The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-18

K
Wind and N Heavy Fall In the Mercury
Fir,t Notes OF the Winters WOrk-A General
UphenvaI, both ON Land and Water-And
UJvrr- Other seaside Matters.
Hror. Our Otsn Correspondent
CAPB MAY CITY, n. j., April 16, 1870.
with the thermometer standing, at o'clock
vssteI day afternoon, at "a degrees in the shade,
your correspondents orders to repair to the sea-
side on the nrst train were received with COM
mendable degree of good grace. In fact, the
noon-tide of Friday was worthy OF July day,
and the contemplation of flying trip to cooler
and breezsr climate was by no means depress-
ing. The train that left the Camden depot of
the West Jersey railroad on that unreasonable
afternoon presented a scene of bustling activity
that assisted materially in maintaining the delu-
sion of a midsummer day in the early spring
time. Taking time by the forelock to the extent
of half hour did not avail to secure seat on
the shady side, and, although the greater num-
b,r of the passengers dropped out by the way,
q )od number kept to their seats until the end OF
the journey.
Aud here in passing it will not be out OF
place to note the material benefits which the
network of railway lines known under the COM
prehensive title of the West Jersey Railroad has
conferred upon the section of country through
which it extends. Before the completion of the
was terra incognita, sort of ultima thule, into
which no one ventured save one who was native
and to the manor born. 1t was dreary place
to 20 to, a cheerful place to leave when once
Won bad made your way there. The West Jer-
Sc Railroad has changed all this by opening up
the country to the outside world. During the
summer months there is an immense through
traye, but this, large as it is, ia but oneseventh
O. the passenger traffic of the year. which is
co 1stantly increasing at the rate of about ten
per cent. per aRnum. The result of the opening
of the road has been a perceptible improvement
of this entire section of the State, and South
Jersey farmer is no longer, as he used to be,
weighed down by poverty in proportion to the
number of his acres. During the winter the
railroad company has been busily engaged in
putting its roads and rolling stock in trim for
the approaching season. To accommodate the
anticipated increase in travel a large number of
elegant and comfortable passenger cars have
been built expressly for the through summer
traffic, while large portion of the road has
been ballastea, and preparations made to relay
q portion of the track with steel rails. An i'm
pertant improvement, at an outlay of about
$125000 has been made at the crossing of Man
tua creek, where three miles of new roadway
have been constructed to straighten the line,
and a substantial stone bridge to replace the
old wooden one. The indications at present are
that tue Cape May travel over the road during
the coming season will be largely in excess of
that of all previous years. Already special
excursion trains for thirty-fve days have been
engaged and additions are being made every
day to the list.
One of the most noticeable engagements thus
far effected is that of Colonel Lattas regiment,
the Grey Reserves, who will pack up their traps
for Cape May on the 18th of July, and remain
in camp there ten days. The encampment of
the Grey Reserves last summer was a signal
success as all who were on hand at the time will
remember. Although there is no present pros
pect that the 'boys" will be complimented dur
ing the approaching encampment with two or
three reviews by his Excelency, the commander
in-chief of the armies and naves of the republic,
and the opportunity to receive their old COM
mander with cheers" they will have good
time and merry one, and the island will be all
the more attractive for their sojourn upon it.
And just as the Grey Reserves are about folding
their tents to steal away to the sultry city, the
Fifth Maryland Militia, which is regarded by all
Baltimore as most emphatically ''crack" regi-
ment, will storm the island, and entrench them
selves upon it for a week or so. l trust that
the commanding officers of the two regiments
will manage matters so that the Marylanders
may arrive day or two before the Philadel-
phians depart. The ''troops" from both cities
would enjoy themselves all the more through a
friendly tilt at dress paradiDg and light-fantastc
toe-ing.
But, to return from this depression, before we
reached the proximity of the sea yesterday,
there was a noticeable change in the weather.
When the train drew up in the depot on the
island, the wind, to use an expressive term, was
on high horse and in frolicksome mood. But
despite the time of the year, and the bluster of
the sea breezes, the depot was fairly crowded.
All the winter denzens of the town had turned
out to enjoy the daily sensation of the arrival ol
the train, and by superhuous hustle, inspired
by the keen wind from Eeaward, the grand stir
of midsummer eve was measurably repro
duced. 1t was quite as much as one could do to
work ones way through the jostling crewd-a
crowd that in one respect presented such a
startling and painful contrast to that assemblage
which makes one's entrance into the town at the
height of the season such a serious and perplex.
ing matter. Not woman was to be seen, save
the few who had alighted from the train. There
was no dazzling array of sparkling eyes and
marbed shoulders no musical clatter of brisk
womanly tongues, no eager and tender embraces
no rustic of silks and swapping of steel spring
in all that jam and jostle.
But the Jolly sea-breeze made ample amend
for all that was lacking. Itveered and it shifted
and took one sharply under the ear, like rougl
fellow who entertained grudge against you
1t pierced ones spring overcoat and worke
and worried its boisterous way int
the very marrsw of ones bones, and then ga.