West-Jersey pioneer., 1870-05-06
CAPE IsLAN ND.


Cape May City-is just at this time, de-
yeloping an extraordinary amount of ac-
tivity. Over the burnt district, where the
United States Hotel stood a few years ago,
stores are going up and but few vacant lots
are left. The ground alone upon which the
hotel stood, has been sold for nearly a sufi-
cient amount to equal the value of tho en-
tire hotel property as it stood before the
fire. and it will be pleasant information to
the many friends of Mr.. Miller, the former
proprietor, to learn that he will not proba-
bly be a serious loser by the eontlagration
of last fall. large amount of work is
being done on the streets of the city, in WI
dening, straitening, grading, rounding, grav-
elling, shelling, cutting down, raising up,
draiuing, carting and the usual apparent if
not real Generalization attendant upon re-
modelling a city. The porches of some of
the houses are cut of, others are left far
above the present grade, and will need steps
to GET down to the street level. Others
again have the side walks running into the
edges of their parlors, and of course among
the ineommoded ones the approval OF the
action of the city authorities is less than
apathetic On the whole however what is
being done will be of large advantage, and
even the malcontents will in time recognize
the yalueIof the improvements. Numbers
of men have been hard at work during the
winter in making an effort to complete the
new carriage way along the beach, intended
for the accommodation of people from the
city who bring their own horses along, and
desire to use them along the shore at all
times and circumstances of tide. The re-
cent storms have interfered somewhat with
the progress of the work, but its projectors
say that it viii be done in time, so that the
5loods can display alike their horseflesh. and
their driving before the admiring eyes OF
the bellies who may be there to witness
them. The storms of the present spring
have done some damage to the breakwaters
along the shore, but nothing has been wash
ed away of the shore land. The breakwa-
tiers are made by the driving of long cedar
poles into the sand, and filling in behind
them with branches and sand, and month
of energetic labor with the expenditure of a
few thousands of dollars, will place matters
where they were before. The stockton
House. which stands upon the very edge of
the sea, has demonstrated its ability to
stand firmly amid the heaviest storms which
beat upon the coast. It. was somewhat OF
or,1o lar.
icent pile of buildings upon the salt marsh
of the coast but the year which has passed,
has passed without its settling, and its per-
manent safety has now passed beyond the
regions of probability. 1t is understood
that the prospects of the House for good
season are excellent. But the crOwning
feature of the season in the way of i'm
provement is the building of the addition to
Congress Hall'' by Mr.. Cake. This House
has its reputation thoroughly established,
having been compelled for years past to de-
cline the accommodation of numbers who
desired the shelter of its roof, from pure
want of room. Situate as it is upon the
highest ground upon the Island, enclosing
lawn whose generous proportions set all pos
sibilities of rivalry at defiance, surrounded
with beautiful cottages without single un-
attractive feature in all these surroundings,
all these added to the prestige of its being
the house for so many past years where the
dignitaries of the nation have assembled,
leave no room for doubt to its popular pro
prietor, that the addition which he has made
will more than repay its investment. The
cost Of the improvements will not be far
short of $500, 900, which sum has been ex-
pended in manner that viii assure the
higher comfort of the guests. The new
building is so arranged as to face the sea
and the lawn at the same time, and the view
of both is delightful. Graceful balconies
private to each room, while strong and saie,
yet hang like elegant basket work outside
of their windows, and to every three OF
these is large and splendid light, whose
rays will thoroughly illuminate the immense
piazza below. All this is covered and will
at all times afford grand promenade. Mr..
Cake has also engaged one of the best bands
of music in the country for the season, for
the exclusive use of Congress Hall, and this
in addition to the other attractions will
make the. promenade one of the most de-
lightft1l places of the Island. The addition
is two hundred and fifty feet in length, and
contains one hundred and thirty rooms.
This with the two hundred existing before
gives accommodations for one thousand
guests. Large numbers of these rooms are
already taken, and by the middle Of June
there will not probably be an unengaged
room in the house. The cost involved in
running such hotels as Congress Hall is
enormous. In the single article of carpet
ing alone for the new part, five thousand
yards have been required Other furniture
of course must be in proportion, and when
the costly style of living for which provi-
sion must be made is taken into the account,
it will easily be seen that it requires a for
tune every year to run such hotel. The
other proprietors also state that their pros
pects are good, and there is little doubt that
tbe present season will be the most prosper
GUS one ever enjoyed in the place. The
"Grey Reserves''-the celebrated seventh
Regiment" of New York, and other nota-
bilities of the country, have already made
arrangements to spend part of the sum
mer there. Nearly fifty excurslons nave
already been arranged by the railroad ano
everything indicates that Cape May more
beautiful than ever, will be more prosper
GUS than ever before, and in its prosperity
add more largely still to the value OF the
lower section of our State.
CuMHERLANp COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY
The managers of this Society met at tine
Office Of L. Q. C. Elmer, in this city, OF
Monday afternoon last. Preliminary ar
rancements were made for holding the an