Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-07-12
New York Journal

Now is the season for sea-bathing.
and visit to Long Branch. Newport
or Coney Island will show on these
warm, sultry days thousands of peo-
pie enjoying a dip IN the salty surf.
Men and boys have not a variety of
ways of swimming or bathing like
women, probably because they are not
afraid and soon learn to plunge boldly
in; and then they make more of a
business of the pastime than women.
The water is still very cold, having
temperature of siXty-three degrees.
Every one bathes at Long Branch, the
morning being the most fashionable
hour. Ladies at the different hotels
meet in the corridors at stated hour
and go III body to the bathing
houses. If one is ready to go into
the water before the rest she sits calm
Nv down on bucket turned upside
down or some other equally as COM
Portable seat and waits until her Drawer
sisters brave through numbers)
emerge from their bathing-houses, all
of them going into the water at one
time. The bathing-houses are stu
ated in long corridors and are very
private
The reporter was informed that most
ladies don their bathing suits before
leaving their rooms in the hotel, as
they have chance there to sew ON a
button. or ribbon that may have be-
come misplaced, and then it is so
much more comfortable than the small
bathing houses. Over their bathing
costumes they put walking dresses and
carry their underclothing and dry
slippers and stockings done up in
Turkish towel by a shawl-strap. Many
of them carry gosSaner water-proofs
which they put on while going from
the bathing houses to the beach and
then drop suddenly on the sands, the
patient maid following after and
calmly picked it up. Then she awaits
the pleasure of her mistress stay in
the salt water on the beach, and when
my lady comes out she is quickly wrap
ped again in the gossamer and hmries
off to her clearinghouse.
The girl who can swim well enjoys
her bathing greatly. She does not
seem to mind having her hair wet,
and runs quickly with a plunge into
the water and swims boldly out where
the surf is not 50 strong She wears a
light bathing suit Of serge or half
flannel and cotton, made in a simple
fashion with very little trimming and
short sleeves. Her hair she twists
tightly on the top of her head and
sometimes wears an oil-skin cap; but
more generally not anything on the
head.
A fashion which seems peculiar to
Newport and Long Branch girls is
that of wearing bracelets and embroi-
dered stockings while bathing Every
woman wears stockings either of dark
blue or black, and has a pair of SAN
dals to wear to and from the beach
Broad English belts of scarlet or white
with neckerchiefs of the same, make
pretty addition to a bathing suit and
are much worn
In both of the watering places men
toned above and also at Cony Island
Rockaway and Asbury Park are hum
dreds of women who cannot swim,
and who actually go in the water
with their hair crimped and their faces
painted and powdered. They attire
themselves in resplendent bathing
costumes, some of them being of fine
broad, cloth, lined with silk with EN-
broidered stockings and real lace suf-
flies about the neck and sleeves, and a
dainty embroidered handkerchief stuck
in the belt to be near at hand in case
such an awful thing as a drop of wa
ter should get ON her carefully gotten
up face. She walks gingerly into the
water and stands in one spot holding
on to the rope, and then she walks
ont again, and at luncheon she tells
everyone she had such delightful
battle The water was so lovely, etc.
The girls who are learning to swim
are among the most interesting to
watch. Some kind teacher brings
them out into water up TO their necks
and then tells them to get into the
motion, while the teacher holds the
pupil by two fingers under the chin
The poor pupil gets along nicely for
about two seconds and then suddenly
remembers that she is not on terra
tirma, and Immediately goes down
and is up again struggling and gasp
ing and hysterlcal, screaming she Is
drowned she knows she is, and she
wants to get out. etc Many wise
girls gets no further than the sands
and sit in picturesque groups with per
haps one toe in the water building
sand houses like the children or play
ing Sea-weed and shells
The fat woman who dress in ridicu
lous bathing dresses and laugh and
throw water at each other give amuse-
ment oftentimes to a whole beach full
of people The larger they are, the
more good natm'ed they seem to be,
aud they duck and dive in the water
like big children
Newport girls are most fastidious
about their bathing costumes and get
new ones every two weeks, as the salt
water soon takes thecolorout. Many
of them wear long tam mousquetaire
gloves.
All the ladies at the Oriental and
Manhattan Hotels are busy makingup
bathing suits like those worn by Mrs.
Langtry A dry goods house in this
Il