Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-08-22

l 2fessTf. EuHofS s---ib nuYo Juht rcIurhca AVhc
from " Ramble'' through Delaware, sndas the
weather is rather further rambling
ut the present time, l thought my time might not
be unprofltably employed by giving the numer-
Gus readers Of your widely circulated journal p
faint outline and few incidents OF my visit to
Cedar Beach, lying In the Delaware Bay, about
seven miles eastward from Milford. Having
heard much of Big Thursday which always
comes on the second Thursday of August my
curiosity prompted me to turn my steps In that
direction accordingly the way train on Wednes-
day found me en- route for Cedar Beach. Arriving
at Harrington Of the usual hour, but owing to d
smash-up on the Junction and Breakwater road
Of the old Engine Sussex, 1--WE were compelled
to wait there until another one arrived from Do
yer, when after sweltering In the hot sun for
couple Of hours, We were "all aboard'' for Mil
ford, where we arrived late In the afternoon.
Here we soon found signs of general moving Of
a certain class Of the people towards the Beach
which had now become the Macca" OF expecta-
ton, to all moving in that direction Here they
come "bng and baggage" consisting of awallet
well filled with agood "hunk" Of bacon and hone,
and perhaps huckleberry pie Here they come in
pair Of stubborn mules with cxtemporized cedar
boughs over which Is thrown sheet or bed quilt
to ward off the scorchng rays Of old "Sol" WHIP
looked down in such carnestness that the pcrspi-
hiShlvu iiuill CfCiJ llCic tuCy Soliic
in ox-carts, drawn by couple Of the horned tribe
whose long lolling tongues evlnce alonglng desire
for cooling streams, but the oxrnan goad remind
cd the weary brutes that they must bear along
briskly their load of pleasure seekers. s.,,,
had almost forgotten to mention that an out
fit In these hastily extcmpouzcd teams would be
incomplete without q suspicious blhck looking
Jug which often came In close proximity to the
mouths Of the Bench shore travellers. After sew
eral Intellectual attempts q scat Is secured In q
without " n rlrntenfior
slime or storm, four boards were laid across the
top of the wagon box which served for seats, the
horses used upon this occasion looked as II they
might have been used for stage horses IN ,oldcn
times, before railroads came into use, but like
singed cats proved in the end better than they
looked. was very rnodestly informed by the
driver that half dollar was the usual fire upon
ordinary occasions, but for the privilege Of q
speedy trip he would charge. me seventy-fvc
cents, which was acceded to, and away we started
in johnny Giipin style amidst the shouts Of the
passengers and the fiourshing Of the black Jug to
all bystanders, as much as TO say, Don't you
wish you had some" ri.A
The outskirts Of Milford being passed colec-
ton was taken up or rather u tax laid upon each
passenger, to help to pay for the contents of the
jug, but 10 consideration of Rambler" being a
temperance man he was exonerated from his
quota of the tax. Alter testing the quality Of the
s s Ct The g and S n faSosga vas s
| away In the cheek OF each passenger who was in
the ring" Rambler, being an outsider)and then
game of cards was proposed and heartily ASSENT
cd to, when in very short space Of time n four
handed game was in full operation In one end of
end. Thus the time flew by and our team not
| exactly flew, but kept jogging along, the exer-
cises varying In regular order, as follows First,
a game Of cards; second, swlg from the black
| Jug; third, q fresh chew of tobacco and these
exercises interspersed with stupendons oaths and
large kind Of talk generally. The halfway house
is at length reached, said house being one story
| high and about from twelve to fourteen feet in
Dimensions, kept by a grey headed old man, who
appeared to be held in very high regard by the
| party who had just stopped to water our foaming
| team OF horses and leave behind small tribute
in the shape of sundry ten cent tickets for which
IN equivalent was given In whisky and cigars.
