Evening star., 1927-09-04

Among the many great and sweep
ing changes which the advent and
growth to widespread popularity Of
the automobile have wrought there is
none more interesting than that which
has to do with the accommodation or
overnight motor tourists. During the
years when the railroads were de-
pended on for transportation, hotels
afforded all the hospitality required
hotels which ranged from the com
mercial house" in the smallest of
small towns to the magnificently lux
urious edifices which graced the
metropolitan centers.
Now, with the vast development of
the automobile, there naturally has
come about an imperious demand for
more informal and more accessible
hostelries. And. of paramount impor-
tance, more numerous ones.
In Summer. and Autumn millions of
people are travelling about the country
on their own four wheels. Some
choose to take their jaunts luxuri-
ously, planning carefully in advance
and invariably spending the night in
some we'll appointed hotel. There are
others, however, who prefer to pro-
ceed in more happygo-lucky style,
keeping as a rule to general timer
ary, but pausing where simple con-
venience or whim may dictate. For
tourists of this sort new chain of
'hotels" has come into being.
AS a matter of fact, these are not
in the strict sence hotels at all. They
are overnight camps, located invit-
ingly along the roads most used by
motorists. The camps usually con-
sist of six or a dozen small cottages
and a larger community" house for
lounging and refreshment. A sign
bids tired and dusty travellers to turn
in and get a good nights rest for a
dollar"
Spartan Simplicity Inviting.
Here Spartan simplicity prevails.
The hutS are as a rule furnished with
bare essentials only-a bed, chair, a
washstand-but they are clean and
light Service is by no means compli-
Gated; still, it is sufficient. In the
morning the proprietor sees that a
guest has a pitcher of hot water. Up
in Maine the host at one of these road
side camps presents feminine guests
with bouquets of fowers from his
garden when the moment of their de-
parture arrives.
The new arrangements for tourists
possess many of the delights of actual
camping out and often prove a valu-
able time-saver. After the advertised
good nights rest" the journey is
picked up again exactly where it was
broken and with minimum of fuss.
The task of stopping for the night
has not really amounted to much
more as regards expenditure of energy
than mere stop for lunch.
All through England these Bohe-
mian retreats are to be found. Some
are more ambitious than others, but
an air of close consanguinity en-
meets them. They are the outgrowth
of definite modern need-a need that
has been met in pleasant gypsy
fashion.
In the West, where most of the mo-
tor camping is done, the growth of the
bungalow camp has been sensational.
These camps are nearly all privately
owned, and they are in direct COM
petition, where the municipally-owned
camps, where the motorist simply
rents small plot of ground for from
% to so cents a night and puts up his
own tent.
The bungalow camp, as it's name in
dicates. provides something more sub
stantial for the tourist. He gets a
oneroom cabin, furnished with a bed
mattress, tables. chairs. electric lights
and perhaps an oil stove for cooking
The charge is 81 night, or S125 al
the most elaborate camps, where shell
ter for the cars is provided between
the cabins. The camper provides his
own bedding and food, gets his own
supper and makes himself comfortable
for the night. If it is storming, he
listens to the rain or hail on the roof
and murmurs:
God pity the poor tent campers on
a night like this
Conditions Two Years Ago.
Two years ago the bungalow camp
was an unusual thing. Now a lot of
people leave tents behind and yet
never register at a hotel. In towns
all along the national highways many
local residents have found the bunga.
low camp an excellent way of turning
non-productive acres to good financial
account, such as property at the edge
of town, but not as yet included in
any real estate development.
In the Southwest much attention is
being paid to architecture and land
scaping in creating bungalow camps.
In soma instances the Spanish type
prevails, the construction being of