Evening Star Newspaper, April 21, 1940, Page 38

NEWS OF THE MOTORING WORLD Trip to Famed Early’ Spring Gardens of Charleston Seen Most Alluring at Present Time By Ralph Gray, Travel Coursellor, American Automobile Association. Due to the weather’s recent re- lapse into winter, the gardens at Charleston, S. C., have been delayed in reaching their full prime. Latest advice from the first city of the South is that the blooming season will last from April 8 through the end of the month. In other words, it is not too late to make these azalea gardens your first trip of the 1940 travel season. The Charleston Azalea Festival itself comes from April 23 through April 28. Since this formal celebra- tion is always scheduled toward thé end of the actual period of blossom- ing, it is better to pian to go before that time in order to see the blos- soms at their best. The very peak should be reached about the 15th, although it is always difficult to forecast exactly anything so vari- able as an azalea plant. Even though the South Carolinian spring was delayed this year, it will lack none of its usual color and in- tensity. The flowers were not hurt by the cold. Soon the azaleas and Jessamines and the camellia ja- ponicas will be in bloom, fairly shouting to Charleston that spring has come, and plainly inviting the rest of the world to see. These gardens of Charleston, spotted along the mysterious shores of nearby rivers and bayous, fur- nish Southern springcoming the perfect setting it deserves. The freshly awakened plants bloom with such fierce intensity that one thinks surely they are the tardy flowering of the buried gold of pirates who knew these waters two and one-half centuries ago. And truly the red gold of a blooming azalea bush is a greater lure to the present-day traveler than any amount of hypo- thetical pirates’ gold. Here in our northerly clime, where azaleas are seen only as a small border decoration in flower beds, it is hard to believe what a Charleston azalea bush can be—20 or even 30 feet high, a solid wall of red when in bloom and the blooms so thick that not a single green leaf may be seen. Were it not for their extreme beauty, upon first sight your main reaction would be pure amazement. Poinsettias, giant 10-foot bushes | bristling with red-pointed blooms, also flower so heavily that the limbs cannot be seen. Rare flowers are found in these gardens—the mimosa and the Mexican rose, a specie of the hibiscus which changes its color from white to pink or red in a sin- gle day; wistaria and several varie- ties of magnolia, abound in the area, But in these Charleston gardens, it is not the flowers, the blooms alone that make for their beauty; the gardens are worth seeing any time of the year because of their ordered walks, the perfect arrange- ment of bushes, trees, marble | benches, pergolas and pools. None | of the gardens are strictly formal; they are merely built on formal Eng- lish garden patterns. Nature is al- lowed some free rein—the informal- ity of Nature sheds a slight, pleasing sheen of attractiveness over man’s arbitrary geometry. Along the box hedges and patterned jessamine beds will be shaggy live oaks with moss-hung branches. Along with rectangular reflecting pools appear the natural water lines of the weird bayou water. Let us take some of the more fa- | mous of these gardens; there are | the Magnolia Gardens, the creation | of Rev. John Grimke Drayton, whose doctor advised an outdoor life, and who spent his imagination and deli- cate genius developing what John Galsworthy named the world's most beautiful gardens. They are on the Ashley River road, 12 miles west of Charleston. There are the Middle- ton Place Gardens, 3 miles farther on the same road (8. C. 61), whose fame was great even in England as early as the 18th century. Then there are Cypress Gardens, which | were established years ago and then | abandoned to the jungle to be re- claimed a century later by a nature- loving public. Their weird, other- world beauty is best viewed by boat - Special Offer! $99 TREE-Westinghouse’ [by her to the State. Admission is from the black bayou on which they are built. . Cypress Gardens are 2¢ miles north of Charleston U. 8. 