The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-02
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
A GLIMPSE At G0THAM's URBAN WA
TERING PLACE N AUGUST.
[FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE
NEw YoRK. August ~. Isl


/ rFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT }
NEW YORK. August IA, 1850.
To TIE EDITOR or TIE NEW NORTHWEST:
Crowded. stirring as the city is this
time Of year, there are really few inter
esting events to write about, and fewer
personalities worthy Of celebration.
Perhaps politics should be referred to /;
but in thi- respect the agony should be
made as light and shor, as possible. We
will have To come To It soon.
The scribes of the international Press
have returned from their rambies on
land and water, and, Ike half million
OF other people, will ru-iicate for a
while at Coney Island, whittier go more
numerous thousands daily. That urban
watering place was never seen 20 better
advantage than now, in its special har-
vest time, when tens Of thousands OF
men. women AMI children daily cover
lis slisteuiug sands or sport ia its glori-
Gus surf. From early morning to mid
night, every train is crowded, aud yet,
vast as the throug is, it is always good
ma ured aud well-behaved. Under the
most untOward circumstances, these
pleasure-seekers keep their tempers in
"A way wonderful TO see, as shown dur
ing a severe shower recently, when all
the resources Of the place were taxed to
their utmost, aud the crowd surging in
the waitiug-room at a station accident
ally displaced a great leader. letting the
water pour in on the people below. Not
an angry word was heard, but every
body laughingly took it as one OF the
"sorowful chaucesn common to most
mundane experiences.
All along the sands are scattered tents
and booths, which contain the side
shows Of the Island, dear to all children
and some grown folks, and especially
dear TO boys. You may have your pho
tograph taken in one at an astonishinaly
low price, aud you may gaze at the
"learued Pig in the next one little
further on is a shooting gallery. and be-
yond stand the donkey boys, waiting
for chance customers.
Up at the bathing amphitheater
friends Of the bathers sit placidly look
ing on at their antics in the water,
while their children sre riding around
the building on mechanical horses, and
some poor mothers sit wearily rocking
their sick babies in the comfortable era
dies provided for them in the shade Of
the overhanging roof.
In quiet corners you come upon par
ties Of modest lunchers, who have
brought their food from home aud are
discussing it with right good will aud
appetite, while up al the great tables
the constant clatter OF knives aud forks,
the popping OF corks and the general
noise betoken that the crowds have be-
gun 10 refresh the inner man and wom-
an. CLANS are the staple article of food
NJ the Island, a. they deserve 10 be, aud
at almost any hour Of the day there
may be heard the click Of the spring
Oell on the piazza railing, which iudi-
Gates how many stews are to be served
next 10 the man who presides at the
cracking fire in the little pavilion on
the sands outside, where great stones
are kept hot all the time for the purpose
oi heating the MASSES Of sesweed in
which the clans are so delightiully
cooked Chowder, too, is in its glory
here, and Coney Island cannot be prop
erly "doue" unless you indulge 10 these
specialties of It's cuisine.
After lunch, If the eye tires of the
Kaleidoscope beauty Of the scene, there
are the aquarium, with its varied won
ders; the great iron observatory, from
which the view Is astouishingly wide
aud beautiful; aud the chance for a
drive along the edge Of the surf in a
broad-wheeled, comfortable vehicle.
From this time until midnight the
throng increases pereeptibly, aud the
toilets Of the fair are Of surprising
beauty and elaboraieness. AUGUST.