Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-07-19
Letter from Martha's Vineyard,
IooRREsFoSDENcr OF THE DAILY 'srT. ]
OAK BLUFFS,

YAK
Martha's Vineyard, July Is.
This summer village by the sea is really very
unique and fairy-like affair. The light, airy cot
tages of which it is constructed, and which are
met on every hand as you promenade these Gu
rious avenues, circular, serpentine or direct in
their lines, through the oak groves or on the
open bluff, pretty, dainty little birds nests of
cottages struggled among this low trees, with
tasteful beds of flowers, shell or pebble walks
in fancy colors, rustic flower baskets and stands
for flowers, rustic seats built on to- or between
the trees in 'front.' added to the diversity Of styles
with which the cottages are built, and the varied
colors with which they are painted, and the diff
fering lights and shades in which they are seen,
give to the whole scene pieturesqeness that
cannot be paralleled by any thing to be seen in
the vicinity of Worcester.
And still the view is more curious on warm
evening, when every cottage is lighted, and the
wide front doors, which open directly into the
principal room, are thrown wide open, and the
jewellers therein are sitting around the doors or
on the broad platforms or piazzas in front, or
on the balconies of the second story above, for
the arrangements of the cottages and the dis
positions Of the cotters are such that to be con-
stantly on exhibition seems to be one of the
chief purposes of the whole affair, and on gala
nights, when the fancy colored Chinese lanterns
are hung among the trees, the sights are really
enchanting, and Alladin's lamp seems to have
transported you to fairyland
Some of these cottages are small and plain,
say ten by fifteen feet on the ground, with two
rooms on the floor and two more in the steep
roof, and perhaps box outside called cook
house. Others are larger, with four or five
rooms on the floor of larger size, and as many
more in the half story and roof above. All are
built in the balloon style, with small light silS
laid on posts or blocks without underpinning
or cellars, boarded upright with planed matched
boards nailed to the sills, and upper floor girts
and roof plates, small four by four post in
the corners, but without girts or studs, and
with single board floors There is no inside
finish, except to paint the joists and boards,
and in the nicer ones tints and bright colors in
corner stripes give very tasteful effect OF
course nothing very confidential or
private can be said or done in
such structures, for whisper in the
remotest corner is almost heard through
the whole house and neighborhood like proc
lamation from the house tops.
The internal arrangements of most of them is
much like that of the tents. No space is wasted
in entries, passage ways or closets. Wide front
doors open into the front room-may be the par
lor, sitting room or bedroom. Wide pointed
arches cut through the partition, with drapery
curtains, take the place Of doors; and the cook
ing is done outside In the better or more
modern (think Of the word modern as applied
comparatively to buildings in city four years
old) there are passage ways, closets and kitch-
ems under the same roof, and some of the very
latest are building small cellars, and cement
pipe chimneys for sitting room stoves for cool
weather. For water, iron pipes with pointed
end and perforations near the end, are driven
into the sand twenty or thirty feet, according TO
the elevation, till water is reached. An iron
pump lie screwed on at the top, and the well is
complete, yielding plenty of the best water.
The outside of the cottages are ornamented
with sawed work, brackets, vines and scrolls,
painted tastefully in parti colors, bright and
pretty. The gothic is the prevailing style, as it
is the most readily and cheaply built, and seems
the most appropriate; but some are building
with Mansard roofs, which look on their
slight cottages very clumsy and ugly. Some
are built in English cottage and Swiss styles,
and indeed there is beginning to be great vari-
ETY. and mixedness Of styles that would puzzle
an architect 10 designate.
The Oak Bluff company are this season
h,,iI n mr. 10 or
very different and curious ARCHITECTURAL designs,
for the evident purpose of giving variety to the
view and to furnish patterns to brook and
change the prevailing gothic monotony.
Among the nicer cottages here are those of
our townsmen, Charles Washburn, in the grove,
and c. B. Metcalf, of the Highland school, on
the most prominent point of the bluff, the
finest and most valuable site of the whole,
fronting as it does Ocean park, in full sight of
the landing, and all the sweep of ocean view.
Mr.. Blood, of Fitchburg, the enteprsing rail-
road manager, is building nice and unique
cottage on Narragansett avenue, near the beach,
and other Fitchburg men are building close by.
Better and more expensive cottages are put up
year by year, and soon many will be substantial
and comfortable enough for winter residences
some families, indeed, did spend last winter
here, and more will this; and soon this will, to
some extent, become village with permanent
residents. 1t lies in the township of Edgarton,
which is very glad to enjoy the benefit of taxing
the property here, without expanding anything
for improvement or the public good, ex-
cept to keep a small police force here
in camp meeting time. Soon there
will be movement for separate
town organization, in order that the taxes as
sessed may he invested in local improvement.
The Methodist beginning and continuing infu-
ence guarantees quiet sobriety to the whole
place, aud tends to keep away the rough and
vicious; good order always prevails, and all feel
a sense of security and quiet that can hardly
be found in any other watering place. Inside
the camp ground the Methodist influence and
| power is supreme, and is felt by contact in this
village, but it has not that supremacy outside
the gates, where are gentiles, indeed, but hardly
the sinners or none of the devils that are usual
ly found outside the gates of great congrega-
tons.
Meetings are held every Sunday in one of the
"society tents" The big pavilion tent under
| which the preaching services OF the meeting is
held is not yet spread. Conference and class
meetings are held nearly every evening, and as
the population increases day by day, SO do the
meetings increase in interest and enthusiasm.
Worcester people daily arrive. So many come
that Through cars" are provided for passen-
gers and baggage, and Worcester people so
abound that one feels at home here, and not at
all IKE stranger, in this strange land.
The CASKER WORMS AND PRINTERS INK
In response to our desire that those who had
tried the new remedy for the canker worm
should state their experience in lis use, Mr.. S.
b. Poland of Milbury has called upon us to saw
that he has saved his trees this spring by the use
of printers ink. He is most enthusiastic in
praise of the article, and states that he has CON.
verted the whole Deighborhood to the belief in