52 * These three gardens are the high trinity in the region of flowers which centers in Charleston. But the beauty lover who is in impecuni- ous circumstances of time or money need ‘not think that they contain all the riches of the . section. Charleston itself has beautiful public parks, notably the White Point Gardens at the Battery, and Marion Square. uptown. The “Gate- way Walk” of the Charleston Gar- den Club leads through 11 flower- covered wrought-iron gateways and traverses several blocks of gardens and historic grounds. The sur- rounding countryside and seaside, with its exotic vegetation and color- ful beaches is of especial interest. Sullivans Island is the locale of Edgar Allan Poe’s “Gold Bug.” The “Sea Islands” and marshes whose beauty Sidney Lainer chanted in the Marshes of Glynn are nearby. “Inward and outward. from Northward to Southward wal The beach lines linger and curl Like as the silver-wrought garments that cling to and Follow the firm sweet limbs of a girl, And behold! Al their beauty is eaught up and bounded within The length and the breath of the marvelous Marshes of Glynn.” The village of Summerville, west of Charleston, is beautiful because of its wisteria and its blending of pine and palmetto. And north of Charleston, near Georgetown, 8. C., are the Hunting- ton Gardens, exquisitely landscaped by Mrs. A. M. Huntington and xlven' free. These gardens are fully as beautiful as many that charge as high as $2 a person. The Brook- green QGardens, near Georgetown, are also State-owned and open to the public. Getting back to Charleston and turning to that old city with eyes for more than Gardens, you will soon find that you must add at least one more day to your trip. Charles- ton is one of the foremost architec- tural shrines of our country—co- lonial mansions and churches dot the streets. And many of them are historic shrines as well. Old Pow- der Magazine, the oldest structure in the city, was built in 1703 and used as an arsenal during the Revo- lutionary War. St. Philips Church contains the grave of John C. Cal- houn. The Old Pirate House, still standing, was the headquarters for pirates while stopping over at Charleston. Nearby Pirate Row has many homes built by retired pirates. The good citizens of Charleston did not molest their pirate friends until one bold cap- tain, Stede Bonnet by name, sailed brashly into the harbor flying the Jolly Roger, kidnaped one of Charleston’s foremost townsmen and held him for ransom. The city in- dignantly paid the ransom, but from. that time on the life of a pirate was no safer in Charleston than else- | where. Stede Bonnet was captured and hanged. St. Michael's Church, where George Washington worshiped, is probably the most prominent land- mark in Charleston, what with its | graceful Christopher Wren spire. Its melodious bells have crossed the Atlantic five times. The Circular Congregational Church, organized 1681, was originally called the “White Meeting House.” Meeting | street, the street of Charleston, was named after it. | As you travel about the city your | eyes will undoubtedly turn often to | a small island barely visible to the | east in the haze of Charleston Har- bor, and whether you are a Con- necticut Yankee or Carolina Tar- heel, your heart will miss a beat or two each time you see it, for it con- tains Fort Sumter, where the first shots of our Civil War were fired and the first fratricidal blood was | shed. | On another island in the harbor is Fort Moultrie, where one of the first important victories of the Revolu- tionary War was gained. Later Fort Moultrie was the scene of Chief Os- ceola’s imprisonment and death. Os- ceola was the last of the troublesome chiefs in the East. 1 could go ahead and point out other historic spots, other colonial structures, other gardens and parks, other points of interest, but I will not because Charleston is not to be found in any one of them, nor in all of them together. descendant of a first settler put it, “Charleston,” as a “is not Meeting street or the houses, parks and buildings—Charleston is the flesh and blood of our valiant early ancestors.” And firther than that, Charleston is the spirit of the persons living there today, of persons living in a town where the 20th century is hav- ing a hard time abolishing the 18th. The soul, or essential spirit, or call it what you will, of a city is hard to catch, but if you wander down the dusky lower Charleston and stumble into Lati- tude lane, and suddenly start dream- ing of Porgy and Bess and other ro- mantic inhabitants of “Catfish Row,” you will understand something of the soul of this city. And if you suc- ceed in engaging an ancient Necro in conversation, and get him to