Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-08-06
BY THE SAD SAD SEA.
A Trip to Delightful Asbury
Park-The People Who Pat
rOnize the Resort-The Ocean
Grove Camp Meeting-Wheel.
ing's Representation Here.

Grove camp Meetlng-Wheel-
ing's Representation Here.
editorial Correspondence Of the Register.
AsBURY PARK. \. J., August 4.
Ashury Park has become delightful
seaside resort within the last few years.
1t lies seven miles south from Long
Branch, the great resort OF the VENEER
INGS and the SHoDDys-those who dis.
plSy their iewelry and ignorance with
equal lavishness. Asbury Park is the
resort OF quite different class
Disseminated by Snobs as the Middle
Class"
because they are intelligent, modest.
self reliant and comfortably circum.
stanced. The bathing here Is much bet
ter than at Long Branch, the beach not
being so precipitous; it ia better here
than at Cape May, because there the
beach is too nearly level. At that calm
and Quaker.like place the bather must
travel quite journey into the ocean
before he can get wet, and the bold dash
ii the b eaker is something entirely too
rough for refined Cape May. This
place furnishes the happy medium
Boli, Dssning. Even Boist> rous Breakers,
and plenty of them, in water from four
10 five ieet deep.
Asbury Park itself is not an old place,
hut Ocean Grove, which is only separs-
ted from it by small lake, has
for many years been a favorite resort
for our Methodist friends. Here they
established camp ground long time
ago, and while stimulating their religi-
Gus emotions, they did not neglect the
sinful side OF their nature, 80 they eat,
and Sossipped, and bathed, and tirted,
ina
Mild, Evangelical Sort of Way.
They have teautiiul and capaciouS
camp ground. temple almost as large
as BRIGHAM NoUSG's, and hundreds Of
delightful cottages by the sea and the
lake, and they descend every season
upon the place, to fight the devil with
showy. though biunted weapons. These
Theological picnics, as they really are,
were much enjOyed and attracted so wide
attention that people of other beliefs,
and no beliefs, concludedth that the Meth
odists ought no; to have all these good
thlrgs To- themSelyes-very much as
WtsLEY objected 10 monopoly OF all
The GOOD tunes 10y the devil. So, Mr..
JAMES \. BRADLEY, the fortunate owner
o. this ground
Where Asb1ry Park N ow Stands.
laid out beautiful city, and
when YOU have counted all the hairs on
yoIr head you have not counted the num-
DER hC tA!s, boarding houses, cottages and
villas which have here sprung up, and
the sands on the sea beach scarcely
more than equal in number the many
pleasant people who come here 10 rest
and recreate. The first object OF all
who come here is TO bathe, of course,
and the b thing indeed is very good.
T.ewrmen 20 into the surf eIe i'll a
must vigorous ami audaciOus manner.
They believe in bathing; it is part OF
their religion an love; and they dash
IN aua
Plunge NrCu&d like Porpoises,
il vou can Imagine pOrpOse wearing a
blue blouse with blue drawers and an old
STRAW hat. But, bless them, they (the
tair bathers) do not mind their appear
anCe. they do not come here 10 show
their clothes and preserve their com
plexiOns, as the ieuinine vlsItants at
Cane Nav do. The wom2u here sport in
the surf as much as the men. Children,
Urls. and matronS fair, tdi and torty,
all take their plunge and seem To enjoy
II. Very lew are comely, or graceful or
elegant i'm the surf, which suggested, no
dOubt. the remark OF q Wheeling lady
who has visited all the famous sea side
resorts:
Where Do the Handsome Ladies Cop
she queried i of the writer. "lhry stay
at home" was the only solution ne
could offer.
tending divine services over IN
Ocean Grove ard almost as
many thousands of PreSbyterians
worsbipping and bathing, boatlng
and gossiping on this side Of the h"auu.
full lake; and there are 10000 more
whose religious belief scarcely goes be-
yond the enjoyment OF the good things
of this world. To many of this class
these camp meetings are at hr't very
curious; for the faithful DO such Odd,eN
traordinary things, and are SD absurdly
in earnest, Withal, that they are remu.
nerative as studies. Almost anybody
NAV be surprised and amused at seeing
persons, ordinarily sensible and noml'
nally intelligent, srream and shout, clap
their hands, and even roll on the ground
when some preacher ar eXhorter -
Describing in Tlnged Rhetoric
the theatric splendOrS of heaven or the
spectacular ballet horrors OF hell. But
when he is told that this is getting re
ligiOn" or falling under the direct lntu-
enc- Of the Holy Ghost, he cannot
help feeling melancholy at the ocular
evidence of such arrant superstition. The
carvings on which | have seen at some
Western camp meetings ac real tommy
a. 4 performance, but as an expression
ofChristianity they are painful To any
mind that would liketO view humanity,
the highest thing in the Cosmos, with
sympathetic or revrrent spirit.
Among the pastimes here are boating
and fishing, both good. For the first
We have two beautiful lakes, dotted with
yaily-caparisoned and
Iuxuriantly Furnished Goudols',
which hit about over the glossy water
with the poetic motions OF q graceful
dancer: snd then We have larger boa:s
for the larger and more boisterons ocean.
Fishing is done mainly in the
salt water, and sea-bsss and
blue fish are the principal catch. The
latter is an exceedingly gamey fish, swift,
strong and yoraciOus. II is genuine fun
10 troll for them in sail-boats. Ii they
40 not bite you have the sail; and they
DO bite there is no small excitement in
drawing in a ten or twelve FOUNDER;
the uncertainty OF getting him into the