The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-06
CAPE NAV.
The Beach. the surf, and the People We
Meet There.
A Few of the Oddities of Fashionable Watering
Places,
CAPE MAY, Aug. "A, 1879.

CAPE MAY, Aug. "A, 1879.
| We left Philadelphia, the lefty of brotherly
love-" via Camden, and after two hours flight
| through the wilds of Jersey, arrived at CAPE
MAY, one Of our "summer cities by the sea-
rival on the great American continent, and that
means the world! On arriving at the depot,
which is situated on the very sands of the ocean,
Il glorious panorama opens to our view. Before
us the broad Atlantic stretches in majestic great
ness, its bosom decked with sail boats, whose
snow white canvas unfurled to the breeze sends
them skipping like white-winged birds over the
ruiiled waters. In the surf thousands Of bathers
plunge and roll and toss about with a reckless
ness of immersion that is perfectly amusing to
the astonished beholders.
The beach swarms with crowds and groups OF
people, who find ample amusement in watching
the comcal actions of the bathers as they emerge
from the surf, and wave after wave strikes them
in quick succession and sends them promscuously
far up the beach. Others find pleasure in hunt
ing in The sand for clans, while the hundreds
Of vehicles Of every description, from the ego
cart" up TO the grandcst turn out, throag the
drive. Tarryng II few moments TO inhalc the
refreshing drafts of salt air and watch the
curling crests Of white foam which roll far up
the beach, we are whirled along TO our chosen
hotel, from whence we soon emerge in appro-
pirate "toggery" and mingle among the
crowd.
The situation of Cape May is peculiar, and in
deed ii would seem that nature had worked with
intelligent purpose and left this spot of land
that upon its very point where the waves wei
come the noble Delaware TO their embrace,
might be situated this ne Plus ultra Of watering
places.
Here, without exception, is to be found the
finest beach in the world, splendid expanse Of
smooth white sand stretching for miles up and
down the coast over whose slight incline the
waves break with regularity and such gentle
force that the smallest child may battle with i'm
punity, while further out the surf invites the
boldest bather TO plunge. Az for the town itself
there is not much of it, the fire of last winter
having played sad havoc with the efforts of years
of constructing. few ordinary fine hotels,
great number of modern cottages, some Of
pleasing design and many OF the old styles of
while the usual one story business
houses adorn the thoroughfares. But the most
feature about Cape May is that Of being
surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic, whose
purifying breezes fan us without stint, and the
thousands who love the sea for its beauty and
the enjoyment of its health giving properties
are happy in putting up with the inconvenience
of fashionable watering places. lis considered
a. fashionable sometimes To he allowed the
privilege of inconvenience q and who weuld
grumble at fashions folly in such place as
ths. Such n state OF things is encouraging,
sometimes, and especially when one is allowed
to view the smiling countenanee OF a happy
landlord, who makes himself agreeable and
to make you comfortableg No wonder
that visitors would act exceedingly affable, and
accept discomforis good naturally. So long as
they have some spot whereou TO lay their heads
and . reasonable amount of good things to keep
their human machinery in constant and easy