Smyrna times., 1873-07-30
what "a Smyrnian Knows AbOat Clam
Rakxes.
Rocky POINT, r. T., July 1873.

Rocky POINT, R. l., July 1878.
E1 Sp,uRe Times This morning with
friend, formerly Delawarean, left Fall
River, Mass, aud taking the cars to Warren
and Bristol r. l., after an hours X. IL. ride,
we stepped on board the little steamer
Cononicus and steamed gaiy up and across
the Narragansett Bay and in another houI
arrived at one of the most celebrated am
delightful summer resorts to De !ounu any
where in New England-ROcky Point' mere
we found from 1000 to 5000 persons eXcuT-
sionists from Fall River, Providehce' Nortn
Easton. Bristol Newport and other places.
Tho Point is Is miles above Newport, being
about midway between that most celebrated
sea side and Providence. 1t is owned and
run by the American Steamboat Co., who
emnloy from six to eight steamers during the
season for the purpose of giving excursions
These steamers arrive about every two hours
from some of the points which have already
named with from 100 to 200 persons, thus
giving the excurslonlsts from four 10 SIX h0urs
on the Point" The American Steamboat
Co. have exercised great ingenuity and much
commendable energy in supplying to the
visitors at the place, entertainment and COM
fort. 10 begin with the enumeration, there IS
upon the rocky bluff a ccmmodious hotel with
capacity for $50 boarders, having dining hall
which actually seats 1900 persons at one time
and furnishes the table with perfect abun-
dance; a restaurant furnishing ice creams,
lemonade soda water, confectionery, &c; a
riding gallery for children, furnished with
twenty-four rocking horses, such as are used
by children of the age of from to II years.
The horses are firmly fixed upon revolving
circular platform, one hundred feet in circum
ference, and is driven by steam and so arranged
as to put the horses in a ''canter" when IN
motion. The whole grounds OF seventy acres
are wild with rock (grante and conglOmerite
chiefly and hill and grOtto, beautifully shaded
with large and wide spreading trees and
literally filed with curious and novel objects
of interest to the visitor. Among these may
be mentioned an enormous cage, hundred
feet in circumference by twenty feet in height,
containing about fifty monkeys OF all sizes and
conditions whose antics give abundant amuse
ment to the many children gathered, as well as
to many of larger growth; huge black bear
chained in a small apartment with ground
floor. The bear is fond of uncorklng bottled
soda water and devouring the contents as. fast
aS his friends-the visitors-choose to supply
them. He often drinks one hundred bottles
during the day. All through the grounds you
are constantly stumbling upon some curious
thing, until to crown the whole, you come worn
out at o'clock, hungry to the dinner that now
stands ready for 1900 guests. And such
DINNER clans baked, CLAIMS chowdered, clans
tried, brown bread, white bread, blne hsh,
fresh mackerel, and soup fish constitute the
repast the baked clans are served up in the
shell smoking hot from the ''clam hake." Did
you ever see a Rhode Island CLAN Bake p
No? How ] do pity you Well, to know
what it is you must see it. L may be able to
give you some idea of it, but to describe it l
have not the power. To knO,v what it is you
must eat the CLANS A large pile Of good
sized cobbe stones, blazing wood fire until
the stones are thoroughly heated. The charred
wood, embers and ashes are now removed and
the stones leveed somewhat, layer of wet
sca-weed is thrown upon the stones covering
them completely. From fifty to one hundred
tuSheis OF clans are now piled upon the sea
weed and the whole covered with thick, heavy
canvas-old vessel sail-thcn the whole again
covered with sea-weed and the baking
fairly commences In about an hour you have
dish fit to set before king" Do not, L
pray you, my dear Editor, make the mistake
OF supposing these CLAIMS to be what you and
perhaps most of your readers call CLAIMS, or
such as are now sold in the streets of Smyrna
Rhode Island clans are soft shelled as the
muscles found upon the bay shore, and are as
easily opened as a soft shelled almOnd-they
are, think, our mananoses. Our clans are
"QuOhaug." Well, the clans are baked,
large panfuls are set before you and you . go
for en- with both hands, scratch them from
the shell into your plate, pour over them
melted butter, ready at hand, aud revel To your
hearts content in the great Rhode Island
institutiOn-baked clans. Again | say, how |
do pity you if you have never been at a clam
bake And now. my letter is already too
long, and will close by saying that if you
should wish to enjoy one of these bakes, come
10 this point Immediately, as on the 5th day of
Aug, grand Temperance clam bake is to be
had here, in which the whole State, headed by
little Rhody's" Governor have been invited
10 meet in grand council to discuss to their
hearts content the best means of suppressing
the evil of Intemperance and of enforcing by
practical and actual demonstration, the very
best method of eating clans.