The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-08-04
CAPE MAY LETTER.
From our regular Cape May correspon-
dent.

ueUt.
STOCKTON House.. July 81.
From the mountains to the sea, or
from the city to the sea, thanks to the
railroad, is much more feasible jour
ney than it was in Xenaphon's time. a
kdtabose's may be made in little more
than two hours from Philadelphia TO
Cape May or Atlantic City, and the
American citizen. be he rustic or urban,
who has never seen the ocean and been
on it, and in it. is devoid of one of the
grandest complemental experiences of
life. !, never before this summer, real
lied the importance of New Jersey in the
sisterhood of states. | knew that she
produced huckleberries, and oysters. and
an celebrating beverage called
JERSEY LIGHTENING,'
but did not know that New Jersey was
almost peninsula, flanked on the north
by Long Branch and on the south by
Cape May, and that the ocean laved on
her eastern shore more than half hun
dred health and pleasure resorts. of
these the oldest, safest and best is
CAPE MAY.
Fatal accidents to bathers very rarely
occur at misplace. The beach is con-
sidered the safest on the coast, the depth
of the water increasing very gradually.
but. Notwithstanding the safety of the
beach, foolhardy swimmers occasionally
60 beyond their depth and are brought
in by the lite boats that are stationed ont
side the surf from IL am. till PIN. 1t
is a remarkable fact that only the swim
mers are drowned at the seaside resorts.
The sea is
MYSTERIOUS AND DECEPTIVE.
The breakers dashing against the beach
give the impre ssion OF a constant current.
and the swimmer thinks that it is only
necessary for him TO float in order 10 be
borne safely TO shore, but, the undertow,
as the receding wave is called, is quite
as likely TO bear him out to sea, and II re-
qulres no common effort To make pro-
gress In any direction through the dense
salt water. A good swimmer can ordi-
narilly ride the waves for the water is
remarkably buoyant, but the breakers
are irregular in their ways, and are some
times broken and foamy on the crest 1t
requires the greatest skill to keep this
foam out of his eyes and nose. With
ladies this Is believed to be impossible,
since it is said they will talk in the pres
ence Of the most imminent waves and
are constantly shipping heavy seas.
This will long be remembered by the
landlords of Cape May as a very
PROSPEROUS SEASON.
The hotels and boarding houses have
been full for two weeks, which is con
sidered remarkable since the season here
does not, as usual thing. reach its
hight until the LIST Of August. There are
about five thousand guests here at pres
ent. number nearly One-fourth as large
as the average daily paying visitation OF
the Centennial exposition. Good board
may be obtained at from ten to thirty
dollars per week, and bathing suit, room
and attendance costs from twenty-five to
fifty cents per day. The seaside resorts
were much less trequentel this summer
by the
SHoDDY AND SNOWY SOCIAL
element than formerly. This class has
not been altogether eXtirpated by the
| panic there Is remnant hanging round
here still, but learn that none OF the
! watering places are so loud with them as
| in the years succeeding the war. There
is healthful dearth of fast horses, fast
women and fast men. The explanation
may partly be that shoddy being human
is susceptible to the refinement whicl
attrtion with the world and life mus
sooner or later produce. at any rate tn
advent of quieter and more respectable
class must be hailed as a hopeful socia
symptom.
THE LADIES HERE
dress very well, | suppose am no con
noisseur, but feeling it my duty to tax
notes, observed that the young ladie
usually appeared in the forenoon with
dress made of light colored calico. c
maybe 1t was linen, eXquisitely launC
, ried; in this they would walk on I'll
beach, promenade or sit on the piazzas
the hotel at noon or little before, the
2 don their bathing dresses, which, whe
dry are fantastic; when wet, elm,
ing and natural;
AFTER THE BATH,
they dress more deliberately for dinner
: This toilet have not learned enough ,
s describe. but they look more or less lii
5 the fashion plates in Ha,per's Bozar.
: few ladies dress again for the evenin,
e but most OF them wear the dinner Dire
q for the remainder OF the day. Gentleme
] as rule have two suits, a light bushes
4 suit costing from thirty to forty dollar
: which Is worn In the forenoon, and
, fashionable frock coat with light colore
e pantaloons tor the afternoon but Il