, 1875-08-15
(NNOCENTS ABROAD.
Mark Twoin's Dan and the Doc
tor Visit Bay Side.
And Indulge in a Gorgeous Dinner o
Fish, Eels, and Clans.
Which Stimulates Dan to Describe an
Occurrence at Central Park.
The Doctor Then Interviews Count Joe"
and Learns the Mysteries Of q
Qlam-Bake.

Special Correspondence ef The Chicago Tribune.
New YORK. Aug. l0.-I am happy l nave
seen Dan, and have had Bay Side clam-bake-
Every one who has read 'Innocents Abroad
will at once recall to mind the picture OF the
genial, good-natured Dan, who, although he
could not speak Franch and Italian with the
eass and fuency Of bis companions, Mark Twain
and the Doctor, ably assisted the latter In in
weighing the irascible and tender-faced humoflst
into the tolls OF barbarous BARRIERS, and who dld
many other things equally rneritorious. Well,
Dan lives in New York; he is very successful
eater, and always knows where the daintlest and
most satisfying things are to be found. 1ester-
day called On him at his place OF business, and
before the first greetings were over, he said,
' You're just In time, old fellow am going
to Bay Side, and you unust go along. Well have
THE FINEST F1sH-D1NSER
you ever aaw, and-did you ever try clam
bake2 No2 Well. 30 much the better. Ill
give you one that youll never forget. Now,
don't stop to talk about it-you must go, and
we've just time to reach tho boat-not minute
to spare-come alung.
knew from former experience that it Was
safe to 80 with Dan when he was in eearch OF
something good 10 eat, and resigned myself to
his care at once.
After picking our way through dinRy, dirty old
Water street, We arrived at James slip. and went
on board ferry-boat for Hunters Point. From
here half hours ride by rail brought us to Bay
Side Station, II miles from New York. Here we
found vehicles in waiting to convey visitors to
the Bay Side House, q half-mile distant free OF
charge. A few minutes ride over an excellent
road, shaded BY grand old trees, brought Ms to
the hotel, where We were met and, welcomed BY
the proprietor. james Grlfiths-.
"FATHER" aR1Fr1THs,
as Dan afeotionately called him,
It is not from prejudice, I am cure, that
affirm that the Bav Side House is not 30 impos-
ing structure aa the naT Wlnasor Hotel, OF
this city, nor go elaborate in it's appoiutments as
our own Palmer House. It is un4ueationable
that it many respects it would not bear COM
parison with either OF them. On the other
hand, it is equally uuqueshouable that in many
other respeots it sufpasses them BOTH
Il is frame structure with frontage OF 80
feet, facing Little Neck Bay, beautiful inlet OF
Long Island Sound. The house ID about 200 feet
from the sto1e, and immediately behind aud to
the est Of It's soplng lawo, which rises higher
than the roof Of the house itself. This lawn ID
handsomely tenaced aud ornamented with sum-
warehouses;, shrubbery, and aowers-
But the great charm Of the place is not to be
found in the magnifcence OF the hotel, or tue
aell-kept grounds, or the beauty OF the eur
rounding scenery, however great these NAV al
be. Its claim to attention il founded upon just
the thing that induced Dan to 20 there. and that
shouli induce any Que to 90 there :;ao has
leisure half day New York-its unsurpassed
dsh-dinuera.
LITTLE MECH BAT
il specially famous for its CLAIMS and, as
served here, fresh from their beds. they are
really very delicious. Within 4 stone'a throw of
the Bay Side House is Saddle Rock, where the
finest oysters in the world are obtained. They
are ont Of the season nov, although ! was un-
able to detect any lack of flavor in the half dozen
immense fellows which .s Father" Gfiffths
opened for caring ae ho did &c. u They're
just for an appetizer, you know"
Dan and speut an hour or two in looking
about the place and in trying various other ap
petlzers. These latter were SO effeotual that
when dinner was announced I felt hungry
enough to eat crow.
When the waather is pleasant, as it is now.
dinner is served here under the shade OF huge
veranda, built between the house and the
shore, aud having 3 seating capacity for several
hundred persons. When the tables and chats
are removed, it serves also as an admirable danc-
Ing floor. The dinner to which We sat down WAS
ali that Dan promised it should be.
TIE FIRST COURSE
consisted OF raw CLANS on the half-ahelf,- doz-
en- for each person, the smallest and tenderest
being selected for this purpose Next came
clam-soup. And such coup! It was certainly
plate was large and generously filed, felt
strongly inclined to be Goth aud ask for q Sec
oud helping. think Dan observed my hesita-
tion for he at ouce said pity1ney, It wont do.
Yon must not fill up on soup; the cells are to
como yet.'
So they we're, but not just yet.
THE NETT COURSE
was broiled blue-fish- I thought it very fine,
but father Gtlliths, who came around every
lew minutes to see that everything was properly
at inA
much as he considered Spanish mackerel the
thing to come after the soup, and he had none.
He explained that he had not been able to get
any mackerel for the past two days. The blue
feh having been disposed of there Was placed
before us
LARGE PLATTER or FRIED EEIs,
fresh from the pan, b,o~n, CRISP, and steanipg
hot.
"Ah!" exclaimed Dan. rubbing his hands,
while bis counteuauce haarned NTH satisfaction.
- Here are the cells Now, my boy, you can't
do better than spoil your whole appetite on
these. You can't get such Dish Of cells as this
anywhere else in the world, because they
don't have en-"
That platter Of eels, containing sufficient for
dozen persons, was 4 say it reeretfully) fp-
ished, and Dan stopped to take breath, am
sure neither OF US felt hunger now. snd when in
few moments another great overloaded
D1RH or soFT-sHE1I GRADS
came, We looked at each other to see the effect
It MAS great temptation to over-eat'ng,-an in
e1cusable temptation,-and Ne could not resist
it. We ate the clabs.
Dan" SAID ], ''su1ely this is enough. I am
satiefed-mofe than satisfied am no longer
hungry. shall neuer be hungry again"
"Pshaw I" exclaimed Dan, you haven't eaten
anything. And am glad you haven't, for the
c!am-bake is to come now"
did not want any clsm-bake, and said 60.
But Dan insisted that did that, in fact, could
not do without it, and then begged for ten
m1nutes' recess at least. I explained to this