New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-08-31
CONEY ISLAND.

Eight years ago the desoate spitof sand. called for
some inscrutable reason, Coney Island, was compare
lively terra ncoanitd to most of the inhabitants OF
New-York City. There was but one boat making
regular daily trips to IT, then, during the Summer
season and this, indeed. continued to be the case
until the present Summer or the last when two good
sized boats placed upon the line, one OF them
taking the piers Of the North River and the other
| those of the East Within four or five years the
Accommodations for excursiOnists who went down 10
breathe fresh air. plunge into salt water, and return
by evening were very limited; so much So indeed,
that people might often be undressing and dress
ing on the open beach, although even then 10 was
forbidden TO bathers TO into the water IN an en-
trely nude state. For bOardeTs who were compare
lively few in number at the time spoken OF, the ac
cOmOdations then as now, chiefly at the head OF
the island There but three or four houses In the
place however, and of these not one was worthy OF
being termed hotel. Wyckohs was tho one near
est to the beach and asoitarylooking domice was,
looking like card house that the next Whit OF wind
must have blown far inland or far out to sea. But
beyond it lay the wide misty dreamy Atlantic with
mysterious craft of all sorts and sizes floating upon
single S file not far from the shore. striking fore
ground figure often to be seen upon the beach was
old Grandfather WyckOtf 80 years of OF so. ven
cradle with his long, gray flowing Jocks. bent nearly
double, and always leaning upon long stick. And
yet ne was then active about the place, and more
especially among the horses and cattle, as any % the
juvenile descendants of the family; and. what Is
more he is to the good still. centenarian by this
time but still to be moving about the place like
an aged seer sometimes pointing OceanWard with his
weird finger, sometimes occupied with matters con-
corning the stabe-yaTd.
Further away from the beach than this, the place
known as Felter's. the leading hOsterie OF the
island large cOttage-loOking house. completely
empowered among magnificent willow trees IT al
WAYS had an air of snuRnesS about 1t that made IT
more attractive than Wyckofs though persons who
air used TO think that they got II fresher and more
of it at the latter place of entertainment About $40
a week was then the regular price for board and
90 nh
season waxed late, and the demand for rooms had
slackened, accommodations wero 10 be had for less
than that twenty dollars ls now the maximum rate
per week at the chief hotels about this part OF the
island and $l5, or thereabOnts, the minimum. But
things vastly changed here ROW, as further re-
marks on the subject will show.
Boats for Coney Island leave their first pier, for
their first trip of the day, about nine o'clock in the
forenoon. This is the best trip for quiet people who
want to to take down to the point of the Island
For those who desire 10 reach the head of the Island
where the several houses of entertainment are now
cOnglomerated the best plan is 10 over by the
Fulton ferry to BROOKLYN and there take the regular
horse-cars for Coney Island Or thew can take the
cars for Greenwood, whence line Of steam-cars now
rms regularly to the beach. But for him whose OBJ
ect is to explore the strange desolate tract OF sandy
hills the proper thing 10 do is to get by steamboats,
the point, walking thence along the beach and among
the sandridges to the head OF the Island distance
of about three miles. BY taking the early boat one
is less liable TO be ncommoded by crowding. Even
at this early hour, however, great many
people are taken on board from the
succeeding piers at which the boat touches. They
are mixed and motley, somewhat in their classified
ton, and there some among them whom it would
not be easy to class at all The crowd is notas usual
with most pleasure crowds in New-York-veTy much
Of German one. There is touch of that element
in it, though for many of the plethOrc baskets
fully looked after by stoutish ladies in the crowd,
exhale Sweitzer cheese sausage and other powerful
edb les that German be. A small Frenchman, with
pair Of striped bathing drawers sticking out Of his
coat pocket is in terrible state of foam and effer
yescence about something, and lets OFT steam by be-
rating his wife and three small children because of
their not having looked more closely after the frog
basket which was whipped away by some conscience
less purloner while they were waiting on tho pier.
1t is best for the vOyager perhaps to get aboard at
the last pier. because the waiting at the piers
is the least agreeable part of the excursion.
gender in the crowd of passengers, and
they are Of all ages almost, from the nervous old
grandmother to the saucy young miss in short skirts
and even further down the scale TO the pulling infant
in arms. Many of the passengers belong to what is
commonly called the well-todo tradespeople class
the professions merchants in the larger branches
of trade Several weli-oiled and tightly curled men
are almost invariably present on these occasions.
They fashy in their attire. carry gold headed
canes, and are loaded, to their hands and bosoms
with much jewelry of heavy swell sort. These are
gamblers, who are bound TO the beach for the pur-
nifty, who are already there. Possibly there may be
law against doing bit Of black business even
on the beach at Coney Island, but betwo or three
policemen who are on board do not D. any attention
TO such trhing matters and beside these gay young
springalds have not put any OF their deceptive
airs, as yet, The air Is very pleasant out here
ON the harbOr. Thermometer well up in the
eighties when we left the pier. but here on the
water the breeze from seaward Is fresh and
cool, and ordinary Summer clothing is almost
too light TO wear. Along by Bay-Ridge,
which looks lovely with its tufted luxuriant foil
age and so hospitable with the suggestive chmneys
that denote the whereabouts of the villas concealed
among the trees Stopping for a few minutes at Fort
Hamilton, to take few Bay -Ridges on board, and
then down through the Narrows. on the waters OF
on the lookout for her lost or truant brood Now
the scene wdens, Staten Island stretching far away
10 the RIGHT MhIla far adnWn vet Is aean the