The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-26
LETTER FROM ATLANTIC CITY.
tEvKNIEe TELEGRAPH SPECIAL oORREsPoNDESoEl |
ATLANTIC CRY. June %. 1866.

ATLANTIC CRY, June %, 1856.
Progress is principle which never rests. In
some sections it may pause, or be retarded in its
onward march, but it ever possesses power
Of vitality which manifests itself in various
forms. Revolving seasons, in many instances,
totally change the features of localities; but
some places develope these changes in more
striking characteristics than others, This fact
Is fOrcibly demonstrated in the condition in
which we now find Atlantic City, and nearly all
the stretch of country traversed by the Camden
and Atlantic Railroad.
The changes which twelve years have made in
the Typographical features of this island are in
the highest degree astonishing. Before the rail-
road was completed it was nothing more than
desolate and sandy waste, overgrown with thick
underbrush and dwarf trees, with here and there
a few rude habitations, built in primitive style,
and occupied by the families of fishermen and
others engaged in the occupation of coasting
Ponds of water stretched parallel with the sand.
banks that faced the ocean like line OF breast.
works, and the ever rolling surf broke grace
fully upon the beach, while the winds carried
the sand backward and forward, forming
little mounds and hillC all along the shore
Now these ponds are no more; the sand.hius
TO great extent are cut down, levelled, and
built upon; and the tangled brush wood
has been cleared away in order to give place to
those improvements which are the results of
the progress and order of civilization. Where
pools of water formerly stood, now are seen
well-culuyated pardens, and the cheerful notes
OF music and singing are heard on the very
spots where, but a few years since, croakers
"made night hideous with discOrdant sounds"
Broad and handsomely laid out avenues ira
verse the entire length of the city, upon which
tasteuuy constructed cottages, hotels, board
ing-houses, and various private residences are
built, forming the initial OF, at no distant day,
a place of magnitude, attraction aud Importance.
Nor is this progressive spirit any the less OBJ
servable on the line of the railroad. Harmon.
ton, Elwood, Egg Harbor City, and many other
towns and places have sprung up like magic,
and present an enterprise scarcely equaled in
any part of the State. The wild barrens and
once despised soil of South Jersey has been
found to possess qualities of an extraordinary
character, susceptible of producing most kinds
Of agricultural crops, grapes berries, etc., in
abundance. Men of science, industry, and capi.
tai are locating themselves in various places
contiguous to the railroad and are devoting
themselves to the development and cultivation
OF the soil. But few years, therefore, will
elapse before all the available farm lands for
miles in extent, at all accessible to railroad com
munication, will present one unbroken, cult
waited garden, teeming with fruit berries, grain,
and every kind of valuable luxuries produced
by agriculture in this climate.
More than the usual activity prevails at the
present time In this city, incident to the open-
ing of the season, which will be formally inau-
gurated on the 9th instant by thro wing open
the doors of the United States Hotel Messrs
Woelpper Brown, the courteous proprietors,
have been energetically engaged in cleaning and
preparing for that momentous event, and have
placed their immense establishment in a condi-
ton which, for accommodations, cannot fail to
crafty every visitor or boarder. large num-
Der of cottagers have thus early come down,
and have placed their dwellings and yards in
attractive condition, thus giving life-like and
livable appearance TO all the wide avenues of
the city. During the past year a large number
of new buildings have been constructed, and
several large new hotels fitted up for the
season.
As place Of summer resort, Atlantic City has
become famous. There are so many adganta-
geous features connected with it, that the public
have long since become attached to this seaside
city. The bathing grounds are unsurpassed,
and the accommodations of the hotels and board,
ing houses are ample and satisfactory. These |
favorable features more than compensate for |
any annoyance experienced by the sandy condi. |
tion of the soil where avenues are not gravelled.
But as these annoyances are fast disappearing
in the general improvement and growth of the |
place, vast majority of the visitors here are
satisfied, and take pleasure in coming down year
after year, and watching the advancement the |
city is making in all those essentials destined to
make Atlantic City place of note. The time |
is not far away when the seat OF Justice for At
lanhc county will be removed from Mays Land |
ing to this city, measures TO that effect having
already been agitated.
Your correspondent is pleased to observe a |
moral element here, which seems to be increasing
by all those religious forces VIII lch are usually
employed for the furtherance of a good prin- |
Ciple. During the summer Divine worship is |
held in various churches In the Methodist |
Episcopal and Roman Catholic it is held all the |
year. Attached to the Methodist Church is a /
highly fourishing and interesting Sabbath |
School, which is attended by large number of |
children, of nearly all denominations. There |
aresabout three hundred eligible TO admission /
into this school, and the teachers are careful |
and competent taking great pains in impart. |
ing such instruction to their pupils as will |
be OF future use and benefit to them. The citi- |
zens, too, have generously contributed towards |
the establishing OF public school, and have
succeeded in providing themselves with as fine |