The New York herald., 1874-08-20
s@The Cottage City'' OF
America.
The GREAT CAMP MEETING GROUND
How Enterprise and Taste De-
velop Beauty.
A NEW WATERING PLACE.

! than that, 1t was lucky thing the other
| day the vessels OF the New York Yacht
| Squadron left the anchorage here in time for
there promised to be as lively gale as ever landed
craft high and dry upon beach There is no CON-
fort In such transfer and it often leads to ncon-
venience. But the yachts are gone, ana the waves
| having nothing else to thump against are pound
| ing away merriy on the shore. Leaving the
| white-crested operators to amuse themselves we
| will take @ quiet sagnter through the camp
| grounds and see what changes time has wrought
In this charming little city OF cottages, and snoud
pretty girl chance to pass our way we win bow
our heads in thoughtiulness, for the great camp
meeting is at hand. But the truth is there are so
many tiny dwellings ut every turn, savorlng OF
romance and good board, however unpoeticai the
combination, that it will be task OF some moment
to divert the imagination, since we can hardly
help assocating with these fairy homes the pres
ence OF beauty within. Yet so long as the fair
creatures
TICKLE THE PIANO
with tantazipg tenderness ponder at the win
dow with dreamy fondness on Tyndalrs lectures
on 'IAght" for instance, or indulge in that inno-
cent chatter of which boundlcss charity and afiec
| ton are olteptlmes the nobest elements ! may,
perhaps be enabled to present to you little pic
ture OF the place, its surroundings and general
! eatures. Well, then. to come to hard facts and
figures and it requires an effort. Martha's Vine
! yard Ii an island some twenty miles in length,
with an average width Of about five miles. 1t is
| surrounded by the Vineyard Sound on the west,
while on the other side the Atlantic rols upon the
| beach. A word or two about the origin Of the
camp meetings here, for, after all, they are the
source though indirectly, from which all the pres
! emf popularity Of Oak BUNS flows.
! A GLANCE BACKWARD.
| Some forty years ago, according to the tradi-
,oinr <lsnt,
| from Edgartown proceeded to shady spot on the
northeasterly part Of the island, which was soon
| after known as wesleyan Grove" Here, in q
! somewhat primitive style, commenced the
| first of those annual assemblages which have
/ since assumed such vast proportions Every
! succeeding year brought larger attendance.
! Among other features were the experiences de-
| livered orally, OF reformed inebriates, which
| cited the admiration of thoughtful audiences.
Family tents increased in umber, and as early as
1s4s the Martha's Vineyard camp meeting became
well-established institution for the diffusion Of
religious sentiment as well as atrordlng an oppor
tunity Of recreation, especially for thoss who
came from large cities. high board fence was
placed around the grounds, outside OF which sew
| eral handsome cottages began to appear, well
as In the vicinity OF the BLUFFS. And now the lame
of The vineyard as watering place soon spread
abroad, and people not particularly OF pious
turn picked up stray lots and commenced to build
the most fascinating OF summer homes. The Camp
Meeting Association, not adversely inclined to
make an honest penny, entered into negotiations
this camp should be disposed Of for building pur.
and VIA Hva rapidly P sf cottages
you entered the camp ground in
SACKCLOrH AND ASHES,
with cooking utensils and hight stock generally. :
Nowadays hover in your button hole and big
vase are lndispensaby necessary for the transient
guest, who. like the prodlgal son, may have. o
tnh Inh hiQ hn rity In
provided, OF course that his purse IS sufficient tly
iong-lor they say, indeed, that butchers affirm
love another. At all events, Oak Blafs, within a
few years past has assumed al the proportions
is reason to believe that SO ar IS Rhode islanders
and New England people are concerned, 1t pos
sesses cnarms whch they seem iIiy TO appreCate @
timely purchases OF property in the vicinity
of the Bluffs, have done wonders in the
way Ol Improvement. From comparative will
derness they have made q beautiful little city,
which now stands monument to the industry
enterprise and ability OF those who worked
Planned and carried out the original icea OF con-
verting the island into one OF the leading summer
ing people, Iuly recognizing this fact and the
progress already made, have become much more
IN their san os ESev ns h
come so accommodating as to postpone their an
nual exercises for week or more in order tt
prove the attraction when the season begins II
wane. But the Vineyard has IT'S charms ever
should the camp meeting be held elsewhere.
: There are beautiful little parks and avenues b.
the scores, with names sufficiently aristocratc 81
Concrete drives and promenades have been laid i,
all directions. while plank walks @ run IN for % mile
Of gallants and gushing maldens who patroniz
the Lovers Walk" there is reason to Dellev
that Cup.d is not adverse TO the ,minging Q
prayer with sentimental petitions. But the cot
G tages, these are the features and ramble as yo
y will the ivelong day one is at q loss to knoy
which Of them to admire most Imagine yourse
wherever fancy leads you and there are tn
q dwellings, OF the place before your eyes. From tn
). SWISS cottage to the Chinese pagoda, and fror
the quaint castles on the Rhine to the noble OIL
mansions on the RlaltO, every style OF architectur
+ IN miniature Is well represented. TO be sure
. would be strange II where SO much good taste
e displayed there were not here and there some ev
K dences OF eccentrcity; but altogether neater o
= it would be hard to find. Several distinguishe
v Bostonians among the residents while tn
s visitors include many people from the Middle an
" western States. '-- :. 9l"s+NF
4 TIE HOTELS.
/. A lew years ago it would have been task {
a some difficulty Tor the stranger arriving in til
# evening TO find decent hotel accommodation
/ especially during camp meeting week. Now ther
are hotels in abundance and scores OF eatln
houses. Most of these institutions, however, ar
on the 'Cheap John" system, where you pay 10
more than you get and lose on the quality OF tn
q goods AS the Vineyard begins TO assume th
, proportions ana acquire the reputation of a iavol
= ite summer resort. so lew or the hoteis-one
lt observation-disclosures extensive not only in stru'
8 Jure but In demands. The trouble Is, however
y that, while the proprietors of these pretentiou
eOluCeS eIiucuNOI W ape thCll CcSA ucducu du
1t wel-established brethren in Saratoga and Lon
(, Branch IN point OF tone and most assurcdiy
e point Of price, they fall far short OF every idea
e comfort, thinking, doubtless that the religion
d element In their guests being so strong the
l. have little time ior reflection on the solids Of tn
l. earth.
20 THE EUROPEAN PLAN.
l. Now it is but Just TO say that some OF the thing
e imported from Europe have proved OF service 1
,s this country: but am decidedly OF opinion tha
4 the European plan, as worked at Oak Bluff
ID ought to have been taxed so heavily that tn
owner or owners OF the patent would never hav
disposed OF IT, especially In the vicinity Of tn
camp ground. Ii was unlntenttonaly that hear
an interesting conversation between two OF thos
g. sable young gentlemen who, with wisp broom
!, hand, can see speck on your coat collar, whel
m microscope would be OF no avail
n .Hes the bi0odedest man eva Seed he is.
|. ''Whos de bloodedest man. George :" asked h
- friend in mourning. "Why dat yer ella' ju
3. gwtne out. When he come out from dinner 'whi
ago ne cussed awful he did. he says, says h
N frtnn Af ha