New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-16
OPEN AIR DEvOTIONS.


OAK BLUFFS, Aug. 13.-ln years gone by,
when this oak-covered point was chosen by Tue "o,
odiss as a place where they could withdra" from us
turidng world for while It was indeeu pheriuAeo
get here. Family and baggage anu furniture We"
landed unon n crazy little wharf about mile rom tho
camp ground. 1t then. as now harup "oie
than a high bluff on which the grass vainly urea
TO cover the sand. but where groves Oh shafieu'
spreadipg oaks somehow thriyed we'll rousn
preacbers' stand was the center, ana ar"unu w.
ON radating and encrcling streets were the 'ehlS "
were oceupied during "camp meeting week. here the
members OF the church gathered from all parts OIL 'no
country and at first staid little longer than the time OF
the meeting. But It found to be so pleasant Win
attractions of fishing. bathing, sailing whoa are N
nored during the period Of worahp' that they were
tempted 10 come earlier and stay later tbs required
more preparation and better lodgings. So the pretty
little cottages almost like baby houses, were built Its
name and fame spread, and more people came every
year. and hotels sprang up outside and inside the grounds
10 accommodate the tentIess Now there is q yearly
gathering OF from 10000 to $1,000 poo
pie. The first and main object was
to withdraw the world. but the world has followed
and helped build city of thousand dwellings,
with hotels churches, stcres horse railroad stables,
and land companies, and even race course steam
boats touch at the piers nearly every hour Instead OF
riding some distance over road deep with sand, well
paved road leads 10 gate but does not enter Inside
the grounds much OF the old simplicity remalns' Inc
great church tents, which will accommodate almost
whole congregation, still stand in circle around the
meeting place Scattered around among the cottages
nearly eauang them In number, are many less pre-
tentious tents commodous pulpit has been erected
in place of the rougher stand. and huge spread OF
canvas shelters who listen under the shade oil the
trees. .
There are now 800 buildings on the camp-ground
including about cottages and 800 small tents
the rest being divided church and boarding tents
and few hotels and The ground covered Is 10
acres 25 acres OF which are they settled Every year
the number Of cottages Increases ana they are ouI
larger and better As they increase, the tents disappear
A horse railroad winds around among them giving easy
communication with the boats and dhereht parts OF inc
ground Many OF cottages in spite or their little
ness are very pretty That OF j. T. CLARK Oh foVluehce
looks like miniature crystal palace Among INC others
| that are pointed out TO the stranger are those
| Of DIR. smith Of Brooklyn, Senator sprague
| OF Providence, Mrs Rolf and Mrs. French oil
| New.York, and John s. Damrel OF Boston. Tho
maturity are built with stngroom In front with wide
doors upon the street. that they seem almost ike
a row of nicely furnished alcoves Here the occupants
sit during the day and evening seeing ana oehg seem
Although the regular services do not Degn iOr nearly
two weeks most cottages and tents are occupied
Some people came early in June, making a regular
ace season of it. This year. instead Of begin
ming the services about the middle Of the month"; they
were postponed until August g. The reason gwen ior
this is that the backward causing many per-
sons to delay their visit. Most OF them would leave
immediately at the close OF the proceedings So
! # the time had not been delayed, their
| visits would have been much shortened. Perhaps
also the of outside persons such as man
ayers of hotels and railroads, have had some elect 80
| the campground has not put on a strict religious
| decorum yet. Few Of the leading ministers nave
arrived and beyond occasional prayermeeting, no
religious services are held in the big tent The croquet
PLAYERS rest under it and visitors eat their luhches
there At present the chief employment outside oil the
| few household duties, seems 10 he croquet playing
bathing and singing varied with visits to the pier when
the boats in, and walks on the biuh In the even
ing there IS singing in many OF the cottages not
always psalm yet which often draws te neigh
bors around did the excellent performance OF quar-
tete night before last the cottage OF a. d. Hatch OF
NewBedford All this axity will cease on tho 25th and
seryces three times day at the big tent, with prayer
meetings in the church tents, VIII occupy most OF tine
time for the succeeding week The great day VIII be on
Sunday the st On this day there always the great
est crowd 1t is estimated by some that 5000 people
have been here on Sunday Of "camp-meeting week.
After that the wanes and the season soon comes
to a close.
THE GRNTILEs AND THE GENTLE SETTLEMENT.
| The camp ground is now almost entirely ctcled by
what is sometimes called the Gentle settlement As
the camp-meetng grew in popular estimation the sur
rounding land bought up and is now mostly in the
laid out and improved by the Oak Bluffs Company Blk
wears ago the first cottage outside the limits was built
by James Elemar OF Providence and the next one by
E. p CARPENTER Of FOxbOrO, the President OF the Com
pany The lots sold first at 500, now Tor $25O
Now there are about 400 cottages larger and finer gem
| orally than those on tho camp ground, cost
| ing on an about 5000. Among the
| chief occupants are ex-Gov. Claiin Of Newton
| Mass John NJ. Crane and c. C. Hne Of New-York, H.
A. Blood of Fitchburg Dr. H. A. Tucker OF Brooklyn, O.
b. Erwin OF NewB Britain, Conn, and William and Theo
| dore Tllinghast of New-Bedford. A fine octagonal
church has been built by the Company and visitors
together in which services held during the Summer
any minister any creed being acceptable in the pulpit
The difficulties of travel the sand now avoided by
roads and walks OF concrete -Four more good hotels
furnish accommodation for strangers, among which are
| the Sea View House, and Grove and Pawnee
Houses The Sea View is the chief built two
| years ago by the Company, ana now the
some modern house capable of taking Of 800 people,
and been full since early I'm July Elevators, gas
hrst place. Twice week, on Wednesday and Saturday
evenings, hops are given During the day Thomas
Gustins band play here Being built close TO the pier
with the continually dashing against its founda
settlement ana all day long and late INTO the evening
the broad balcony is crowded. broad plank walk ex-
tends along the bluff for mile.
In other directions the land has not been much
built upon The Vineyard Grove Company have laid'
been erected in the grove just beyond Lake Anthony
shallow. weedy little pond though little else In the way
j. 3. Atwood OF Brooklyn have built here. The Twin
Cottages" their houses called Isaac Kch late Of
Boston, began fine residence. but died before 1T
finished. The horse railroad was built by this
| company, and connects with their pier. The two
| piers are only few hundred feet from each
| other, and at tho upper pier is the Highland
House, which has been full OF guests since the
season opened Great expectations held as TO the
future of this place gentleman asserting that Ia TO
be future watering place OF America IL has all the
but two-surfbathing and good drives. At
beach here there no surf at all though the warmth
| of the water is said TO balance that deficiency The
roads all over island sandy for good driving
The fishing and sailing better than at most other
nIaces Excursions Gay Head Nantucket, and Peni-