The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-07-31
BY PHOEBE CARY.
MISCELLANY.
JERSEY WATERiSe PLACES.

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The magnificent beaches of tho New Jersey
coast, now so accessible and SO well provided
with conveniences for Summer visitors, are
among the best advantages which seekers af-
ter rest and pleasure can enjoy. The coast,
which stretches south and little to the west
for 100 miles to Cape May, presents indeed
no features of rugged granduer. 1t is for the
ed in some places with a scant vegetation and
shaded by pines and evergreens.
A RAPID GROWTH.
1t is not ten years since this whole stretch
of coast was desolate. Now the Central Rail
road of New Jersey, which has branch ex-
tending past Long. Branch down to Squan, is
beaded between those two places, with half a
dozen stations, all attached to popular resorts.
Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Ocean Beach,
Sea Plain, Spring Lake and Sea Grit have
come to be seashore ha,ists of fiist-class con-
veniences and reputation.
AsBuRY PARK AND OCEAN GROVE.
Asbury Park and the famous Ocean Grove
camp-meeting grounds are divided by
Wesley Lake, which flows into the ocean close
at hand. Asbury Park situated four miles
below General Grants cottage, near Long
Branch, is reached not only by rail- but also
by the beach drive from Long Branch. 1t
fronts directly on the ocean, between Wesley
Lake and another body of water called Great
Pond In 1869 only twenty five persons re-
sided there, and the property assessment was
$4,000. Now there is local population of
1900, and the assessment amounts TO between
100000 and 100000. The population is
greatly increased i'll July and August by
guests at the hotels and boarding houses,
which are built at every point of vantage
Among the hotels are the Coleman House
and its annex, which are only separated from
the beach by broad, green lawn, and which
will accommodate about four hundred and iif
ty guests. The Ocean Hotel, not far from
the beach, has 1870 rooms. The Grand Avenue
House, the Metropolitan, the Gramercy
House, Sunset Hall, Ocean View House, the
Philadelphia House, the Asbury Park House,
the Lake View House, the Crescent House
and Sea View Cottage are adapted to from 40
to 100 guests each. The streets running at
right angles to the sea are from 100 to 200
feet wide--an advantage possessed by no 9TH
er seaside resort on the New Jersey coast
They are lined, moreover with pretty cottag-
es and tasteful grounds. There are two
churches in the place-Episcopalia and Bap-
tist--a free reading room, a weekly paper
with circulation of 2,400 copies and two
public halls. The men at the head of the
town appear to be persons of phenomenal en-
ergy and shrewdness, and have pushed the
sale of lots on the well known Philadelphia
lease plan, with the difference that it is ex-
pressed in a mortgage. When parties buy
and do not build one-thrd of the purchase
money is required to be paid down, the bal
ance in five years. When the purchaser
builds no money is required to be paid down,
but a mortgage is taken, payable in ten years,
with the privilege of ten like renewals, max
ing the principal sum due at the termination
of 100 years, the purchaser, however,, reserv-
ing the right to pay off the mortgage at any
time. But all purchasers of lots in Asbury
Park have to covenant never to use the prem
Uses for the sale of Intoxicating drinks ; SO
that neither Asbury Park or Ocean Grove
(where there is similar prohibition) are pecu-
liarly attractive to convvial people. Says all
Ocean Grove authority -" At first Ocean
Grove received but slight recognition from
practical minds in this neghborhood. Camp
meetings had been looked upon as something
like gypsie encampments, that had local
habitatiOn and name for brief periods and
were gone. But farmers, mikmen, butchers
and fishermen soon learned that an immense
market had sprung up here to consume their
produce. The blacksmith came, the wheel
wright came, the shoemaker and other artis-
ans came, and were welcome. But the devil
came also and made good deal of trouble
He was concealed in bottles and demijohns
he became labeled with a well known brand
and in very surreptitious way sought foot
hold in our peaceful ueghborhood. Happily
the authorities were enabled to scotch, if they
could not kill, the snake, and SO strong is the
sentiment of the people against the sale of
liquor here that the man who, for the sake of
money, introducesit, secretly or otherwise, is
pretty sure to be watched, marked, indicted
and imprisoned, and to have his ill-gotten
gains used up in fines"
GROWTH OF OCEAN GROVE.
In 1869 twelve ministers and twelve laymen
subscribed $25 each, making up capital of
$500, with which the first purchase WAS made
of rude camp meeting ground at Ocean
Grove. Hundreds of acres were bought sub
sequently, and the personal property of the
Camp Meeting Association now amounts to
$4,000. From single cottage built in June,
1870 the place has grown into town with
more than five hundred houses, and the num-
Der is constantly increasing. From fifteen to
| twenty thousand visitors spend parts of their