Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-08-01

There ia great variety of carriages
Some are driven by the ladies them
selves, and the footman sits on q seal
behind, while there are many nice little
two. wheeled vehicles. called village
carts, and several English four-in-
hands. The coachmen and footmen are
all dressed in livery, with tall silk hats
long blue rock.coats, and close fitting
light colored pants tucked in theil
boots.
The principal hotel Ia the Ocean
House, an immense five-stOry building
on Bellevue Avenue. Near here, on
each side OF the Avenue, are the branch
stores of great New York houses, kept
open here only during the summer sea-
son. The signs read something like
this: u. Chadwick, dealer in Antique
Furniture and Pottery, Bric.a brac, &c
Branch of No. 3 E. 10th st., N. Y" Neal
here is the Newport Casino, q building
designed for various kinds of games
and amusements, and containing an
opera house where none but first class
troupes are allowed to exhibit. 1t be-
longs to the Casino CLUB, of which Mr..
August Belmont Is president, and
which numbers among it's members
Messrs ]. Gordon Bennett, w. FL. Van
derbilt. w. B. Astor, P. Lorillard, and
many other eminent persons.
One of Newport's principal attractions
is its fine bathing beach. This is q
place over along the ocean where the
water is shallow for a considerable
distance from the shore, and the bottom
| is nice, smooth sand. Great numbers ol
people bathe here every day. There is
q long row of white bathing houses
where the people put on their bathing
snits and then wade out to meet the
| break ers or large waves which are al
ways rolling in to the land When the
sea is not too rough many ladies and
children go in and take this pleasant
and healthful salt bath. There Is no
danger, if persons do not go out beyond
their depth. and then, unless they can
swim pretty well, they are liable to be
carried off by the under current. Only
one person has been drowned SO far this
season. South of this beach are the
cliffs, against which the waves dash
with tremendous force. Some OF the
| finest villas are along these cliffs, where
the occupants can look during the day
at the vessels out at sea, and at night bt
Iulled to sleep by the roar of the mighty
Atlantic. There are q number of his.
|
here. where, it is supposed, that Cap
tain Kidd and his crew of pirates were
| ia the habit of landing to take on water
and where they buried much of their ill
gotten treasure. South of the cliffs are
several other beaches. as here they cal
any place q beach where the land Ii
sandy and slopes gradually into the
water.
The. most interesting thing about
| Newport Is what is called the "Oid
Stone Mill" It stands in Touro Park
on the Avenue, and no one knows by
! whom it was built or for what it waf
lintended. 1t js made of rough stones
and is cylindrical in shape. its height
being twenty-four feet and its diameter
/, about twenty feet. 1t stands on eight
uund pillars, which are about three
fa. It in diameter and six feet high. II
has no floor or roof, and has been stand
iny 70 the sunshine and rain for ages
thono y tbs city has enclosed it with an
iron f., yes. aid protects it as a mysteri
nus rel ie of the pre- historic past
Learned .xntiquarians, from both Eu'
rome and A merics, have examined tns
structure and written books ana arti-
cIes in the magazines about 1t, aud now
If ia ceneralIv believed that it was bull
sometime about the twelfth century by
the adventurous Nors 'efaen, VINO are
supposed to have visit> u nus region
from Iceland ABOUT that une. New
port is quite an old place and Hs. aul't
a history, besides many traditl> "s SUI
legends of noted pirates and India VI.
Some Of the gay young summer Il
dents here have rented and enclosed y
grassy lot of several acres, where they
play a game called Polo. This lively
kind of sport was introduced here from
England several yeers by Mr. Bennett.
1t is game something like handy except
that the players are all on horseback and
wear bright colored uniforms. Croquet
hes long since gone out of fashion here,
and similar game called Lawn Tennis
has taken it. place. There is roller
skating rink near the Ocean House. and
riding school also, and over on rock
in the harbor New York professor has
swimming school where tie children
of the summer residents learn to swim.
In Newport harbor are q number of
pleasure yachts belonging to some OF
the wealthiest folks. The largest one is
the Ambassador, belonging to Mr.. As
tor, whose support, I am told, costs on
an average several hundred dollars per
day Mr.. Benefits house here is un-
occupied, as he is absent on a cruise to
Europe in his new yacht, which is the
largest and finest one that belongs in
American waters There are two Uni.
ted States Training ships ly ing here
permanently, and occasionally for
eign man of-war comes into our port
On an island in the harbor is u Torpedo
Station, where the government manu-
features all kinds of explosive materi.
ais for the Navy, and at the entrance ol
the Bay is the United States Fort Ad-
ans. There is q line of steamships tG
New York and one to Providence, anC
excursions to Black Island and othel
shore. places are run nearly every day
A number of coasting and fishing YES
sells belong here. But fifty years ago
in the palmy days of whale fishing, thii
city was much more important por
than it is now. On q rock in the har
Dor is a light kep's by a lady
named Ida Lewis, who is called th,
Grace Darling of America because. Hk'
that celebrated Scottish heroine, sh'
seems to have talent fol- rescuing peo
pie from drowning. She together will
her mother and sister has kept the light
house for about twenty years, and dur
ing that time she has sa we'd the lives o
fourteen persons.
Newport has few mar .ufacturing in
dustries compared with either New Eng
land towns of the sam size. 1t ha
one daily and two weekly newspapers
The Newport Mercury. t,ne of the week
les, was founded by Benjamin Frank
Ii n in 1853, and is now the oldest pape
III America.
This summer the electric light ha
been introduced here, and has proved I
su ccess.
Last Saturday night, Oscar Wild
delivered his lecture ON the Decorative
Arts at the Casino, and charged tn
"t'oo utterly utter" price of one dolla
for general admission. and one dolla
and half for reserved seats.
Several weeks ago saw an article i,
the New York Graz ohio, stating tha
Newport unquestiona bly, stands at tn
head Of American WI tteripg places. an,
that by many it is co nsidered the fines
in the world. From what can learn
I think that Long Branch and tn
other seaside places about New YorI
nave more transient visitors and fine
hotels than Newport, but not near 9
Iuany permanent COTS ,gers.
There are many otbt, # things I woul
HEe TO mention. but ] suppose this i
long enough.