San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-21
MISSES KERkHOF & DE LONG
OF Gorham, y. III.

Miss Julia Kerkhof was in charge
of a light and power property, at
Berlin, y. H., when illness compelled
her TO rest. This sickness ate up her
savings, and the world-old problem
confronted her-to earn a living, At
some suitable occupation. ~
Miss kerkbof was living in the
town Of G9-lsm, six miles from Der.
liz; and here a. Gorhan. was littii
public house lnown a. the Gorhain
Inn. The ovuer suggestec that Miss
Kerkhof all her friend. Miss Ruth
DeLong, .e is3 tie place end run it as
a tea room. Miss belong had been
Miss Kerkhoff's assistant at the pub
lie utility office, and their home tovns
lay not SO far apart in the middle
west. Miss kerkhof had come from
Seymour, Ind, where she had also
been in public utility work. Miss De-
Long came from Chippewa Fails,
Wis. .s..
Together they operated the Inn for
Ola LLVAAASs NAAh NNAg AAlAAt Ndpltdls
Il had no idea of continuing the
work after that season." says Miss
kerkhof. for | hoped ] would be
well enough to 60 back TO my own
work; but when fall came the fasei-
nation of doing something of my very
own made mesgrieve at the thought Of
giving it all up. Our first season
had been a success. and we'd been
obliged 10 build a little bungalow for
additional sleeping room but we were
rather heavily in debt.
MY work with public utility had
made many wonderfully good friends
who came forward with financial
help. So we did not need to worry
during the winter, and we resolved
TO go ahead the following season. a'''f
The next year we were hard hit
with n bad season-rainy. cold, liz
nancial stress. So at the end OF
the year it became apparent that we
would have 10 find winter berth in
the South TO get us on our feet.
we made inquiries of chambers OF
commerce in the Southland and in
November. 1922. we came to lakeland,
in Florida. This is town of per-
haps 10000 people. lying some 40
miles east of Tampa.
Here we rented Sorosis Hall. be-
longing TO prominent woman's club"
Miss Kerkhof continues, land began,.
the uphill business of starting another
tea room. t.es
And now after our first season We
think We have a permanent winter
business established here in Florida.
We also expect to go on. summers.
with Gorham Inn and our tea room.
Under the Naples up in New
Hampshire. The Florida ~lace is The
New England Tea Room " eT
And then she adds some good phil
osophy: ai
I'm broadcasting advice TO young
women on opening a tea room. tell
them not TO undertake even a little
place without $1,000 cash. Urge them
not TO accept too much credit. and
tell them it is hard. hard work the
first two years-grinding work. no
time for play. But interesting-oh,
so interesting. And il opens up en-.
tirely new avenues for making wender-
full friends and it is quite the thing
now. You are in the social swim,
if you care TO be. just as much as
if YOU were millionaire's daughter. !.
Both in Gorham and Lakeland we
cater to bridge parties, tourists teas
and lunches. afternoon tea for the So
cial set-and Wednesday end Sunday =
chicken dinners. We Sc We regular
meals in both places. Ar
eve use newspaper advertisements b
and other snace. The best advertis-e
ing is well-pleased customer. Use
every means possible n get people
thinking your place is linz bit bet
ter than the others they have een.
Even IL 4 is small. make il tWst -
right 81 you can and they will ike
it because il is small"