The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-08-06
ASBURY PARK and OCEAN GROVE

ASSUN1 PAKk and OCEAN dKOVE.
Johnny Boquett gives, in the New York
Tribune, a glimpse of these two new
watering places along the Jersey coast.
which are resorted to mostly by moral
people who do not care to take in the
fashion and frivolity of Atlantic City,
Cape May, AID Long Branch: "Asbury
Park is remarkable development in
summer sociology. Every year it springs
forward and its hotels almost rival those
of Long Branch, while its real estate has
advanced hundreds per cent in the past
five years. Lots offered for $500 in dull
years now are held at $4,000. A single
man, seeing Ocean Grove with its prison
stockade and code af rigid Mosaic observ-
ances, rise to business consequence
bought the sand hammocks and scrub
timber beside it, and started moral but
not a pronouncedly religious rival and
companion place. Francis Asbury the
American St. Francis. lent his widely
known name to the title, with which was
incorporated the nondescript expression
Park" as distinguished from tHle Or
camp. \ "Tabernacle' was put up, in
Difference to the example of Ocean Grove
but in a smarter style, nothing of the old
canvas camp-meeting material being EN-
played, and churches of different denom-
nations, charitable asylums and philan-
thropic retreats, picnic commons and u
lake OF pond full of pleasure boats ad-
vertised the spot as liberal and joyous
Liquor was the only witch absolutely
exercised. though the chief hotel was
allowed to furnish wine at meals.
THE sequel has proved that religion
is at a premium when mildly administer
ed, and that. as the business spirit of
Asbury Park remarks, looking over his
several hundred acres Of homes, "a little
of it goes a long ways" Shouting is
still an occasional indulgence at Ocean
Grove: hurrahing is the shout of Asbury
Park. Lumber is the real genius of
both places and without it there could
not have sprung, almost like the weeds
afield, and shaken to the ocean their
slender inflorescence Lumber of which
Moses made his nation, raising tabernacle
and temple walls to attach his migratory
race to some fixed soil; lumber in which
America is richer than all antiquity and
which has housed our forefathers until
now: lumber which pierces heaven in
church spires, makes flooring far iron
railroads, gives strength to our lightest
wagons in the world. and makes the
healtheist dwellings for man: how well
they spoke of the Tree of Liberty.
many other subjects. The past will be
intelhgently considered, in order that
the future may be forecast. Committees.
or individuals. will be selected to review
the political history of Pennsylvania dur
ing the two centuries of its existence:
and in an analogous manner, to treat the
SltdG VI CuiCdlitil lVlS lI
piled science, art, &C., &c There will
also be public parades and industrial dis
plays
Here at Asbury Park may occasion
ally be seen the good old lady enjoyin.
over her Bible the pleasant prouuncia-
ton of that blessed word "Mesopota-
mia" Here also may be heard at meet
ing houses the peculiar nasal melody of
the colored man, whose voice with its
engaging witchery is prolonged beyond
white folks notes and gives the owner
notice and a certain voodoo authority.
Here you may see what you have sup
posed dead in this age-the sincere ex-
stacy of piety, the supernatural trance
upon the countenanoe. drawn upon con-
temptations of God and eternity. Reli-
gion. as social element, is too much
overlooked in secular newspapers; it is
still the overpowering life of this coun-
try, though scarcely aggressive. 1t is
the principal element of American wealth.
being the main engine of thrift, temper
ance, wedlock, the Gonsus, utility and
education. All those rich cottagers at
Long Branch. if you look into their past.
were seeded in religious discipline. Mat
rimony becomes the early recourse of all
abstainent society, and good habits are
taken On faith as so much capital. Here
the mechanic is still at social premium,
where the broker, lawyer, and fnanoieT
are not unsupported. And where does
there exist higher standard of man than
the carpenter and builder even now? He
is the only author in America whose works
sell. At these moral cities the only diff
ference between worldly people is a GER
tain pallor of skin and general absence Of
fat folks,