National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-07-16
DEER PARK HOTEL.
a COSBY LETTER-THE NEW WASH
INGTON RESORT


Especial correspondence Of The Republican,
DEER PARK HOTEL, July Il, 1874.
"Where are you goingS" shouted friend o.
mine, as was hurrying, carpet bag in hand
the other morning to get the Western bound
train on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
"Going to Deer park" replied, in tone that
indicated somewhat rufied temper caused by
the intense heat and an unusually early (for
me) morning start.
Not satisfied with my curt reply, my friend
shouted after me with lusty vigor, "Where the
devil is Deer ParkP' My first impulse was to
commend him to place where it Is generally
supposed the thermometer indicates tenn
persture even higher than that of Washington.
But as the next best thing, advised him to
read The REPUBLICAN, which not only con-
tains all the news but the advertisements of all
the leading summer resorts. l hope by this
time my friend is a wiser, though l fear not
better man, for he was a Congressman, and
you know-what does the Good Book say
about theml-"it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for Con-
ressman'-well, never mind, 1t is so long since
have been to Sunday school that forget the
exact words, but you have the idea. Coming
to reflect upon the matter, after / was COM
fortably seated in Pullman palace car, olive
had a TelLregulated system of Pantheism,
that fellow Pullman should be the god of
travel, } l regretted speaking so abruptly to my
Congressional friend.
Turning to THE REPUBLICAN, discovered
that instead of an elaborate advertisement, CIV
ing full details of the place, and containing
the usual stereotyPed announcement of all
summer resorts, of ''replete with every COM
fort, )" ''frst-cIass orchestra" "unriyaled as
hcalthful resort and all that sort of thing,
there was a simple statement about the depar
ture of trains for Deer Park. l concluded my
friend, the Scion, was not so much to blame
after all, and that the proprietors of Deer Park
must be either modest, parsimonious or utterly
ignorant of the superior advantages Of print
ers' ink. 1t is charitable to presume that they
are open only to the first charge, for whoever
heard of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
COMPARATIVELY own and run the hotel-Or any
other railroad company, for that matter, being
parsimonious? AS Macbeth said about the air
drawn dagger, "There is no such thing"
am astonished at our friend Sykes, who is the
manager of the establishment, and whose vet
eran experience as a "Publican''-Ia glad to
say cannot with justice add the other word,
''slnner''-should teach him better. A place
like Deer Park would bear at least half a col
umn of well-displaycd advertisement without
trenching upon the impossible and marvellous.
There are many people in Washington who
will be surprised to kCow that within seven
sort equal to any in the country. Situated on
the summit of Big Savage mountain, $500
feet above tidc-water, where the temperature
Is cool and bracing, and the landscape pic
turcsque and varied, Deer Park Is just the place
for people seeking at once health and repose.
was told by Major koontZ, the well-knoWn
aren't of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at
Washington, that the idea Of building q hotel
on this spot originated in the gigantic brain OF
YOUR distinguished townsman, Geo. W. Adams.
II was AdEins who first told me of Deer Park,
and remember we'll how he descanted on the
beauties of the place and the advantages of the
climate with an eloquence peculiar to himself.
l am free to confess the picture was not over
drawn. at is just the place for children"
said Adams, with the pathos and tenderness of
q Ddter 6dmilidS, and so it is. They thrive and
flourish in this mountain dir like so many en-
bryo green bay trees.
Deer Park hotel makes an effort to be fash
ionable, but it is lamentably feeble one, just
enough to keep you from forgetting Saratoga,
Long Branch, Cape May and Lake George.
Did you ever reflect that a place where there
are great many children never can be clash
ionable'' in the strict and modern acceptation
of that terml Somehow or other the little
folks will break through conventionalities.
They are not far enough removed from nature
yet to become the subjects and the slaves of
artificial life. People who come to Deer Park
appear to be of the solid, sensible class, like
our friend Adams, who believes in comfort and
ease more than in mere show and tinsel. /
observe they are mostly from Cincinnati, Pitts
burg, Baltimore and Washington. In the
course of time, when the place is better known,
it win, no doubt, be chiefly patronized by peo-
pie from Baltimore and Washington.
Last night we had hop-the "grand open
ing hop of the season of 1874" the dancing
programme says. Well, it was q success
that is for place like this, though it would
have been called a rather tame affair at some
of the fashionable watering places. But it
pleased everybody interested, and that makes
hop or anything else a success. The patron
saint OF the place, Colonel Sykes, was radiant
with smiles of satisfaction, while his young and
charming wife was conceded to be the most
graceful dancer on the floor. By this latter
remark don't mean to disparags the many
handsome young ladies who were present, and
who do not enjoy the privilege of writing
the prefix ''Mrs." to their names. Vice Presi-
dent Keyser, of the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road, was in full dress, and Looked like q for
eign count, while General Shsfel the master
of transportation, appeared to be Eliminating
over q new SCHEDULE" and looking as steadily
at the busy feet of the dancers as If he hoped
to find one there ready made. But hold. !
fear am running Into the Jehkins vein, and
so here's an end. MAC.