Once more we were under way, heavy cloud
ready to burst with all its fury. The cards were
| slowed away into pockets and general prepare
tion made to meet its onset. The storm proved
to be q very violent gust, accompanied. by vivid
der, flash upon flash and peal upon peal rent the
air, which seemed rather to aniuse some Of our
| passengers than to I'LL them with dread. One
individual in his defiance Of the great artillery Of
heaven exclaimed as the echoes Of terrific peal
died away on the air, "Hu'rahJor h-i,,cho cares
We had now arrived at the long looked for
beach. The black Jug was empty and tobacco
exhausted The storm had now ceased Its fury,
and we were met BY those who had proceeded US
\ In language which showed that those who had
| got there ahead of us were on par with inc new
| arrivals
"Ralnbler" made for the hotel, where supper
and to bis great delight found couple Of vii
mington friends, who had reached the place the
day before and were enjoying the pleasures Of
place to their hearts content.
A large crowd of people had gathered upon the
hoanl Oft fItaryo and liant frfr
spite the rain, oil night and the greater part OF
next day. Thousands of people must have been
present during Thursday, and with no earthly
object in view. Here their time is past in saaun.
Ing up sheli, and going to q frame shanty across
the way where o yillanous compound, called
whisky, was disposed of. The bar-room is in
one end of the building, gambling room In the
| other, and a dancing room In the middle. None
visit this building but gent-excuse me, mean
males. Here the night was passed in drinking,
| fighting, dancing and gambling. Those who got
the drunkcst were considered the best fellows.
Little boys We'd with each other to see who could
get drunk the quickest. My attention was called
to couple of boys staggering away from the
shanty. One said to the other, Bill I'm mosi
drunk vim sn y The s nnsy Yen S
leave to come and get drunk" description. Of
the place would make my letter too long. for
your columns but i would briefly state that there
Is one dilapidated house, hedged in with sand,
|
which is used as hotel; the bar being in the
building before referred to. In addition to this,
another shanty, called u hotel, has been erected,
where grog shop is kept; no part OF the build
ing being yet finished cxceptth bar-room Here
the same scenes were enacted as at the other
place.
Some very respectable people were boarding at
the first mentioned house, who were in no way
connected with the class have been describing.
The landlady Is a perfect lady, and does all in
her power to make her guests comfortable. We
got sight of and had an interview, on the even.
Ing of our arrival, with the landlord, who tried
very hard to make us believe that he was one oil
the richest men in Delaware, and invited us to
his room the next morning before he got out in
order to show us that what he said was true, by
documentary evidence; for, said he, II you do
not come early will be drunk, and shall remain
so all the rest OF the day." Upon inquiry we
learned that such was indeed the truth (; poor
fellow, he is hardly ever sober
However, we did not go to see him the next
morning. The night passed away and an early
hour found us astir. Persons in state OF per-
feet obliviousness were seen laying upon the
sand, which reminded us Of the close of some
great battle with the dead left lying upon the
field. Soon the rain began to descend and drench
those who were exposed and again the beach be-
came alive with hustle md activity. Harder
poured the rain, on come the people, and every
place is in full blast again, q succession Of the
scenes of the preceding night are re-cnacted, the
rain is pouring down In torrents and general
movement is made for home. " Rambler, NOT
relishing the company and conveyance Of the
preceding day, determined to secure better
seat and better company, and accordinglya toll
cradle fair looking omnibus-the best at the place
was selected and a seat secured by paying u
cents over the usual fare. Three ladies were pas
sengers, which thought was sufficient guaran-
tee against n repetition of my experience Of the
J preceding day. My object was to meet the $3.50
J P. NJ, train, from Milford to Wilmington, conse
quently we lett the beach with Its attractions al
o'clock, p. NJ, giving us three and a half hour
! and distance of seven miles to the depot. But
alas for human expectations, the driver wal
! drunk, and from the start commenced our trou
! bles. Our Jehu could not pass the shanty No. 2
| on the beach, without taking smile" and thu
, "buss'' was stopped and left standing In tn,
/ pouring rain while the driver and a friend h,
called Jeii," went into the dram shop, and pre-
scntly the noise of chairs and tables being over
turned saluted our ears. Blow after blow re
sounded from the grog shop, and soon the drive
!. and Jeif'' was srtn emerging out Of the door
while "Jrii'' vigorously piled his hard bon.
knucklcs into THE face of some unfortunate on
In the inside. Coats and vests were dotted ant
certain movements made disclosing the fact thu
''Jctf' had dirk about him. The grog shop wa
entered again by the victorious driver and JEFF
and possession taken of the place. Mutual con
cessions being then matlc each side, the fraca
ended, and after nearly an hours delay In TIL