Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-02-10

SSkA For in the winter flows the South's
HNN\STA golden flood from the North The an
SIB%e1AB nual migrations of seekers after health
ANlE<N and pleasure is now under full head
HA NV way And it is q veritable golden
flood. Here are some of the facts
about it.
Tourists to Southern winter resortS-travelerS
by rail, 100000; by steamer and private yacht
$4,000; by automobile, 10000; total, 100000.
Hotel expenses, $44,SO0,0OO.
Amusements, $40OO0,OO0
Cottage and bungalow rents, S30000,000
Value of homes owned by Northerners, $780,
100000.
Yes, the migration is on About 100 sleeping
cars leave New York and Chicago daily for the
South, and at least 500 automobiles begin the
Journey every day.
OF course, California has also a golden winter
flood from the East-whch is another story.
And the North has a return flood from the
South in the summer-of which something later
This migration season Is looked upon by those
sections of the South where the Northern tour
list flocks as of harvest. Crops and fruits
for which Florida is known, take second place as
a source Of revenue. The hotels cranmed
to overhowing, cottages and bungalows are filed
for the entire season at rents which make that OF
a New York apartment seem fairly reasonable,
the beaches swarm with bathers forgetful of the
ice which binds the Northern waters and the
crack of the golf ball sounds from Asheville to
Key West
This costs money Just how much nobody
knows. 1t used to be said that $100000,000 was
spent by tourists in Florida every winter, but that
was before the war, and the cost Of touring has
gone up. The estimates must be revised
Some approximation of the facts be OBJ
taned however, by diligent search among the
railroad records. The starts a little
earlier in the Carolinas than in Florida and then
laps over again after the Florida season. but the
season of capacity is considered by railroad men
to ha oil
period the travel South is fairly constant There
are two main gateways for Northern approach to
the South-Chcago and New York. Out Of Chi
cago there are running every day 80 Southern
sleepers, which hold on an average Of 1000 per-
sons. From New York by rail and boat there
leave about the numbers 1000 persons in
all. With a season of about 100 days. that reaches
a total Of 100000 persons who travel by rail and
boat.
100000 to Go South.
The automobile traffic carries others who are
no inconsiderabe part Of the whole. Fully 500
cars day are now going South. Three persons
to car and 100 days of travel would indicate
that 10000 persons find the Southern touring a
pleasant relief from bucking snow drifts.
In all, about 100000 persons will go South this
year. These figures can be checked up somewhat
with tie hotels. There are some famous places Of
recreation, which filled from the time they
open until the end of the season. hotels in resorts
such Asheville, Pnehurst Aiken, Southern
Pines in the Carolinas Augusta and Thomasville,
in Georgia, and Beeaire, Miami, Palm Beach, st.
Petersburg, Daytona and ST. Augustine, in Flor
ida
The total hotel capacity of these places is 49,
667. The average stay at most of these hotels can
be reckoned at about two weeks. That would
give population in these better known hotels
for three months of about 2S0,000 persons The
other 10000 find their way to the smaller places
and to bungalows cottages and boarding houses
1t is from this great majority, Also that the
bulk Of the revenue comes. One is apt to think
of Florida-for Florida is the Ultima Thule of the
Southland, and has more recreation places than
all the others put together-as a place dotted
with million dollar homes and surrounded by a
protecting fotlla of costly yachts. But, as mat
ter Of fact the great majority of the people who
go to Florida neither enormously wealthy nor
great spendthrifts.
Bungalow colonies are growing all over the
state, built by people of moderate means who go
to Florida not for pleasure only, but for their
health. There are, it is sad more old people in
Florida than any other state In the Union they
go there to keep alive.
The people Of wealth, whose names associated
with Palm Beach have made it of the most
famous resorts in the world very few In num-
ber, but make up for that by the vast amounts