Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-08-11
COTTAGE CITY.
The Maine Press Picnic Reported by our
George.

We have moved our circus, and have pitch
ed our tent here for a few days. When we
left Plymouth, We run into Boston, and there
changed cars for New Bedford At New
Bedford we took a steamer for here, and are
quartered at the Bay View House. Ny room
is up considerable distance, but as the land
lord has kindly placed balloon at nv dis
posal. | get along quite nicely, shall, when |
learn how to drive the balloon. Nv window
looks out on the coast Of England, that Is.
there is nothing between here and there to
obstruct the view but the Atlantic Ocean
As near as a stranger can discover, the Old
Colony X. K. owns the whole southern end
Of Massachusetts,. They own, or control, all
all the railroads aud all the
steamboats,, and our tickets are good Tor
any train or boat belonging TO their line
There Is probably nothing that sets man up
so, and makes him ieel SO much like million
al. c, as TO own, for the time being, a lot Of
railroads and steamboats,. 1t makes one feel
so gilt edged, to hear the conductor call out,
tickets, and have every passenger bat you,
hunt up his pasteboarl, and 90 through IF
teen pockets before he remembers that it is In
his hat band while you sit there, apparently
unconcerned, and merely look up as the con-
duCtor goes by, with an II own this road" ex-
preston, while all the other passengers think
you are either the president of khe road or
one OF the directors.
Th. place, Cottage City, was formerly a
part OF EGgartown, but as they had TO pay
most of the town bills, they got charter for
a town Of their own. II Is not much larger
than a good sized flap. jack, but there is con-
silsra HE wealth here and II ia frutV "a hat its
name is, "a cottage city. 1t originally start
ed as a camp ground, but being on the sea
shore, and cool and pleasant place, cottages
take the place OF tents, and pleasure the place
Of religion-fOr one can't catch blue fish and
attend church at the same time-tlil now this
Is one OF the celebrated watering places of
New England. Where is beach of fine
sand, and d long row OF bath houses along
the shore. The fashionable, nicely shaped
ladies, array themselves IN very becoming
costumes, and long hose, 50 as 10 give free
play to the limbs IN swimming, | presume.
and disport ike mermaids in the brlny deep,
hIle the young mca who can I SWIM, but
have good eyes, sit on the shore watching to
see if anybody gets drowned With my usual
luck, the water was so cold while | have been
here, that if girl should venture into it, she
would freeze sitter than a cast iron hitching
]
concerned, might as well be in the bottom
OF coal niue.
The finest cottage here is owned by Lieut..
/ Gov. Ames, and cost about $4,000. The
walls inside are finished in cloth. If there
are as many moth mill, rs here, as there are
where came from, | should think it would
take dozen women running around all the
spring with a bottle of benzine and a hot fiat
IRON, killing moths. This cottage is adver-
tised for sale The great majority of the cot
tages here seem to be owned by one person,
and his card was tackled on all the doors. His
name was L. Q. Let He must be very rich
to own so many. and keep them all shut up.
There are some 2OUO people who reside
here all the time, and during August, in a
good year, il is claimed that some days there
are 1000 people here; but when they don't
pretend to lie about the sea serpent at a
watering place, they will magnify the pOpula-
/ ton terribly.
The streets are all concrete, aud are quite
/ level, and there are more yelocIp, des and
. tricycle., 10 the 81 ture inch than ever saw
ANYWHERE lhe ,rl.lal father of all skating
Kinks from snIrh tue Vineyard roller skate
takes its name, Is lp,d.,d here. 1t is a fac
rink, and is said to be a paying institution.
/ Skating, to be a success, should be monop-
oily that is, the feet should monopollze the
business, for when one tries to diversity the
thing and skate on his head, and elbows, and
spinal column, it throws it into disiavor
here is the same apparent monotony here
that there ia to all other resorts of this nature
get up in the morning, eat, go out every
time a boat comes in, walk around the yeran'
da smoke, eat again, more boats, more walk
ing. smoke another cigar. go to the wharf &c
meet another boat. eat, smoke, walk and g
to bed This is the programme for gentle
men. | neglected to mention drink" now
and them / didn't forget it, and the visitor:
don't forget either The ladies go through
the same programme. simply emitting the
drinks and substituting a change of dress
each time.
The hotels are not making money thi,
season. The proprietors complain that the
/ class who come here and spend money usually
don't seem to have it to spend. 1t Is not the
regular boarders who simply pay so much a
week that makes a summer resort house pay
but il is the man who comes Saturday auG
goes home Monday whose board is SIS CO.
and whose bill is 500 90; the $50 90 being
for extras" 1t is also the party of Harvard
students. who come here and drink the bar
dry, and break up the furniture, that help.
out the profit and loss account on the hote
ledger.
There is a narrow gauge railroad running
from here to Edgartown. distance of about
six miles. There is no grading on the road
the bed simply follows the lay of the land.
Edgsrtown invested $4,000 in the road, and
sold out its interest for $500, swindling the
purchaser badly at that. 1t is very rough
riding road, and the car sways to and fro like
a vessel in cross sea, | ventured my life
on this rail, but will not undertake to put my
/ fluctuations into this letter.
nrp