New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-07
SUMNER LEISURE.
THE ATTRACTIONS OF BLOCK ISLAND.

GOOD PLACE TO SPEND THE HOT WEATHER.
SUDDEN GROWTH OF AN ISLAND RESORT AND
THE ELEMENTS THAT MAKE III POPULAR
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENTS THE TRIBUNE
BLOCK ISLAND. r. L, Aug. 4.-Ieu years ago
this island was little more than deserted and for
bidding place. few fishermen lived here the year
round, eking out a precanOus existence by the
proceeds of their nets There was a small boarding-
house on the island but that was all. No harbor
tempted the passing craft to stop even for night
Fsh-hawks and sea-guIls in countless numbers
winged their lazy a ght to and from its bold and
rocky sides and seemed 10 have completely monop-
ollzed the island. Time has wrought many
changes here, indeed. 4 breakwater on one side
of a sort of bend in the island now makes small
but fairly good harbor for small vessels. Within
the last five years Block Island has grown to be
popuous and busy place. Persons OF
speculative turn Of mind, VINO khe"
good thing when they saw IL. dia not
long let the natural advantages OF this island on the
Atlantic escape their notice. They descended on
the place with suddenness that startled the
natives and before they haL recovered from their
surprise hotels and cottages had been built and the
intruders had assumed an air which seemed TO say:
eve own tho whole island and hold a mortgage on
the ocean, The natives dropped their nets, pulled
vigorously at their pipes and submitted win only
pert re mark about the cheek OF right whale"
There were no gilt-edgcd cards or flaming hand
bills to usher IN Block Island as summer watering
place Its advent was quiet and free from display
One hotel was soon followed by another and an
other. until now there are dozen or more IN all,
and the island has assumed its place IN the rank OF
recognized summer resorts. Each year has length
ened the list of summer visitors. The hotels are
| filed now from the opening TO the closing of the
season and it not inrequently happens that there
| is standing room only"
Thus far this season Block Island has been pc
| culiarly fortunate Although the hotels were
opened earlier than most summer resorts, there has
been large number of people here all of the time
and to-day the island is alive with visitors and mas
the hum and hustle of a city. At the Ocean view
| House every room is occupied, and those who can
| ind mantel-plece vacant or the bottom OF an IN
yerted tub unOccuped consider themselves fortu-
nate There are 800 guests there. Among tho re-
cent arrivals Justice >. +. Miller OF the UNI
ed States Supreme Court; Mrs Judge c. J. llillyer
and family, of Washington H. q. Uuey, of Chca-
90; w. j. Hayes, Of C,eycland E. y. Norton and
family. of New-York; L. p Nettleon and family, Of
Boston; b. erbe and wife, Of Cleveland; S.M Blk
by and family. of New-York; T. W. Blackstone and
family. OF Chicago; Lorenzo blackstone and VIE,
OF Norwich Conn: 7. K. lrow5rdge aud part y, OF
! New-York; A. o. PaytOn. of ST LOUIS; G. NJ Nltci-
ell, &. 7. GOss, OF tterbuy DistfIc', ";
| b. Corkhill, OF Washington; William y Harris OF
| Providence; DE- L. ). Mansfield, OIL MeIideni Gen
eral William Weston and family, OF New-b RUS
! wick n j.; o.. IL. Natrous president Of the New
| York New Haven and Hartford RalrO'd COm-
| pAnv aAd family OF ewHaven; u. +. Basbrson'
| of Hart ord; ". III Goodrich and family. or Hart
| ford; Zeuas Talbot Of hohs er Mass MAJOR A..
| b Ferguson OF the UnIteu states tlsh Commission;
| ID. Il. Powell and family, OF =. LOUIS; tue
| lion. b. B. Smalley OF Buriingtoh,, W ;
| J. l. Mcfarland, o. Washington Edwin Fowler,
| of St Louis J. Il. Newton aud family, OF HOLY oke
Mass. : Colonel c. ". Laned, OF West Point; the
Rev H. W. Cuman. of New-York Eugeue Delano
and vi e. of PhIIadclpula; Colonel J.. a rage ana
family, OF New Ork; T. T. W ell OF Clinton low,
= b. Rice and fanny. OF W Waterbury, Conn. u .
AppleDy 0. MashingtOn ; Dr. EdIund IOuiJee' OF
Dos on the lion. NllillIn H. HaiGh; oil hainlDs
Mo: William LItlauer, j. q. Webster, Dr. H.
