Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-08-18

Nrw YoRK August 10, 1875
VI ssfs Editors The middle Of August, even
In the metropolis, Is not prolific Of subjects Of
which to write an interesting epistc. The city,
like the country, partakcs Of that ethargy pc
culiar to the season. In the conversational Ian
guage Of the season, "crerVthng Is shut mp, and
ererpbodg Is ont Of town" But this form Of ex-
preston is much too sweeping to be anywhere
near the truth 4 careful estimate Of the num-
Der who leave the metropolitan districts for so
iuurn in the country during the heat Of July and
August for periods Of time exceeding one day,
shows at twenty-five thousand il the limi, Of
the number Of the inhabitants Of New York and
Brooklyn who really make journeys for pleasure
and this is small proportion Of the one million
six hundred thousand people which the two cities
contain Yet we say, everybody Is out Of town"
We should say everybody is in town, but some
booty has left The stay at home population, how.
ever, make up the loss Of summer trips by rush
ing to Conoy Island and Iockaway beaches for a
day; and these watering places Of the masses are
uncomfortably crowded every day.
\ trip to Rockaway Is q thing always in order,
especially II your family contain children being
in this respect much like visit to alcrcus, where
a. you well know, il takes three grown-up men or
women on an average, to take care Of every lit
tie infant. To Rockaway beach the convey ances
are, as you choose, steamboat or rail The beach
is situated ON south shore of Long Island seven
teen miles from the city The sail thithcr by boat
is charming down the harbor, through the mar
rows, round Concy Island then seven miles Of
real ocean sailing, taking the swell from the
broad Atlantic, which, on windy days produces
ON the steamer an effect which exhibits itself on
most Of the passengers. In pale faces and strong
desires 10 be ashore. This being for the time inn
possible, they cling in sueu, desparing sort off
way To the rails, and seem fond Of looking down
ON the tossing waters. Then the boat enters
RockaNay inlet, and tho rolling motion ceasing
all recover their spirits, aud get their baskets
ready to land
The beach itself is n strip Of sand several miles
in length. running parallel with the main shore Of
Long Island and connecting with it at the east end
by q narrow isthnus This forms beautiful bay
about six miles wide where the water at all times
is as smooth as glass aud which is famous for It's
fish So a visitor has the choice between surf
bathing in the Atlantic rollers. or Of smooth water
in this bay where one can exhibit his swimming
without danger and the two are separated only
by three Minutes walk from each other The
beach is q succession of hotels and places Of enter
tainmout Of an kinds Boats and fishing tackle
can be obtained everywhere for small charge;
shooting galleries, bowling alleys, and the Ike,
are also numerous; so, once arrived, one is at no
loss to amuse himself, oven If he does not like
bathing There is considerable shade close to the
beach, thing unusual on sand flats, and it adds
greatly to is attractions.
The whole beach is a thoroughiare on warm
L
ground, than anything else Everything and
every body is transient the permanent being few
aud far between Here the stay-at-holne popu-
lace of New York flock to enjoy themselves during
the summer, as often as they can get away Tor a
day from the shop or the work bench. It is. how
ever, noticeable that the crowds are in the main,
made mp Of German, Americans or English the
Irish element being comparatively scarce At
five O'Clock the day Is spent, aud the rush home
commences After the experience OF the boat
You prefer 20 return In the cars; either will be
crowded to suToctiun Tie train is fun, aisles,
platforms aud ALL Il stop, every quarter Of a
mile for people along the beach Tie last stop
/ made, the cars soon run over the istlmus aud the
/ swamp on piles, and. once on the main band, YOU
are soon ratified back To brooklyn, and take the
| ferry for home to the city
Coney Island is a similar resort 10 Rockaway-
/ perhaps u shade lower ia the social scale
Besides the beaches, a constant succession Of
monster excursions TO groves on the Hudson aud
East rivers take place all summer All the poorer
churches have them, as there is money in them if
well managed
/ These afford a cheap sail and days pleasure to
/ thousands, who wodld otherwise be declared from
sight Of the rural districts the year round
Then just outside Of the city in the upper parts Of
Brooklyn and in Westchester county and at the
upper end Of Manhattan Island are public groves,
where day can be spent, when tired of business
I This feature j. German almost entirely And be-
sides all these, there are the Plrks-Central Of
New York, and Prospect OF brooklyn either Of
which afford every facility for a days pleasure
with plenty Of fresh air and at a comparatively
small expense SO the stay-at-homes can have
good time here, If they viii
was much pleased to see in your last issue an
editorial on Vermont farming, with some extracts
from the statistics Of q neghborng state, in rela-
ton to the decay Of the agricultural interest. It is
time that Vermont people were walked up out Of
their rosy dreams Of aniuence in time to compete
with the West or the Metropolis
1t is not capital, SO much as labor that is wanted
in Vermont, and it is not labor two months in a
year, but labor the year round II tho present
state Of aIairs continues n century, your state
will pass into the hands Of foreigners for less than
one-tenth its value. Your agricultural and educa-l
tiona societies could do Qfsat good if they would
teaclr chemical tdimiag in the high schools, in
/ place Of rhetoric or composition Show the young
men how living and competence can be made
at home and they Til SAY there
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