The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-14

Camp Meeting Saints Admiring Worldly Work.
Grand and Noble Architectural Ornaments
Of the village-splendors Of Gliding
and Fresco-sermon on the
Christians Regatta"

Lake camp meeting, who had horror Of the ex-
travagance OF Saratoga and an involuntary ad-
miratlon OF Its new splendors They smut up the
Round. Lake camp ground on Saturday nights;
they board In the fold like a menagerie after the
performance. There Is no way to pierce the
sacred precincts on Sunday, and, therefore, do a
few captive spirits slip OF to Saratoga and bask
away the sabbath.
Alas the season Is inauspicious and tardy. Sun
day 10 rained all day. and the mighty hotels were
filed with shivering multitude looking out at
the rain as IL FLASHED ana raved, cooling to the
bone and compelling fuel in the boudoirs, wnere
the ladies sat reading theological tracts or the
latest novel; for few would venture to church,
Notwithstanding many OF the pastors had pre-
pared sermons on the regatta. At the Presbyte-
rian church, on Main street, q sermon was de-
livered on
THE CHRISTIANs REGATTA
toward the heavenly goal He was described as
feathering his oar with precision. turning the
stakeeoat Of life WITH al the resolution OF faith,
coming down the desperate course OF the home
stretch with vigor, fixing his eye on the Heavenly
Referee and taking good care not to initiate the
disciple Judas and break his scull.
The sermons were repeated among the college
boys with mirth ON the verandas and around the
bars, and the Saratoga Rowing Associations quar-
ters on Broadway in a hospitabe parlor were at
tended by few pipe-smOking lads in sunburned
skins, intent upon the concert tomorrow night OF
the Yale Glee Club. On the whole the day was one
of the most miserable ever known at an inland
watering place, and the weather has been back
ward and dispiriting for much of the week. full
OF showers, bad for promenading and as for hops
and balls, threatening both the toilets and the
lungs. There were about 600 arrivals saturday
night, small number, however, for these majestic
dodgers. Saratoga never was magnificent in
architecture and since the days or the Baths of
Caracala no place Of health and pleasure has been
adorned like this There is Of length of piazza
alone in the village OF Saratoga said to be seven
linear miles. All
THE SPRINGS
are now inclosed with canOptes, domes or minia-
ture temples IN pretty architecture. some of the
most elegant of these edinces inclosng springs
least known to popular fame, the Red Spring,
the Settler, the "A' and the Hamilton. From the
Geyser Spring, which Is two miles south OF the
village, and has its own park, up to the Excelsior
COmpany's fourteen springs and natural sulphur
baths, is about five miles, the village OF Saratoga
intervening, and IN this course there about
sixteen sources under architecture and in separate
control With the exception OF half a dozen
all these mineral and hygienic properties have
been developed since the war, inclusive OF the
HathOrn and other very notable sources. There
can probably be found dozens Of springs of nearly
equal delicacy and efficacy in other parts OF the
village and Of the valley which winds through it.,
but the pecuniary temptations are somewhat re-
duced to tube to their Jonds these healing waters,
matter often of considerable expense, in addl-
ton to the task Of organizing for the circulation,
sale and COLLECTION Of the water ana it's value The
High Rock Spring, the first known here, and
| hos
years at pains ana SUFFICIENT to have erected
very large hotel. merely to pass below thu
region or pyrites which gave sui
| phurous taste to the water. The oil,
/ name Of High Rock Congress was also
abbreviated to avoid collision with the Congress
and Empire Spring Company, which had mean
time been somewhat worried by the competition
OF Geyser, Excelsior ana other natural waters mo-
to men ton the artificial compounds and imported
spa waters which are found IN every corner. The
Congress and Empire Spring Company, as am in
formed, have property in this village nominally
represented by a capital stock OF $1,000. 600 ant
paying five per cent. Its very elegant park, which
is the green carpet of Saratoga is rapidly becom
ing valuable for building sites by the rise OF private
| edifces on its heretofore secluded Hanks ana rear
Chief OF these is the elegant Norman French villa
OF General Batcneller, which Is probably the most
elegant summer abode south OF Newport, with q
tall conical tower and crocheted pinnacle, keen
! sharp pavihons, from which protrude stone win
dows lower windows like .proscenum boxes and
galleries extending around porticOS and bays to
uphold statues for candelabras at their angles.
The house contains an elevator, worked directly by
| hydraulic pressure OF sixty pounds to the inch,
! from the Saratoga water works.
THE WONDER OF THE SEASON
is the new United states Hotel, occupying the site
OF the scurvy lot and waste OF board fence where
| the connagratlon had destroyed its great prede-
cessor fourteen years ago. The new hOte IS not
SO grand or expensive as 70 dwarf the surrounding
hos elres but, considered In relation to them ALL
1t gives and receives dignity by sucn equally dis
tribuled splendor. The Grand Central and the
United states are on the same side OF the street
with the Grand Union, and the latter Is right op-
poslte Congress Hall, where the President IS to be
| q visitor in a day or two. All these hotels con-
| gregated on adjoining blocks OF ground, present
their crowded plazzas TO each other and swing the
music OF their bands and orchestra TO and fro, so
that, suddenly brought into coup d'gtl, they ex-
torted from the pous anu thrilled old lady afore-
s.What sin and shame! 1t looks like heaven. ,,
| The United States Hotel Is the last great house
for summer pleasure built IN our vOuptuOus PERIOD
and 1t may probably be the last Of all such costly
public structures for many years to come. No
American watering place that can he brought to
| mind is now agitated with building schemes
neither the White Mountains, nor Newport, nor the
Branch nor che White sulphur Sprlngs-and these
are all that are strictly first class places OF resort
others being limitations or pdrUenueS or places OF
local repair. There Is good deal or watering
place property that is drug, paying nothing to
son. which demorallze the establishments which
nquidate In that way.
CRITICS AND OBSERVERS AT SARATOGA
are generally OF the opinion that vast establish
ment Ike the United states Hotel should have
been erected at some spot like Washington city,
where there are six and eight months instead or
TWO every year of reliable hotel business. The
local confidence and the necessity OF improving un-
remuneratve real estate In this village led to tins
great establishment where the mind and expert
ence are invariably staggered TO look up and be-
hold the lofty and almost interminabe piaZzas,
enclosing several stories, the whole encompassing
park OF trees, walks and fountains, which has
grown as II by magic on long depopuated and
waste square of ground. The United States Hotel
and how superior Is this name, like the Union
and Congress Hail, to parUenue Adaptation ike
the ST. Stytes and the Balmorai would be
naming hot pile OF brick except for the new taste
Of paint on the burpt Sa5 IL shf sss 81 Sffa de
ated shades. The main edifice is OF q cheerful
Rreenish yellow, with projections and trimmings
the wooden and ornamental iron columns ana
arches Of the piazzas. The furniture within Is OF