tell the storv of “de cripple who rode around dese parts in a goat-cart long ago,” you will, indeed. have had an exnerience in mature traveling. water front of Automotive Briefs Appointment of Town and Coun- try Motors, Inc., 1636 Cornecticut avenue N.W., as distributors for Mercury 8, Lincoln-Zephyr V-12 and Lincoln V-12 was announced last week by the Alexandria branch of the Ford Motor Co. In addition to facilities for the display of new cars at the Connecticut avenue ad- dress the new distributor will main- tain a service and used car depart- ment at 1707 Fourteenth street N.W. The 28,000,000th Ford automobile passed through Washington last week, beginning a tour through the United States, Canada and Mexico. At the end of the trip the car will be placed on display at the New York World’s Fair. Jim Rooney Show mother she’s Special Hull House Stamp Goes on Sale Friday A special two-color stamp com- memorating the 50th anniversary of Hull House in Chicago and honoring its founder, Jang Addams, will go on sale here next Friday, the Post Office Department announced yesterday. The souvenir cover—a 10 cent stamp—will be issued Thursday in Chicago, scene of the opening of & month-long celebration of the set- tlement house’s founding. One of thé “famous Americans” series, the stamp will reproduce an original sketch of Hull House done by a settlement artist and a medal- lion portrait of Miss Addams executed by Nancy V. McCormick. It will be printed in tones of blue and brown. ‘The Hull House Post Office opened 42 years ago, with Miss Addams as its first postmistress. g In addition to founding Hull House, Jane Addams is famous as the founder of the Woman's Interna- tional League for Peace and Democ- racy. A limited number of first-day can- celed covers will be on sale at the local branch of the woman'’s league. Beardsley to Address Comparative Law Unit Several prominent speakers will address the spring meeting of the Section of. International and Com- parative Law at the Mayflower Ho- tel Wednesday, May 15. A luncheon | at 12:30 o'clock will be followed by an afternoon session. Speakers will include Charles A. Beardsley, president of the Amer- ican Bar Assoclation; Solicitor Gen- eral Francis Biddle, \Dr. William Draper Lewis of Philadelphia, direc- tor of the American Law Institute, and Alexander Holtzoff of the De- partment of Justice. Wilbur L. Gray is chairman of the committee on arrangements. and Charles Soderquist are co- drivers on the tour. i Plans for a spring and summer “ sales and advertising campaign were | explained to Esso dealers last Wed- | nesday night at a meeting held | by the Esso Marketers at the May- | flower Hotel. F. R. Washington of | | the Standard Oil Co. addressed the | | meeting and showed a special talk- | ‘lng picture called “Design for Pow- er WANTS Your PICTURE FOR MOTHER'S DAY MAY 12 still your best girl by giv- ing her your photograph for Mother's Day. And let us take it now! You and she will both be mighty proud of the subject when you see what wonderful pictures we've taken. Splendid 8x10 Size 3 for $9.5 ONE BEAUTIFULLY FRAMED Photo Studio Downstairs Bookstore SEWING MACHINES (CEE MODEL) sG2 —Famous “FREE-Westinghouse” Rotoscillo model . . . built to last a lifetime! . . . Equipped with Westinghouse air-cooled motor and adjustable knee speed control, com- plete with sewing lamp and set of attachments . . . Choice of beautiful Swedish Modern or walnut veneered cabinet. $3.00 DOWN—Monthly Payments (Small Carrvirip Charge) $49.50 PORTABLE ELECTRIC MACHINES $29. —A limited time offer . or tuck-away portable 30 - . . Convenient to carry electric sewing ma- chines at this special price. Fully guaranteed! ® For Repair Service on any Sewing Machine Call District 7200—Branch 358. CHAPTER XXXIV. As Gall spoke. the door to the manager’s office opened. The pistol was knocked from Aunt Belle’s hand and her arms pinioned to her side by two brawny men who looked like glants looming over her. “Bring them in here,” the man- arked. “All of them. Now the idea? What do you mean siarting a row in my club?” “I told you to leave me alone,” Belle Meadows screamed in a voice s0 mad with hate and fear that Gail hid her face against Chris- topher’s shoulder. “This is purely a personal matter,” Chris said. “I'm sorry but I can promise you there will be no further disturbance.” “Not on these premises there won'’t be” the manager assured him. “Okay, boys let them go. Who is this dame