The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-07-24
LETTER FROM CAPE MAY.
CAFE MAY, July Goth, 49,

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CAPE MAY, July Goth, 1875.
While the numerous seaside resorts that
are recently springing up all aim to be in
vested with sylvan attractions they do not
possess, Cape May is rapidly earning the
right to be termed the Seagrove City. Every
street, lane and garden is thickly studded
with trees, shrubbery and clinging vines.
The Silver poplar and the Ailanthus appear
to predominant among the trees of larger
growth, and though by no means choice
trees-especially the latter, when in the
| Towering season it pollutes the whole atmos-
phere with it's villainous odor-but they
are both hardy trees and of rapid growth;
and when the season arrives in which the
dog star is supposed to rage, any tree capa-
BILE of casting cool shade is god-send to
painting humanity and beast.
There is no such structure here as house
Every thing that is nota "hotel" is a cot
tage." The style of architecture is of no
Importance. If it is a private establish
ment, it perforce, is "cottage." A hotel
we stopped at ten years ago is now divided
into three cottages" without materia
change. 1t is the style, "you know" if a
dweller by the sea, to live in cottage.
But cottages, as we find them laid down in
works on architecture are costly luxuries,
and to avoid this little Inconvenience of
large bills for mechanics and materials, it
no.
purpose.
How Elkton would turn up its aristo-
cratic nose at Cape Mays gravel side walks
and curbing of hemlock joists. There is
not hundred and fifty yards of brick pave
ment in the whole town. The broad, smooth
streets afford splendid drives, but not con-
tent with these and the hard and shining
sands of the beach, which the tide in its
ceaseless ebb and flow for ages, has pounded
as smooth and hard as floor, "drve"
has been built on the beach, just above the
edge of high tide, where the turn-o outs air
themselves and show their speed. This
drive, when completed, will enable pleasure
seekers who have more money than they
know how to invest proftably, for S., to
drive from Cape May City round the point
where the new Presbyterian resort (Sea
Grove) has been established, and up to the
Steamboat Landing on the bay side. But
the fast horse and fine turnout are the
exception here this season. "Hard times"
delights to disport his unwelcome presence
at the fashionable resort, and now disputes
the Halls of fashion, the promenades and
drives successfully with the swell whose
chief delight was to bore civil people with
eye glasses, and the belle who slew whole
regiments with the tlutter of her fan.
Old ocean in unchanging grandeur and
sublimity is here with his ceaseless roar as
in ages which have passed. but we miss the
crowds of pleasure and health seekers who
formerly rcsorted here, and made a crush
room of Congress Hall. The big houses
are not half full and the season is now at
its hight. $29 a week make both the Stock
ton House and Congress Hall roomy places.
You can enjoy your $2S worth of leisure,
pleasure, health or whatever real or mag
mary thing you may be in search of beside
the sea, without suffering from your neigh
boris elbows. In short there is plenty of
room to spread in here. The proprietors of
houses of less pretension, but equally COM
Portable in their appointments, are accom-
modating and passing civil at SIC to $50 a
week. Fair rooms and excellent boarding
can be had at " cottages" for $40 week,
and bath house can be rented for $3.50.
Fine bands play at the Stockton, Con-
gress Hall and the Columbia House, where
chops are the prevailing pastime. Even
the chops" seem to be affected by the
atmosphere of the times and have Ian.
guild air about them altogether foreign to
the terpsichorean code. On Sunday even
ings they give concert of sacred music"
at the Stockton House when there is gen.
eral gathering from all quarters, to do rev.
erence to the sacred occasion. Last Sun
day evening we attended. After executing
several very slow and solemn pieces-we
believe the popular idea of sacred music is
something slow and melancholy
cliCilcu ouiy laiuI d ppiousS, 1hC uauu OIL uSh
up " Ham fat" with variations composed
of snatches from Durang's Hornpipe, the
"Devil's Dream and " Wrecker's Daugh-
ter" The Rock of Ages and Old Hundred
were received with respectful silence, but
Ham fat 4" brought down the house, or
rather the lofty balconies of the stately
Stockton echoed to the hearty and pro-
longed applause with which the minstrels'
favorite was received. cold Folks at Home"
or Down upon the Swanee river, executed
as a flute solo, was another sacred compost
ton which was favored by such an outpour-
ing of the spirit that it was encored.
A step in advance has been made at Cape
May, in the establishment of hot and cold
saltwater baths. The Stockton, Congress
Hall and Atlantic have established these
baths. The water is pumped by steam
engines through pipes which are laid out
into the ocean, and most luxurious sea-
water bath of any temperature desired can
be enjoyed at these establishments for fifty
cents. The price is double what it should
be, both for public accommodation and the
pecuniary advantage of the proprietors.
A pier and pavilion have been built off from
Congress Hall, and constitute part of the
establishment, about $50 yards from the
edge of the surf, and out beyond the break
ers, with broad walk leading out to it.
This is a pleasant place to enjoy the sea
breeze and get close view of some of the
monsters Of the deep. Sharks and por-
poises swim round the pier beneath your
feet, and the sea is alive with schools of
small fish. A dime is the fare for admis-
sion to this seat DER old Neptune's domain,
which is double what it should be to make
it popular as we'll as a remunerative invest
ment. In Europe, at some of the seaside
places, such structures are built in magnifi-
cent style, and much larger than the Cape
May affair, which was an experiment, that
has proved so successful that it is the inten-
ton to build an iron pier and pavilion much
larger and more comfortable than the pres