The New York herald., 1873-07-11
THE SEASON AT THE BRANCH.
The Summer Capital In FUN Bloom
The Drives and the Bathing-Chnm-
piOn SWimmers-The Preside nti0l
Equipage.

The Summer Capital In Full Bloom
The Drives and the Bathing-Cham-
pion swimmcrs-The Prcsidentiai
Equipage.
LONG BRANCH, July 10. 1873
Long Branch Ia at the very height OF the season.
The races and the Summer heats have brought
prosperity directly TO the doors OF the Summer
capital. Every hotel Is full and the club house ia
brilliant with the rattle Of chips every evening.
The is full Of bathers and the surf breaks in un
usually strong The drive is gay with handsome
equpages and the evenings at the hotels are re-
spendent with the dancers and the promenaders.
THE BATHING
is said to be unusually good and rivalry as to the
swimming championship of the Branch IL
threatened. At present Samuel X. Spencer, Of
the Clarendon Hotel, is admitted to be the best
swimmer there. He weighs about two hum
dred and forty pounds, and is, consequently,
big enough to battle very effectively with
the waves. His admirers call him tho
''merman." young lady bather at the Ocean
Hotel excites great admration by her feats OF div
ing, and Is universally admitted to be the best lady
swimmer at the Branch. She dives and floats aa
easily in the breaking surf as feather in air. Her
bathing suit Is a gray flannel, with broad straw
hat tied under her chin. 1t was impossible to dis.
cover her name, the gossips about the hotel decar-
ing that they themselves d,d not know, and that IL
was not in the wisdom 0i man to recognize In ordi.
nary dress a lady whom they were called to notice
only in bathing costume.
THE EFFECT OF a BATHING COSTUME
on the appearance Is, indeed thing to wonder ati
The most beautiful belle OF the ballroom might find
her admirers flying from her on venturing to ag-
q bather; and the 1.-THE creature whom you see with
lowing hair, bare feet and slender form in
recognition in the stylish being Who emerges from
the bath house, with her hair "done up" her
Polonaise enveioplng an ample shape, enwrapped
M Of draa OR
which the sea alone has no lear and feels no SYM
The races have bereft the Branch OF all life
during the early afternoon hours, when the sporv
is on but about five O'Clock Ocean avenue awakes
ance as
BRILLIANT AND AS GAY
as the great diamond sash Of the Shah OF Persia.
The bathing is over and the piazzas are thronged
with those who want to see the great realistic
descriptions dasd and whiri up and down the
road with merry loads, and equestrians and few
equestriennes galop by: In the train Of carriages
Almost Invariably some OF his family with him
sometimes all OF them; and this is the equipage In
which our democratic Chief Magistrate takes his
quiet ride on Long Branch beach:-A hgh-backed
English carryall holds the distinguished party.
usually and while they lon at ease cigar soothes
and comforts Four sturdy bays, with their silver
mounted harness blazing in the sun prance and
lent driver, who holds the white reins and who
sits o,e erect as black pine on the box
O. pompon in his hat and buttons all over
him. The "tiger'' in similar livery and top
boots sits pacidy by the side Of his superior with
his arms folded and his ''eye skinned.n In this
turnout our democratic President enjoys his daily
rides at the Branch and in one better the first
washington made the tour Of New England in 49,
when he was President and thought visit among
the people might strengthen the ties OF union.
When your correspondent reached the piazza Of
the Presidential cottage to-day old Mr.. Dent, who
Is unable to move about very readily, was sitting
alone on the porch
''D0 you want to see
THE GENERAL ?"
said he; ''sit down. he may be in.'
THANK you"
The polite ,olored servant answered the bell, and
to the question II the President was In replied,
"Nc, sir. The General went out few moments
ago."
The old title which he wore in the army seems to
stick to the hero. He probably prefers 1t to the
more de1erenttal title OF President, and, like the
great Lincoln. feels strong desire at times to
throw over "Mr. President" and be "Abe" again.
On the present occasion the General was taking q
constitutional walk or visiting Babcock possibly;
at any rate he not visible, after wait OF some
time, at Mr.. Dents urgent invitation. The friends
OF the President during the present week are
ally at the races from which he is debarred, not
much by sense OF any etiquette attaching to his
nlgh ONCE as by reason OF his season OF mourning.
Much OF a borseman as he is the deprivation "
doubtless sore one, but he bears 1t very equally