Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-10-06

~ land when the United States
acquired its 1856 square miles
from Spain in 1921. 1t was
known to have dark, forbidding
| swamps, dense semi-tropical under
growth, alligators and troublesome
Seminole Indians. Its potential wealth.
was problematical and its greatest in
duStry-the tourist crop-Was relative
ly nothing until the twentieth century.
The United States assumed
$5,000,000 debt when it took Florida
over. And last season, Winter tourists
alone left in the State enough money
to buy Florida 125 times! The State
Hotel Commission has estimated that
l.750000 visitors entered the State for
relaxation and recreation and spent
$625 900, 900 enjoying themselves in the
l934-5 season. The total is based on
n average of IS a day.
HENRY M. FLAGLER is credited
with being the first man with the
vision Of Florida as health and
recreation resort. Before the turn of
the last century, even before the era
we know as the Gay Nineties. Flagler
conceived the idea of selling to
Northerners the State where Summer
spends the Winter. He built hotels
They proSpered But yet he was not
far enough south. Transportation re-
manned the problem. and slowly he be-
gan to develop the Florida East Coast
Railway. AS it crept down into SUMMER
chimes. he built more hotels. His goal
was Key West. He and his railroad
reached it in 1912. He died in 1918.
NOW new Florida season is about
to begin. Miami has anticipated
another rush and will open its gates
early in November to meet it. THE
1934-35 Florida season was the big
gest since the boom year l925-26.)
New apartments have sprung up dur
ing the Summer; new hotels sprawl
on last years vacant lots. And N
the Greater Miami area, there are
accommodations for 10000 guests in
q single day. A recent survey lists
210 hotels. $500 apartment houses and
more than 5000 private, furnished
residences facing the ocean. the bay,
river and in the secluded suburbs.
Miami's sports program has been
drawn on Sl,000,000 scale. There
will be horse racing at two tracks,
Tropical and Hialeah; dog racing at
three tracks, a deep sea fishing tour
nament, the Biscayne Bay regatta. at
least three major golf tournaments and
many other features that help make
Miami a favorite Winter resort.
tNote-Ethiopia has its day for the
ending Of the rainy season. and Florida
has its deadline on hurricanes. Accord
ing to Florida folklore, the full moon
in October definitely ends the stormy
season.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, is the latest
spot on the map to erupt with a
modesty campaign. 1t would annoy
many residents, American cottagers
and other visitors were it not for sense
OF humor coming to the rescue. The
latest decree is that above the FEM
mime waist there must be more than
halter" or a gaily colored bandana
as covering.
Women and girls are considering
going the order one better and ap-
pearlng in hoopskirts, bustles, panta-
lettes and other antebellum costumes. !
The Royal Gazette and Colonist Daily /
suggests that perhaps there might be |
something else acceptable to the con-
stables in ones great-great-grand-
mothers oaken chest.
The police don't relish the order
any more than the modern minded |
women and girls who object. The
Bermuda boobies had enough embar-
rassment trying to enforce the decree
that womens shorts should not be
more than two inches above the knee
SCRIBBLINGS: The Province of
Quebec has offered a prize of 5000
10 the American visitor finding the
largest and most beautiful specimen
OF the maple leaf. brightly colored by
Natures Fall artistry.
The islands of Juan Fernandez were
the setting of Defoe's Robinson CRU
soc" They lie $40 miles west of VAL
Chile.
One of the most striking relics of
old ireland stands near Drumbe. 1t
Is the Giants Ring, $50 feet in diam
eter. In the center is the Druids'
Altar.
Rotten Row, where London's fash
lonable make point of being seen
every morning, was originally Rough
tens Rue. Lord Roughten and his
friends used to ride horse back there.