The New York herald., 1874-08-04
THE SEASIDE CAPITAL.
A General Inspection of "a King
dom by the Sea-"
Long Branch Lounging, Flirting. Dane
ing and Bathing
LONG BRANCH. August 2, 1874

shanties and with the venders OF minor merchan-
disc. Its shape Is an objection 20 it. II walks
! across town he finds the country incOnveniently
near, and tumbles upon a desoate and terrible
solitude such as is only to be found In the sandy
parts OF New Jersey. He incontlnenty abandons
his purpose to ''see the place" in that direction
but as ne does not care to turn short around and
acknowledge that he has taste for rural
felicity OF that sort-for this might offend
the just stsceptibilities OF the natives
he saunters away with the secret inten-
tion to recover the main street further up
or further down. And he wanders by the
worlds back door, which, II not the least pictu-
rescue, is certainly the least prepossessing part Of
any place. On the other hand, If one takes "con-
stitutional" lengthwise OF the town he presently
discovers that IL would take a constitution much
better than that OF the United States to carry him
through. He would need numerous amendments
with appropriate legislation and might at last
learn to his chagrin that he had cut his journey
too short and left out ten hotels which at little
way or he took for rows Of bathing houses 1t ia
ridiculous distance to everybody, and O friend
who would live just around the corner II the town
were doubled up as it should be, lives far enough
away to be visited in the train, just account OF
this habit of making all the streets at the end
OF the old street and running in the same dlrec-
ton.
There are to be sure, the queer country wagons
and open carriages, drawn by teams of scraggy
yet jaunty looking horses, which are the accepted
hacks OF the place. But the writer Of this always
has a scarcely contr0llabe and ill-conceaed I'M
pulse to XIII every hackman who disputes about
the fare. He IS, therefore, under a conscientious
obligation to avoid such disputes. But you cannot
ride in vehicle hired on the street anywhere in
the world without q dispute about the fare.
wherefore he 1s deprived Of this resource.
THIS SHAPE OF THE PLACE
Is it's great characteristic feature That Is why it
is Long" Branch. Visitors relgiously give 1t this
It's proper designations but the Inhabitants of the
neighborng sandy wastes, who live on soft crabs
and sour apples, and have peculiar habits simply
call it the Branch. It's length has become SO IA
mlllar feature that they no longer notice 1t.
Moreover, they go down the avenue peddling
their wares and picking up what cash they
may, they seem often 10 find it sufficiently
short. Nobody knows exactly where the
Branch begins or ends, but it cannot be further
north than Sandy Hook nor further south than
Cape May. Between these points it is almost any
where you please. Thele are several intervals not
filed up, and there are building lots for sale at
these places. The longest gap is between the spot
where write and that part OF the line which Is
temporarily called Atlantic City. When that gap
Is filed up the whole sea coast Of New Jersey Will
he fringed aud the ocean be faced with small cot
tages and hotel pazzas. There will be, counting
the second stories and the bits the third stores
not less than six hundred miles OF hotel piazza.
From this vantage ground the weary New Yorker
will gaze out on the sea. He will exclaim at more
or less regular intervals, "Roll on thou deep and
dark blue ocean, ROLL" ana thus instructed the
ocean will roll ON accordingly, but will stay there
just the same
THE PEOPLE AND THBIR AMUsEHRNTs.
Having observed the structure of Long Branch
l naturally looked around to see how the people
amused themselves. Here found again that the
facts grouped themselves on the main fact OF the
shape OT the place and were In character with it,
People are compelled to move up and down the
main street, and, the distances are great, they
are compelled to have vehicles, and thus the i'm
pulses OF human activity resolve themselves INTO
one end or the place to the other forever and for.
ever. Necessarily you move, and quite as neces.
sarily you move in the line OF least resistance;
and as you are shut In by the hotels side
and the sea on the other this must be up or down
the nope that er be somennS
to see further on, and thus you come to the
experiment IN the other direction. BY the
time you have done this twice you nave fallen into
the habit Of the place, and you Keep on mechani-
mill. From this there Is but one principal reiief,
which is to take @ position % on hotel piazza and
These are the main occupations. Preten tiousy
there are others, but they have relation to these.
the lawns between the piazzas and the procession,
but this is mere variation OF the process Of
the young ladies to look at the carriages and be
seen in return. Lounging In the summer houses
Further a@ussmen. is is iarnshed By that intner
ant group Of humanity which everywhere takes
as peops re hee %nss
obligation to Kill time and must look at
something anG will rather than fail look
or a strong man throwing up hundred
pound shot, and catcning them on his shoulder as
right hand to show where the laugh comes IN.
There are Indians here who are amusements also.
An elaborate interview disclosed that none or
them knew Pocahontas, and they had never even
heard OF Captain John Smith.
One OF the popular amusements Is having your
which taken altogether is perhaps the most
ments, seeDs n6t to flourish here, and should
treme!s Ior my beloved country II forced to be-
watering places in this particular. l should say
let Casarsm come when 1t WILL u can 40 US no
harm.
For he that Is down can be no lower.--
With view to observe accurately scs state Of
the irritation market, glanced into the ballroom
last night. 1t was . melancholy spectacle. they
were dancing at the moment. Ali the gentlemen
were dressed in our national costume-badly cut
coats--aud seemed impressed with the serious
ness Of the occasion. All the ladies were not so
lions the sides OF the and on the piazza
by the open windows, and contemplated the scene
with solemn and speechless interest. There was
incident which Indicated that the terrible cru.
sader Is at large. He came In the guise OF can't
ing rogue, IN long straight coat Of the form evil
IDENTITY required 10y extreme piety, with broad
brimmed hat from which he had rubbed oil the nap
with the cun of his coat as he told his religious
perienccs in conventtcles and ne had the snarp
nose and hollow cheeks which indicate mortified
spirit and dyspepsia This person wanted to pray.
There was the whole State OF New Jersey outside,
and in the several hotels there al least TO- 000
cubbyhOles OF bedrooms. But the only place that
seemed to him suitable as praying point was the
middle Of the ballroom at she Ocean House, and
he tried 1t there. He was elected OF course, for
people who 60 seriously to dance know their
rights; but his advent was OF no advantage. In o
better organized society II would not only have
broken the ice, 1t would have pulverized 1t, and
the reassuring OF the young ladies in the corners
and short prOmenades in the corridors would