~ turtls the non. H. Z. DOnnelly. OF Ne" 1Oik !;
lr. Ii. {. Mc>herry, 81 Baltimore DcIJamih
kingsley, of Prov deuce; fred@ricH gilbert anu
or or" New-{ork; the Rev. II. q. apauIii 2
and family spHnsle.d' Mass. Jo0e 1P
| Ito, n r Morgan aud family, of New-1Ork Dr. ).
L. " Iliams, oil Bosom u. u. Lake ana iahlIy, OF
New-YOrk; frenericA Beer ot Queenstown, south
Atr,c4 the Hon H. H. beunett, Iaun on, VI 81;
J. H. Perry and lauIIy, OF DrOoKlyn; Abrah iiyde'
OF Colum6us, OHIO 4 -. DUBOIS, OF Ne"-1orA; L.
AT he Spring House are 4. l.. Ives. of New-1ork ;
Wi liam Beebe and vile, Oh Ne" haven D. -
earns v and family OF Troy Alfred hay inu I'tul
i.y. Oh Ncw-lork j. Il. " uuans ana ialH1' Oh
Ithaca y. /. NJ ,,t--. ~
the PequOt II Use have a large number u guests
| ,jlock Island Is LOS, however, one Of tuc lost
accessible piac.s IN &c world. 1t may not be- any
more uInicul, 10 reach thdn Other IsIAhuS III Tue
ocean out y nen you get there you are great
deai gIaudrr. somehow, islands always LOOK AAe
! ni.a..nt places. Ii Is "A popularity of people VINO
20 10 nc seaside that tnry arc forever wanting 10
| row or SAL 10 some island. boys no sooner uroP
her mothers bundles Oh The MOTEL vrranda than
| they are III small boat pulling Tor some dlihlAu-
tive Island Oh group OIL f0cAS IL was no uoup, III
recognition VI THIS CHARACTERISTIC mat AI'emus
Ward acclaimed: These rOcHs winch you SEE ia
the foreground are not fOcAs 4; they are COW bu
one lrip 10 Book Island, starting from Ne" Lon
| don Is usually enough 10 chill ordinary curiosity
ana east "A gloom over thoughts OI longer sea VoJ 70
age. II requires altogether TOO nuch wear ana tedf
| On the stomach. visit 10 Block lsiahd last sum
! Inar W.. m,de IN the venerable steamboat, the
ella v lIcn mas been Oh tie route long enough 20
became an interesting relic. InIs year, however,
new and elegant steamboat, the Block Island, has
|. been put on tue route BY al opposition COM
pauy composed mostly Oh pt rsous IntcIes'eu III OF
connected with the NewLOndJn Northern hail-
road he speculation has proved more OI success
tnan was anticipated.
Tne Book leland Is so much faster than the
Ella that visitors reach the Island a. II O'Clock
aud have TWO hours AID a halI 10 see Ihe place
| before returning 10 New-LOndOn. Inc steam OOat
| arrives IN New-London her return Deiween 4
ana D o. CLOCK tue Afternoon. But nOt"ltnsIahd-
/. | uQ That the blocA Island Is larger thdn the
tia and better SEA boat there Is sun mat same
Oh position her part 10 stand on her mead OF ioL
Oh ner side, often unSetues Inc last meal ahu
causes THAT enormous sale OIL lemons III 10 gat'ly
inR TO know however, that the pleasure Que enJOJ
a,er teaching hls desunat ZION more Than conpcn-
| safes Tor III IstOrtunes on the way -.
he attrac ions of BLOCK lsiabd according 10 Jhe
| hotel advertisement are " unsurpassed" Ihis II
MOI deliberate lie; hotel propne.Ors DO not deliO-
crate as much as they ana; IL only an Exaggerated
exAggerltion. tisuIng Is the principal sport; and
| ii, res plenty OF nSh 70 catch Inc walels III the
| v1.lui = of the island are SAID u be- IaIrly alive
win tsh THIS Is OF course matter OF cOngfA0u-
| lat ont III ghI imp .eslsanJ II they were uedd
with tlsu or " alive" with uead usu neIe are uaA
IN great numbers there out not III such Quantities
| a. 10 obs ruct navigation. lh1t LAS Deeh
: | carefully provided against Dy the hdO'es
Insre =. also ,o,ne game on the Island, buo IL 10
,noslly setback or oid-maid." unless, perhaps
- - 90 Led tilock island turkey l. taken into