Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-07-23
Correspondence of the Lewisburg Chronicle.
Cape Island, N. j., July IA, 1851.

Cdp0 1S.dAu, &N' ~ Vuiy AZ AooA'
Mr.. EDITOR When left home | die
not intend visiting this place but wheI
YOU get into Philadelphia atmosphere yor
are carried almost irrcsistihly to Cape
Nav; whether in the pursuit of health o.
recreation, the tide Of popular feeling
there, tends strongly, | may say over
whelmingly, toward the cool sea breeze
and the invigorating surf. They appear
to take it for granted that the chief design
in the formation of the ocean, was to fix 4
great bathing establishment at Cape May.
If a man is crossed in love, makes 4 bad
speculation, or takes the gout, he IS off to
the Island. Its virtues are as potential in
the cure of ofhcart-aches as toe-achcs. If 4
woman takes a fit of hysterics (Which they
tell me is not a rare thing about the wa
tering season. though the husband may
have resisted all former entreaties, he
knocks right under, and the next boat for
the Cape finds him and his suffering dul-
cinca on board 4 speedy cure, though
not speedy return is generally theresult.
To me the Cape May fever il Philadelphia
was really matter OF astonishmcnt. The
young The old, the gay,the grave, the sick,
the well, the rich, the poor, and even the
manned, the halt, and the blind, all turning
their faces toward the ocean, as though it
were q modern Bethesda which need but
be entered to drive away all the aches and
sorrows that our poor fallen humanity is
heir to. Alas, how many are doomed to
disappointment! The reduced fare from
Philadelphia, now only one dollar, car
riage hire included, has done much to
swell the number of visitors.
This reduction of fare is matter of
great annoyance to the aristocracy. L
heard one saying that it was much more
pleasant here when fare was high. They
could then moncpolize to themselves the
healthful influences Of this favored resort.
They talk as though the presence of me
chanics polluted the air. pity such crea-
lures, and am greatly mistaken if their
species is not doomed to come to an end
in America ere our children become old.
Perhaps no one thing tends more rapidly
to the breaking up Of these foolish dis
tinctions in society than the cheapness ana
facility of travel. The railroad car, and
the steamboat, are doing more III one year
toward. equalizing society, than all the
preachers of socialism combined could
bring about in a century. trust the day
is not far distant when men will be es-
tecmed for what they are,and not, as now,
for what they hare. \ fool may be rich,
but intelligence and purity Of character,
are not so often the result of accident, and
should therefore, entitle their possessors
to esteem, and to rank in proportion to
the strength and brilliancy of these higher
and nobler graces Of our natures. Cape
May is living example Of the progress Of
the times, and of society. An old gentle
man from Philadelphia is here spending
his 42d season When he first came here
it took from four to six days to reach the
place The same distance is now travelled
in FIVE hours. Formerl Y at cost Of from
SIS to $40 now the fare is one dollar. \
half dozen Of wealthy Philadelphia families
composed the company. Now you see !
thousands, of every condition in life, bath
ing in the cooling surf at once. Shoema
kers, thinkers, boat-builders, doctors, law
yers, and the rest of mankind, are all rep
resented here to the number of thousands.
Where few rude shanties inhabited by I
wreckers once stood, YOU now see quite
respectable looking town, containing five
churches, and some twenty-five hotels,
many Of them sufficiently large to accom-
modate 800 to 400 guests. The accommo-
dations are still considered insufficient to
meet the wants Of the crowds that annu-
ally flock here; and measures are now
under way to build another monster hotel, !
large enough to room and board from 1900
to 1000 persons. Buildings here are large,
but not elegant; paint can not be used for
outside work, the air being so strongly I
impregnated with salt as to destroy lead
and oil in avery short time. White wash
is substituted for paint, and at a distance
gives the town handsome appearance
There is here very little clear, bright
sun shine, such as We have in the interior.
The air is almost constantly filed with
9lst, which penetrates eYery.hin. S"n l.