The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-10-19

tiers, cam-roastcrs, hostlers, and host of 9th
,crs The expcnse'of the house is about $4,000
"A day. On many days the receipts exceed
$4,000, and often fifteen thousand people are
ted in day.
There is charm and novelty here which is
not enjoyed olscwhere-that of driving on the
grand piazza, which overleoks the beach for
miles in either direction. The sight in itself
is grand, and to watch the moving mass OF
humanity along the beach, the thousands OF
i bathers ~ they founder about in the surf and
the lite and raiety Of the place, is something
that battles description and bewilders the ordl-
nary sightscer, Add to this the charming APP
pearance of the grounds between the beach
and the hotel--bcautifully laid out and orna-
mented with immense beds Of fragrant flowers,
whose perfume, mingling with that of the salt
sea mir, 1" fills the soul with joy" and the heart
with happiness; and then, as it were to cap
the climax, to be charmed by the enchanting
strains of the great Levy, as he toots his horn
and fills the air with the soft, sweet melody Of
lopcralic and familiar tunes.
But perhaps the most beautiful sight is at
might when the entire beach is Illuminated,
i Thousands and thousands of gas-lights flicker
| in all directions; hundreds and hundreds Of
colored lights are intcrspersed among these,
and many calcium lights illume the surf for
many rods; so that by the reflection Of those
powerful lights people battle with as much
pleasure and safety as though the MONDAY sun
lshone over them This indeed is charming
sight and must be seen to be appreciated.
.. CABLES HOTEL AND BEACH g. p
| is the next place of importance 1t differs in
many respects from other portions of the beach,
and Is not by any means as exclusive as the
IBrighton-that is, no attempt at style" is
made; but it is the most popular resort on the
beach of lovers of good cheer and those who
are perfect judges of what is good to eat and
drink
1t is estimated that every Sunday, if pleas
ant, at least from 10000 to $4,000 people visit
the beach, and on July 4th it was estimated
that 10000 enjoyed the balmy atmosphere of
this delightful location. Long Branch, New
port or Cape May are tame and lonely spots
lcompared to it.
"The history and late developments of Coney
Island rs waterng-pl place and seaside resort
| for the Metropolis would be II strange romance,
| and probably it will have Il stranger sequel in
the next few years. Nothing more remarkable
in the way Of sudden prosperity and POPULAR
lty, after long neglect and continued disfayor,
| is known in the history of any other like en-
terprisc, singular as some Of these enterprises
have been.
within less than ten years since, four miles
of the Coney Island beach was barren waste,
| to which nobody claimed title, and which few
people ever visited. Part of it was SO desolatc
that few persons ever ventured to penetrate the
wildness. 1t was given up to 'clammers' and
crabbcrs' as the fishermen who lived back iii
| the swamps of the creek which divided it from
| the main land of Long Island were called. AT
| the extreme west end small pavilion and u
| few lighthouses existed, and a little further
east there was Il small hotel, set far inland, at
which an invalid or two could half live, half
starve To the west end a single dilapidated
steamboat, which did duty most Of the year as
"a tug boat and sometimes condescendcd to the
| ignominy of labor as u lighter, made morn
ing and afternoon trip during the summer
mOnths but the character of the persons
Awaiting themselves of this means of reaching
the surf was such that decent ana quiet folks,
who did not court insult and wished to avoid
robbery and riot, stunned the route. A rail
road track built To connect Bath, New Utrecht
and other little towns along the bay-cOast with
Brooklyn, WAS extended to point near the
centre of the island, but it had neither depot
nor hotel vt its end its trains ran no faster
than a street hSrse-line, and was patronlzed
chiefly bv picnic parties In fact, it is scarce
lily four years since legal requirements com
PEELED this railway company to drive horse
in front of each OF its locomotives, in order to
comply with ordinances against steam in the
village streets. There was also horse railway
to part of the island still further east, but it
required at least four hours to go from Fulton
Ferry to the beach On the whole stretch of
beach there was one hotel, where lodging
might be had for about ten persons; the 9th
ers of the four or five buildings were mere
sheds called Pavilions, where CLANS and crabs
could be eaten and bathing suits obtained
within four years, and chiefly within the
last two years, seven railways, running at the
most rapid rate, on nearly tangent lines, sup
piled with the largest locomotives, and each !
train capable of seating 600 persons in finely.
finished open palace-carS, have been put in
operation; and Brooklyn, which then limited
speed 10 that of horse has lately authorized
any number Of elevated and underground con
nections to be built through It's most impor-
tant thorOughfarcS. The one ullapldacd tug
boat has been replaced by three elegant steam.
crs. and two new routes to the island, lately
opened, employ four other magnificent eXcur-
sion steamers, which ply with the regularity
of ferries and on which lone lady or child is
safe from insult or injury Claimants for the |
beach have arisen IN plenty the town of
Gravesend has discovered that it has title |
over zoe years old leases that five years ago
went begging AT $40 each are now held at
$50, 600 for the two years yet to lapse; and the
question of title and leases is the basis of all
political agitation in the little old hamlet of
the solemn and suggestive name. Land which |
nobody then claimed, and on which few had
the courage to squat" cannot now be bought
for any price 10 be named The lonely fisher
man who caught occasional crabs, and delved
and dragged for isolated clans in the sluggish !
creek, has resolved himself into numerous
bands. and immense beds of clans, cultivated |
in Gravesend Bay, are the causes Of breaches