The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1922-09-02

Coast Link of the Old SPanlsE
Trail.
Meigs 0. Frost, cf the New Or,
leans Daily States satff, has the fol
lowing pen picture of the Mississippi
Gulf Coast-the Coast o. Dreams
and tells of the recent Spanish Trail
boosters meet along the Coast:
There's little bit of Heaven that
John Mccormick forgot to sing
about.
It's close at hand to New Orleans
so close that the outside eastern
limit of it could be reached by auto.
mobile inside of two or three hours
if the Old Spanish Trail link from
New Orleans to Mobile were com
pleted.
It's the Mississippi Coast country
the Riviera of America.
Inside of two years, with the com
pletion of present road projects, 1t
will be the favorite outing goal Of
thousands of New Orleans motor
lists.
It's a dreamer's Fairyland of a
spot, and the roster of the names of
it's towns are pearls upon the string
of beads of a wonderful memory.
Chef Menteur, Bay st. Louis, Pass
Christian, Gulfport, Mississippi City,
Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula-
they're points in that Fairyland that
will be almost daily scenes to the
eyes of thousands of Orleanians once
that stretch of road is completed, and
once the ferries that today are the
motorists sole reliance are sup
planted by the bridges that are plan
ned.
A Coast o. Dreams.
Sit back and picture it with closed
eyes-you who have been there. Get
over there and see it with open eyes,
you who have never been. For it's
a gorgeous Coast O. Dreams, where
the sun bathes you in a riotous show
er of minted gold and the moon casts
afar its largesse of shimmering sill
yer; where the Groom of the Mexican
Cuffs rollers on the beach lull you
to sleep if sleep you wish; wehere the
clean salt GOODNESS of those rollers
wash from your body every vestige
of the WEAKNESS Of cities.
By day it drowses shining sea and
shimmering sand, green masses of
oak foliage and greener needles Of
the pines, white houses and lawns vel
vet-soft. And by night it becomes a
stretch of miraculous beauty. Up out
of the gulf rises the great silver
golden circle of a tropical moon. The
thick clusters of the trees arch with
a sable Gothic corridor the smooth
stretches of road where the waters
break in milky foam few feet from
the pathway. Through the soft night
air float the scents of jasmine and
magnolia. Lights gleam from low
lying houses set back of close-cropped
lawns.
A Picture of Riviera.
The tinkle of mandolin, the low
and throaty voice of the guitar, the
rollicking song of the banjo. come
out of the darkness to caress you.
Young voices and the Tilt of fresh
young laughter sound through the
night The white fiecks Of sails flash
back the moonbeams far out beyond
the shore, where graceful hulls slant
to the breeze. The music of soft
ofchestras drifts out beneath the
foliage and through lighted windows
one sees the gliding of white-clad
forms as myriad feet pass lightly over
waxed and shining floors.
And then, when at last sleep comes
to you, you sleep beneath the caress
of breezes silken-soft, cooling and
revivifying as deep-drunk draughtS
of some Olympic nectar.
That's the Riviera next door to
New Orleans to the east. And if any
think the picture over-drawn, let
them go for themselves and see.
They'll come back convinced and
converted.
Road Builders Busy.
Through this Fairyland during the
week that is just past sped a group
of men. The bulk of them started
from Mobile-members of the Cham
Der of Commerce, of the Rotary and
Kiwanis Clubs, of the Civilians and
the Automobile Club. They were
Joined as they went their way by the
men of Pascagoula and Ocean Springs
and Biloxi. They met at Gulfport in
a mass meeting that settled down to
work. From that meeting they sped
westward and held other meetings
at Bay st. Louis and Pass Chris
tian.
They were working for the com
pletion of the Old Spanish Trail.
Americans live their poetry these
days, instead of reading and writing
it SO much. These men talked o.
bond issues and concerted action
They devised messages to Congress.
men and Senators and State High,
way Commissions and Governors anG
National Highway Associations. They
were intensely practical. Not one
but would pride himself on his prac
tical efficiency.
Practical Men.
But, bless their souls, they were