The New York herald., 1862-08-23


lines Of the Union armies Served them right.
The Watering Place Season-New De-
velOpments.
Fashion has succumbed to Mars. The war
has revolutionized the watering places. The
faslionxbes who used to spend the summer
months at Newport, Sharon Springs or Niagara
Tails have deserted these. resorts, and are
now scattered about the country In quiet hooks,
sequestered retreats or suburban villas, en-
joying themselves nationally, unchronicled in
the newspapers and unfatigued by the former
necessities of dress, society, Irritation and dis
spation. Even the old dowagers the indispen-
sable impedme,sta Of the army of fashion, no
longer frequent their former haunts, bat are to
be found blooming like wall flowers, in the par
lors Of little hotels near pleasant but unlashion-
able lakes. The hotels of Newport and Sharon
are only half filed. Niagara Falls enjoys only
the patronage Of sksdaddlers, who seek in Ca
NADIA release from the expected draft. The
ancient glories Of the summer season have de-
parted The war, which is reforming the man
ners, the dress, the society, the commerce., the
manufactures, the politics and the politicians
also, and for this year, at least they prefer the
genuine, healthful country to the artificial,
enervating, corrupting caricature of rural life
at the watering places.
Two of our summer resorts, however, are now
crowded to suffocation. At Saratoga, which
has outlired its fashion, and at Long Branch
which never was fashionable, the rush this year
"a teop nd nh tof baa
There new equipages, with new horses, driven
by new coachmen, in new liveries, fash gaudily
along the drives There new silks rustic
gorgeously through the halls and new and SUI
perabundant diamonds sparkle brilliantly in
the gaslight. There the most varied and elabo-
rate though not the most tasteful, toilettes vie
with each other to attract the attention and
compel admiration. There the tables are sur
rounded with new faces, and new healths are
drank in New Jersey champagne. There new
bellies introduce entirely new figures during
the lancers, or display new steps in the polka
or the galop. There new couples walk and
6irt, and new acquaintances bow with new
graces rigidy observe the loose rules of an
entirely new etiquette, or indulge in an equally
new style of conversation. Tho most expe-
rienced landlord does not remember any OF
these people, and overcharges them accordingly.
The oldest waiter cannot recognize them, and,
with knowing wink, hands them the wrong
dishes, or supplies them with twenty-five cent
claret in response to call for Chateau Mar-
gae1. If a former habit.e drops in by accident
and asks curiously who all these people are he
can obtain no satisfactory reply. Nobody
knows anything about them. They seem, in
fact, to know very little of each other. They
are by no means desirous of telling what they
know of themselves. They make acquaint-
ances easily; but introductions are man
aged upon the same principle that stolen
property is returned an amcable arrange
ment effected and no questions asked" Some
of them rejoice in titles, but appear to be
colonels without regiments, captains without
companies and doctors without. patients. They
register their names and residences; but the,
New Workers are unknown here, and the Phila-
delphians are strangers to- the denizens Of the
City of Brotherly Love. No wonder, then, that
this new watering place development is one Of
the most singular and interesting incidents OF
this eventful year.
While pondering over this curious social
problem, however, we accidentally obtained
clue to its solution. The leading jewellers of
this city and of Philadelphia report that they
have sold more jewelry, of the most costly
kinds and at the highest prices, during the past
few months than any previous year, and
that The purchasers have been new people, who
have interests in some kinds of government
transactions. We think that this statement
discloses the mine whence came all those new
diamonds which glitter so dazz'ingly at Sara
toga and Long Branch. Why, these new people
are our old friends of the shoddy aristocracy,
whom we noticed last spring driving now
equipages about the Central Park and inspect
ing Brignoli through the wrong END Of their
new opera glasses at the Academy of Music.
They are the noble army of shoddy contractors,
with their wives and families. They have
fine horses at the watering places; but they sold
the government knock-kneed, spawned, broken
winded quadrupeds, unworthy Of the name Of
horses. Their silks and broadcloths are lustrous
and superfne; but we do not forget the shoddy
uniforms, rotten blankets and good-for-nothng
linen pantaloons with which they equipped our
soldiers, or the straw hats, boys sizes, which
they palmed off upon the susceptible Cummings.
They grow fat upon the choicest dainties; but
they have supplied the army with bad beef,
spoiled provisions and "hard tack" They
drink the best champagne-that is, the best they
can get-but they began upon army ale and
porter, and thought water in kerosene casks
good enough for our soldiers. They make lu-
dicrous figures in the dances; but the figures
they have charged the government for useless
muskets, badly manufactured guns, transports
warranted to 60 to the bottom when loaded with
soldiers, and ships chartered at prices sufficient
to plate them with gold armor, are anything