New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-25
SENSIBLE suMMERING.


lion OF THE COST OF sUMMrRING on LAND.
HAvrMrYER's PoINT July 15.-This place has
had this local name for only fortnight, though it
is an old habitaton under another title; so you
Will not find it geographically located on the maps
But when the sun is rising Fire Island Lighthouse
will cast shadow over Havemeyers Point and AT
night the revolving light of that beacon glances
once every minute directly into the 'front.' doors ana
windows Of Havemeyers Hotel, and seems to Wink
at Hayemeyer's merry children on the beach or on
the pier in 'front.' The lights of the Surf Hotel are 10
be seen in front two miles away; and when the
wind favors one can hear the laughter and the sing
ing of the merry crew of politicians from New
York. who are reviving the old Americas CluD
under the name of the "Wayayanda Club" at
Conklin's only half mile TO the left. On the rGht
the white caps of the ocean breaking ON the bar al
Fire Island inlet are distinctly visible by day or
moonlight In front the Great South Bay, with lis
broad expanse of still water and its big feet OF
small sailing craft stretches far away to the east
mud almost as far away to the west. keeping the
narrow Oak Island Beach, of which Havemeyers Is
the eastern point almost surrounded by water 10
the sonth only the Atlantic Ocean; to the north
The bay and the scores of pretty villages like Baby
Ion Islip Blue Point and Mechanicsville. which line
its shores in easv safe and quick sailing distance.
Sitting at the hotel you feel that you are as COM
nletply at sea as it is possible to be without being
actuallv on shipboard. Yet you only three
hours from New-York only half an hour from surf
bathing and ten yards from still water; an hour
distant from the trolling grounds of Fire Island,
and less from the Cumming grounds In South
BAY; while snipe, plover, backbirds and, In their
season. ducks. may be shot almost from the door
sill of the house.
Here domiciled. shut ont from unlimited guests,
s,,trt dare r,tror mol He'd
the requirements of society as to dress and de-
neapor. lately found New FORK family of fifteen,
servants included. keeping-hotel. Not housekeep-
ing but actually keeping hotel. with only them
selves and an occasional friend such as the master
or mistress might bring home in the most uncon-
ventiona manner, as guests. ] do not know what
NAV have originally induced Mr.. Henry Have
never to buy this house formerly Stones Hotel,
and 10 fit ii up for q Summer house FOR his family.
Ii may have been, as some have suggested, desire
TO escape the annoying and veXatous discussions
of tariff on sugar and the test of the pOlariscope;
but / suspect the polar temperature Of tue Point
may have had something more to dc with 1t.
Saratoga. New London and Babylon have known
him and bis family for many Summers past, and 1t
NAV be that he has wcaricd Of the cxactions of
Fashion at those fryolou, places, and has sighed
for the free and easy life possible at this new loaf
ing-place Possibly he is preparing TO &c so far away
from Gramercy Park before the campaign of 80
that the most ingenious telegraph messenger can
not Law instructed cipher dispatches at his door.
Possibly hc has bought the hotel and leased Oak
Island Beach for ten wears with the expectaton,
il is whispered, that " Dam COnOver and Jim"
Oakley are to extend their ROckaway Railroad
over Long Beach and Jones Beach to a terminus at
a magnificent hotel Ia Brighton. to be built at
Hayomcyers Point, right In the face of the Surf
Hotel aud under the nose of Dictator Samms him
self Undoubtedly Mr.. Havemeyer's prominence in
Concy Island pier building. his connection with the
Long Island Railroad and his long lease of the
beach to which he has now given his own name,
give plausbilty to this latter suggestion of his ut
mate designs Such a railroad could carry paSsen-
gers from Fortv-sccondst. NewYork, TO this point,
running two-thirds of the distance within hearing
and sight of the breakers of old ocean, in an hour
or less and there passengers would find themselves
at sea IN the one sense of being surrounded by sea
only.
Iasked Havemeyer himself why he came here,
and he answered laconcally, Jerking out the words
as if they might have been words out Of a cipher
dispatch;
Comfort Health. Cunning Fishing. Econ
omy."
And after translsting them according TO the
Cipher Key of Common Sense. came to the con-
clusion that they meant just that, and that that
was inst what he was getting. All except the last,
for didn't well how a man could buy COM
plete hotel rcft it throughout and lease an entire
island for ten years with the privilege of twenty
for the use of his family only, and call that proceed
ing economy On inquiry found out the secret
the first time ever understood the meaning of the
word
Stones Hotelhas existed on Oak Island Beach for
three or four years. 1t was ground to death, as a
public hotel, between the upper milestone OF the
Surf Hotel on Fire Island Beach and the neither
milestone of Conkms Hotel at Conklin's Point In
fact il never had any reasonable right to exist as
public house which travellers or plcasure.seekers
were bound to respect Hence Mr.. Stone e. which
his full name it was = T. Stonel got into financial
difficulties. Mr.. Havemeyer -fered to buy him out
but stone still hopeful Of better fortune, declined
until he WAS sold under foreclosure of mort gage for
debt and Mr. Havemeyer bought his house Of twenty
three rooms furniture, dock, boats, ETC., forI was
astonished when heard the snm-SoO0 cash. Stone
was popular old fellow, very poor, and Have
never finding that he had got the place cheaply
directed his agent to pay Mr.. Stone $1,000 add-
tioual But before the transaction was finally con-
clude it was found that the lease Of the beach did
not 90 With the sale of the hotel and the lease had
10 be bought from Stone. The cheap rate at which
the hoase had been sold attracted the attention of
ID. $ = Slnmis, of the Surf Hotel. an old personal
frerd Of Stone, who swore that Stone should not be
thus robbed-at least not by any stranger So he
bought the lease from Stone for $40 cash, and when
MI. Haycipcyer went TO close the bargain, MI. Sam
mis- demanded 81 900 forthe uncxplred lease, which
was raid. Stone heard of the order to pay him
81 600 aud applied for the same, but Havemeyer's
agent referred him 10 Sammis saving Sammls had
Ire money. As the latter had already paid $50 for
the lease j. uncertain whether or not Stone ever
got tie sum set aside for him.
ItThus the hotel cost $1,000 70 begin with. I'm
movements have since cost about $500 more, max
ing total Of 81, 500 to begin practising economy
ON for ten successive years. The buildlng has