Evening star., 1935-06-16

to make a little extra cash. By that
time, the farmer already knew too
well what Washington was starting to
tell him. Hadn't he noticed how
many more cars were rolling by his
place nowadays? Wasn't he being
repeatedly asked about whether "a
room for the night" could be had?
He was either already in the guest
cabin" business or was planning to
get into it as soon as he could lay
his hands upon enough spare lumber.
incidentally, more and more farmers
are going into the tourist camp busi-
ness every year. They have seen how
their neighbors. through the erection
of a few log cabins. have managed to
pay OF the mortgage. meet their taxes
and keep up their business, besides
having q good time greeting and
chatting with city folks every day.
OF course, the modern tourist camp
actually dates back to the days of the
Tin Canners"-those hardy, cross
country motoring pioneers who carried
their own camp equipment and food
supplies and tried to see how many
miles they could roll up on their
speedometers before nightfall. These
were Of the 1919 and 1920 vintage.
Local Activities Result.
This type of motorist multiplied to
such an extent that local communities,
to safeguard their swards. in the local
parks, were forced to provide camp
sites. Usually they were dismal, dank
dumps with a few hydrants and not
very much parking space. Motorists
were always squabbling over the COW
eted spaces near the water supply.
littering the ground with garbage and
building promiscous fires City fathers
spent many sleepleSs nights keeping
their weather eyes peeled for what the
latest batch of motor tourists were up
to. Today the city camp site is prac-
tically extinct. The tourist camp and
cottage establishment, with low rates.
convenience and comfort, has taken its
place.
This cottage camp idea" Kansas
roadside boniface explained to me,
really started right after the war
when the boys came back from the
Army and wanted to show their fami-
lies what fun there was in camping
out. 1t might have been fun in the
Army when you had nothing else
to do.
However. the ex-doughboy soon
discovered that camping out with the
wife and kiddies was not as hilarious
as he had imagined 1t. Anyway, the
average American does not like too
much of the great outdoors. He
prefers q closed car. plenty Of up
holstery and good soft bedding when
he takes to the road-an ice box and
stationary stove to cook on, especially
when he has the folks along. No matter
how much of a herman and nature
lover he may be when the sun shines,
he likes to get indoors when the sun
sinks. Consequently, when the traf1c
increased with the paved highways
everywhere, these cottage establish
ments were bound to come"
The tourist camps and cottage es-
tablishments have not gone into the
beer or spirits trade, for they largely
cater to the family group as whole
which, of course, includes an abun-
dance Of youngsters.
These hosts of the highway repre-
sent the last frontiersmen of rugged
American individualism; their indus
try, as already noted, is practically
the only one today in America that
is 100 per cent independently owned.
With no Board of Directors or stock
L. - D
efficiency experts in the dining, every
camp owner can give full vent to his
own personal ideas of architecture.
service, novel attractions and what
not. Said ideas in many instances
are, to put it mildly, highly individ-
'ualistic-often fantastic. Neverthe-
less, the motor gypsies seem to relish
variety in the camps they patronize.
And they get plenty Of it.
Collection to Be Seen.
For instance, take Sid's Red and
White Cottages, Mackinaw City, Mich.
You need not worry about what to do
of an evening If you happen to stop
there. Here's what his address card,
printed in red and white, offers to
the motoring wayfarer:
"At Sid's, see his famous bottle
collection, the only one Of its kind
a bear trap =. an OK yoke -. cant
hook =. a sap carrier >. old cofiee
mills pewter stein over 100 years
old, druggists pestle, muzzle- e-loading
shotgun, old iron kettles, Indian
broom, Stanley Ketchell's boxing
gloves and horsehair bride given him
by his Missouri friends"
At the enterprising Lincoln Park
Motor Cottage Camp, Los Angeles, you
can enjoy the thrill Of bunking in
a cabin named after Greta Garbo or
Mae West. If you are not interested
in movie queens but are q bit home
sick and have q hankertng to talk
about the old home town, the man
agement win oblige. In the employ
Of the Lincoln Park camp Is an old
gentleman who has been everywhere.
"This old boy" testified Bearl
sprott, the camp owner. talks to
guests about THAR hons communities.