anyway? Do you folks know her?” Aunt Belle stood shaking with rage still mumbling as Gail re- plied, “She’s a relative of mine. Come on, Auntie, we can talk about it later.” But as Chris tried to take her arm Aunt Belle gave a wild cry and darted toward the window. If it had been open she would have fallen but since it was not only her hand penetrated the glass. At the sight of the blood she began to whimper like a hurt child and crumpled to the floor. Low Voice. “Get her out of here,” commanded the manager in a low voice. *“I can't afford to have things like this happening. Go on. I don't care what you do with her but take her away.” Chris lifted the unconscious fig- ure and with two bodyguards walk- ing in front and behind him to conceal him from the crowd in the gambling rooms he carried Aunt Belle to his car and deposited her on the rear seat. . “You'll have to sit with her, G&l‘l’- She may come to any minute start something.” Gail had never been so terrified in her life as she was of that in- sane caricature of her aunt, wear- ing a blond wig over her gray streaked hair. “What are we going to do with her?” \ Is Crazy. “Take her to a hospital” Chris replied. “The poor thing's crazy.” Even in that moment of agohiz- ing revelation Gail's heart leaped with gratitude. He did not have to be told. As simply as it she had been one of his own family he accepted the only possible ex- planation. But long before they reached the hospital Aunt Belle was al- ternately muttering and scream- ing. Chris had tied her hands with the heavy chiffon veil and shuddering with distaste Gail re- moved the cheap blond wig. Poor Aunt Belle whose frus- trated desires had driven her into a life as différent as possible from that she ordinarily experienced. Hazel had said she had been in the habit of frequenting the gambling resort for over five years. | This meant that it was Aunt Belle who had stolen the keys from her father and robbed the store where he was a trusted employee. Becoming bold when her first petty thefts were not traced she! had dared to take the emerald ring. | Aunt Belle of all people! With her continual chatter about back- ground and family had dropped the | stolen jewel into her hated brother- || in-law's pocket; had seen him con- | victed and sent to jail. She had| even railed at her sister during the ensuing five years for having | wonder she wanted Aunt Belle to go married beneath her. to California without her.” “She must have been crazy all| When they reached the hospital that time,” Gail thought., “Or on |they left the wig in the car and the verge of it. Poor mother! ,No| (Se¢e REPUTATIO! Page C-11.) SPRING "EYEWEAR DESIGNED FOR YOU . . . WITH STYLE, ACCURACY AND AT ATTRACTIVE PRICES And—regardless of the price you pay, you will find our B:lcea are as low as quality permits. Your glasses will ACCURATE, COMFORTABLE, STYLISH AND OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY—WHEN THEY COME FROM OUR OPTICAL DEPARTMENT. 8o visit our Optical Department if you are bothered with vision trouble—let our registered optometrists examine your eyes and advise you how best to correct it. Don’t wait any longer, come to our Optical Depart- ment tomorrow. You May Use Your Charge Account Dr. Wm. De Shazo Registered Optometrist in Charge annd. TR AR, 5 g D STREET FLOOR OPTICAL DEPT. 'l0, %15, *20 ALLOWANCE | FOR YOUR OLD RANGE IF YOoU CHANGE T0 A MODERN GAS RANGE NOW! “Detroit Regularly Allowance_ You Pay Only *69. —Streamlined design, with four aluminum-nickel top simmering burners, including one giant burner .. . automatic top lighter . lined oven . . . oven heat cohtrol . . Jewel” $79.95 -$10.00 95 . . insulated porcelain- . chrome broiler “MAGIC CHEF” Regularly Allowance You Pay Only *84.50 —Completely porcelain enameled inside and out! Fully insulated! Made with three-in-one top burners! Automatic top lighter! Speed oven! Drop door broiler! Hi-Lo valves! Two-shelf storage compartment. grid . . . white handles . . . and two utility drawers, Stainless porcelain cooking top. Pay Nothing Down Monthly Payments. Small Carrying Charge. "CHAMBERS” Cooks With The Gas Turned Off! Regularly ____$154.50 Allowance You Pay Only *134.50 —Btart your meal any time you wish, after s lim- lted period, turn off the gas and let it cook on “stored heat.” Triple oven wall construction for greater insulation! Chambers’ oven heat controll In-a-Top brotler and griddle! Exclusive “Thermo- well” top-of-stove cookerl 14