Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-07-04
For the Republican.
At Gomez ISILHd.


all classes an opportunity to occasionally
breathe the pure ea-air and enjoy y
plunge into the fresh salt waves of the
Atlantic. tits claimed to be the most
attractive pleasure resort in the vicinity
OF the city, and to judge from the i'm
mense number of people who every day
during the summer crowd to the beach of
this island, may well be supposed to be
the most popular, and certainly the most
cosmopolitan OF the many seas side resorts
near the city. COney Island is the ex-
IRENE western end OF a great outlying
sand-bar broken by inlets, extending
along the coast of Long Island for nearly
hundred miles, and separated from it
by only very narrow creek or arm of
the ocean, other places being known as
Rockaway Beach, Long Beach, &c. Only
a few years ago it was barren waste of
sand with few low taverns or saloons
trequented by rowdies and representatives
OF the demi-mOnde generally; now it is
crowded with magnificent hotels, un-
equaled in size and splendor by any in
the world, and with all those attractions
which make the seaside delightful for a
days visit. 1t is claimed that there is no
watering-place in the world which has so
many individual destinations as the Coney
Island OF to-day. When attention was
first attracted to it by the better class of
people as bathing resort, only one line
OF hOrse-cars constituted the sole means
OF communication between it and Brook
Ign. AT the present time eight steam
railways, one line Of street cars aud nine
lines of steamships, capable of transport.
ing at least one hundred and fifty thous.
ana persons to and from the beach, daily,
are in operation, and oE every fine day
from the beginning OF June till the middle
OF September, or as long as the season
lasts, each one Of these railways, street
cars and steamships is crowded to its ut
most capacity in conveying visitors to
and from the island.
The cities of New York and Brooklyn
with ali their prominent buildings are
passed, Governors Island, the headquar-
ters of General Hancock, is looked at
with interest, and gradually the bay
widens cut, until after about an hours
pleasant sailing we reach the "Narrows,"
the entrance to New York Bay and just
outside of that the boat lands at the Iron
Pier on the West Brighton Beach.
That part of the beach Immediately in
our front is called West Brighton, further
out, towards the East, is Brighton, and
still further out, Manhattan Beach; al
though connected by railways and car
riages they form really but one promenade,
and the crossing from one to the other is
almost undesirable, except so far, per-
haps, as there may be noted a little diff
ference in the style of the three. West
Brighton is The least stylish, more demo-
cratic of the three The beach, here
perhaps half mile in width, (meanlng
the entire width of the island, is crowded
with pavilions, theaters, galleries, minor
hotels, restaurants, music-stands, swings,
carousals and monkey-shows Of every i'm
aginable kind-in short, it is huge fair
ground. From here a wide drive and
promenade for about half a mile brings
us to Brighton Beach, less gay and snowy,
perhaps, but full as pleasant. An ele-
waited railway a little back from the shore
carries those who are too tired or too
lazy to walk. The Brighton Hotel IS
very ornamental wooden building, 525
feet long and three stories in height, with
broad piazzas around the entire buildings.
The grounds are very finely laid out with
walks, grass and flowers, and from a
music stand in front of the hotel, one of
the most celebrated bands of New York
city, that of the 7th Regiment, plays every
afternoon and evening. Going further
on for about % miles, either on foot, by
rail or in carriage, Manhattan Beach is
reached This is the most aristocratic
place on the island, and the hotel and
the surroundings are the finest Here
the families OF the better middle-class
spend the summer, while the husband
goes to his business in the city every
morning and returns at 4 or in the after.
noon. The hotel is fine woodeu build
ing, $50 #. long, and 4 stories in height
and is claimed to be the largest structure
Of its kind in the world. Its dining rooms
will seat 1000 people at one time, and in
| the height of the season as many as 3d.
900 people have been fed in one day.
The bathing pavilion near the hotel con-
tains 300 separate rooms, and it is said
that guests and visitors are taken excel
lent care of and enjoy all possible com
forts.
The popularity of the island as a sum-
mer resort or as refuge for day from the
toll and heat of the city is undoubtedly
attributable in part to reasonable prices
charged for carrying passengers from the
city and for entertaining them. Oh
course person can stop at one of the
magnificent hotels already mentioned and
pay fancy prices for poor victuals served
in gorgeous style, but there are numerous
places where excellent meals are served
at reasonable prices and several places
fitted up expressly for the many who
bring their own lunch baskets and only
buy cup of tea or coffee or glass Of
beer.
From the foregoing description. nee.
essarily short and hastily written, it may
be readily gathered that Coney Island is
a most remarkable and unique watering
place. Within one hours journey Of
New York it furnishes thousands of peo-
pie, who cannot leave the city during the
summer months, except for very brief
period, chance for seaside diversion,
bathing and fresh air while those of more
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