Evening star., 1928-12-19
OLD-WORLD VISTA
! TO GREET COOLIDGE
Island on Which President
win Spend Vacation Is
d in Tradition.

Sapelo Island, off the coast of Geor-
gia, where President Coolidge plans
spending Christmas vacation, today was
described in bulletin from the head
quarters of the National Geographic
Society, based on a communication to
the society from its vice president, John
Oliver La Gorce. a recent visitor at
Sapelo and other of the historic islands
along Georgia's coast, which figure In
tory from the Spaniards of De Soto's
time, through the era of buccaneers,
down to Civil War times.
''Sapelo," it is related. sis typical
member of the group of famous sea is
lands that stretch along the coast Of
lower South Carolina and Georgia.
With its fellows, Jekyl, st. Catherine
(Santa Catalina). st. Simon and others
1t was the original home of the sea is
land cotton, which has been noted since
Colonial days for its long fiber.
I'm this region, along the coast. begin
the American tropics The gnarled old
live oaks hang with long festoonS of
moss, while underneath grow luXuriant
vines and shrubs.
Rare, Old-World Charm.
1.-THE rare, old-world charm of Sapelo
Island dawns upon the visitor almost
hospitable shores from the not too dis
tant mainland of Georgia. The splendid
stretch of sandy beach on the east
seems to reach out from forest gladeS
and claim fellowship with the kindly
Atlantic, which rolls in with every
change of tide across thousand yards
of hard-packed sand as level as we'll
kept boulevard
"Sapelo's thousands of acres of moss
hNlNl0 O tTv0r
the days of Spanish occupation GEN.
turies ago save for the skillfully con-
ceived yet unobtrusive roads and bride
paths that traverse the isle, thus af-
fording comfortable access to all parts
of the domain.
Seventeen years ago Mr.. and Mrs.
Howard E. Coffin of Detroit purchased
the entire island and set about making
it not only again habitable, but by the
restoration of part of its great area as
a plantation, self-contained unit.
"Sapelo Island is about eight miles
long, or counting Blackboard Island,
which is separated from it only by
narrow marsh nearly IL miles The
width varies from 2 to miles.
On the sea side is sandy beach. Be-
hind this the interior is heavily wooded
save where farms have been hewn out.
On the west. or landward side are broad
marshes threaded by numerous creeks.
Chief of these is the Duplin River.
which has relatively deep water and
serves as means Of water commune
cation between the island and the
mainland. Between the island and the
mainland run the Mud River and New.
Teakettle Greek.
Manor House Erected.
ION the forest edge OF the east side
of the island is the manor house, with
beautiful vista down to the ocean
beach. 1t was built with every care to
preserve the atmosphere and romantic
tradition. 1t is Spanish in architecture.
in perfect harmony with its historic
surroundings, yet spacious, having in
one wing nearly score of bedrooms
for guests, while the family members
loccupy another wing. Within the
house is swimming pool built of blue
tile with a glass dome.
"An interesting feature of construc-
tion is the use in one wing of a CEN
,tury-old Spanish wall to feet
thick fashioned of oyster shell cement
that Is challenge to age and the ele-
ments.
True to the old Southern code Of
hospitality the great dining room can
seat 40 guests about the BOARD and the
surrounding area of land and water af-
fords such delectable food as, in season.
venison, wild turkey, oposSum, quail,
terrapin, wild peacock, duck, oysters
and many varieties OF fish.
"On the island the owner found
population of about 200 colored tenant
farmers and these have been permit
ted to remain. They are chiefly en-
gagged in raising sea island cotton.
Their dwellings are scattered for the
most part, and there Is nothing that
can be called town, or even village.
On the south end of the island the
United States Government maintains
"a lighthouse.
Officially Spelled SapelO.
"Oficially the island, creek and a
sound are spelled 'Sapelo.' A one-time
settlement, however, used the older
spelling 'Sapeloe,' which the present
owner has adopted as the spelling OF
his island address.
"A considerable area of Sapelo Is ur1-
cultivated and is maintained as a game
preserve stocked with deer. wild turkeys,
wild peacocks, pheaSantS and other
fowls. One interesting group OF feath-
cred denizens are the ChacalAcas, rela-
tives of the pheasants, which have
been introduced from Mexico with the
cooperation of the United States Bio
logical Survey.
7 "The Sea Islands of Georgia have
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