The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-08-30
EAST HAMPTON.


EAST HAMPTON.
What is there at East Hampton that you
prefer it to all other places for Summering ?
This question has been asked me many
times in the last seven or eight years and
for all have the same answers. Pure air,
bathing as good as any on the coast, except
Cape May, no mosquitoes, good food, cook
ed as our grandmothers cooked it, the
society of sensible, cultured people, who
go there for recreation not dissipation,
moderate prices, and last, but not least, to
the tired worker, perfect rest. Although
dependent on the sea breeze for cooling the
air, it comes to you, not damp from fog
banks, but tempered by mile of green
fields, and reaches you, not as you sit on a
hotel porch, blistered by the sun, but under
shady trees, lolling in glorious Incidence on
green grass.
1t has no railroads and no big hotels.
Stage from either Sag Harbor or Bridge
Hampton is the mode of travel, and the
private houses of the village give you
accommodations. Turning into the village
from the common public road, you find
yourself in the only street, hundred and
fifty or two hundred feet wide, lined with
elms, willows and horse chestnuts on either
side, through the green grass, the growth
of moro than two hundred years, three
tracks are made for vehicles, and sidewalks
of clay, mixed with the sand of the sea
shore, make hard and smooth footways.
The houses are all built of wood and COW
cred, sides as we'll as roof, with shingles.
Some of them, the aristocratic mansion of
former century, have the old fashion
ed hip-roofs, the progenitor of the mod
ern Mansard, and the peak-edgabled en-
trance way extending to the street. -
Summer visitors have made long porches
necessity, but with this exception
the most of the houses are hard square
boxes, and on the outside cheerless
and unattractive to the last degree. Flow
ers are rarely seen, and such as are Guilt
waited are the sweet pea, lady slipper, mary
gold, and burgamOt Of our great grand
mothers. The villagers nearly all own
beside. They are shrewd, intelligent,
sober, industrious, frugal, upright people,
always ready to turn an honest penny, and
develop the characteristics of the New Eng
Dutchman; indeed East Hampton was
once part Of Connecticut and long resist
ed the pretensions of New York.
The striking feature of the place and
people is their primitive simplicity. The
yearly increasing crowd of summer visi-
tors have made many innovations, but tai
low candles, rag carpets, corded bedsteads
were the rule when went fl. st to the village
eight years ago, nor are they entirely dis
cardcd yet. The inhabited part of the
town is about a mile long and at each end
of it there is windmill and grave yard.
My knowledge of windmills was derived
from Don Quixote and picture, and were
associated with the fifteenth century,
Judge then of my surprise when l saw this
relic Of the past in the great State of New
York. Now l don't mean by windmills,
the perky modern fly wheels, which coun-
try gentlemen have to draw water, but the
regular old thing of the day of Cervantes,
with its tremendous sweeps reaching
nearly to the ground, upon which the can
vass sails are spread when in operation,
and clewed up when not in motion. These
quaint structures are octagon shaped,
about twenty-five feet in diameter at the
base and taper gracefully upward. The
top revolves so that the sweeps may be set
to catch the wind, come from what quar-
ter it may. Day after day these odd old
contrivances are to me an endless source
of delight;-I presume the fancy arises
from reading Don Quixote when mere
child, but always think of them as living,
sentient beings, great giants tossing their
double arms into the air, challenging hui
mainly to combat; and it takes only lit
tie stretch of the imagination to build a
chateau in Spain, and stretched on its
ample veranda, watch the old Don charg-
ing up CALAMITY lance in hand.
The grave yards of East Hampton though
not so old as some in Connecticut and Mas
sachutts still date back to 1896. This is
the Oldest tombstone, but it is certain that
many interments were made prior to that
time.
The stone of that date marks the grave
of Mr.. Thomas James, the first settled
minister of East Hampton. So conscien-
tious had been his discharge of duty and
to form his faith in the doctrine of the
resurrection of the body, that he was bur-
led, at his own request, with his feet to
the West, so that ON the great judgment
morn he might rise in the faces of his con-
gregation. The stone is in the quaint old
lettering of that day, but l fear you have
no type which can faithfully reproduce it.
1t reads as follows: