but
many of the passengers bring their lunches
and remain on the ferry all day, thereby
getting several hours Of river travel for the
price of fifteen cents.
Besides an aquarium and a small zoo,
the park contains eight baseball diamonds,
several tennis courts, q FIVE and a half
mile automobile shore drive, large boat
house, which supplies canoes and row.
boats for boating on the canals which +
wind through the park, and an excellent /
bathing beach, always crowded during 4
the summer months.
4 BARGAIN IN REAL ESTATE.
Belle Isle possesses romantic history.
Il vas bought from the Chippewa and /
Ottawa Indians in 1869 for e ight barrels |
of rum. three rolls Of tobacco, six pounds 1
Of vermilion and belt Of wampum, the 1
total value being 1000. Rattlesnakes /
were SO plentiful on the island at that I
time that it was necessary to put razor |
back hogs on it 10 get rid Of them. This I
gave it the name Of Isle au Cochons, or |
Hog Island, subsequently changed to 1
Belle Isle by the early Detroiters.
>During the Pontiac conspiracy il was to 4
Belle Isle that Pontiac retired after the dis /
covery of his plot to massacre the garrison 1
of Fort Detroit. Some years later the 4
island became private property, and it |
was not until 1879 that the city of Detroit I
bought it for the sum of $500, 900. Today 1
it is worth millions.
Another ferry trip which appeals TO
tourists is to Windsor, Canada, directly /
opnosite Detroit, and reached in FIVE |
minutes. There is nothing TO see at Wind