The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1868-09-09
FAST LIFE AT SARATOGA.
ITS GANRLTNG PALACES.
SARATOGA, August 10, 1868.

SARATOGA, August 10, 1868.
Dropped in the center of an undulat.
ing plain, well fringed with shade trees,
and the axle of a charming landscape,
Saratoga, Of ITSELF would attract the at
tention Of Il wcariod slipper Of city friv-
olities. A majority OF the natives arc
plain, industrious countrymen, who in
tone psalm and say grace before break
fast. The minority are tinged with
metropolitan vices, and gaze at the year
ly throng Of visitors with an itching
palm, viewing them in the same light
that a backwoodsman scans a pigeon
roost--so many fat birds to be clubbed
and plGcked without delay. Virtue and
morality hover over the little village for
nine months in the year, and are then
driven of by the flap of the gilded
wings ofvice and pleasure. During the
winter. the natives rest in a dead quiet.
ude, like bears in hollow tre' S About
the latter part of May they awake from
their long sleep, and wash themselves.
Gardens are raked, shade trees are
trimmed, thousand paint brushes trav-
el over the boarding-houses and hotels,
and everybody overhauls his wardrobe
in anticipation Of the yearly northern
migration of fashionable swallows
While the Lolands are seated in the
Metropolitan Hotel in your city, laying
out their plans for the summer campaign
at this point, the Saratogians are whirl'
iag their gripdstones and sharpening
their knives in preparation for the re-
cepion Of their guests. These natives
worry Yorker worse than sand fcas in
Florida, worse than WOOD ticks in Vir-
ginia, and worse than musketos in New
Jersey.
The opportunities OF an Arab for
buckshccsh are capped by the icy
checked demands Of native Saratogian.
A genuine native will take dollar for "a
glass Of Congress water and thank you
without hinching If you rub against
hack, It's proprietor will demand three
dollars, and should you smell of a ban,
ana or an orange, you are gone unless
you have supply Of small change
One word Of advice to those visiting
Saratoga Before leaving New York
20 TO brokers' ard secure 1000 tcn.
cent stamps (these for the Congress
water boys, 500 quartcr-stamps (those
Tor New York papers, boot blacks and
cigars), 25O fifty>cent stamps, (these for
waters, Auut Sally mon, bows and ar
rows, ten-pins, billiards, aud wisp pro-
tessioDals), 100 dollar bills, (these for
chambermaids, ncckties, BARRIERS. etc.,
and five 20 dollar bills for wine, hack
hire, etc. Modest gentleman will need
this supply. But, writing seriously,
everything is as cheap and even cheaper
here than in New York city, if one dog
gcdly stands upon his rights aud gives
the sharpers the idea that he has travel
ed. Good board at the Union Hotel
one Of the finest in the city can be Sc
cured at S25 per week. There is no
lack of accommodations. The table
surpasses even the spread in New York.
And, singular as it may seem, there are
more hotels in Saratoga than either
Boston Or Philadelphia. People thro'.
out the country generally have an idea
that there are but four or five hotels in
this place. In point of fact there are
81. Even these are insufficient for a
floating population of from $4,000 to
10000, and the Union, when boiling
over, has a reserve Of II cottages for the
accommodation of its guests.
Saratoga should be pious village.
The town is running over with ministers.
There are q at ;e hotel. They are
designated as the pious brigade. AS a
rule their hotel bills are paid by wealthy
parishioners. The venerable DIR. Gard
ncr Spring is stopping at the Union
Father lialsh, OF Philadelphia, and Fa-
ther Gleason, OF Brooklyn, are also here.
Another point, Saratoga is alive with
brides and bridegrooms. At Leland s
hop, on Saturday evening, | counted 81,
They are easily distinguishable, having
peculiarly sheepish expressions of coun-
tenance, and hanging on each others
arms with the graceful languidness mar
king the droop of a weeping willow
Harbeck, the great shipping merchant
Of New York, is at the Union. The
parlors aud balconies of the hotels are
bright with the rich dresses OF 5000
ladies. More money is wasted here on
silks aud laces than on horse races. A
well known diamond merchant estimates
the value Of the precious stones worn at
Saratoga at the present time, at over
S4,5OO,OOO, and groups them as follows
500 goo at Congress Hall, $4,000
at Leland's Union, $350,O00 at the
Clarendon, 100000 at the American
and the remainder at varioas hotels and
cottages. Diamonds are really as plen,
tiiul as frcAies on a soft Jaly night 81
| much for gossip,