National Republican., 1884-06-12
A NEW SUMMER RESORT.
Virginia Dcnch as It Is Now and Ns II
VIII he Whom Ready for Business.


VIRGINIA BEACH, NEAR NORFOLK, VA,
Juno D.-Norfolk is improving rapidly. Tho
best Main street stores are not oxcelled in
Washington. Many now houses are building,
and things generally indicate u lively state
Of business. Tho electric light is in common
use. A merchant told me that his cost him
$l2 a month, burning six hours, or 50 burn
ing three hours, which lis decidedly. cheaper
than gas.
At 1890 / took the cars for Virginia Beach,
distant eighteen miles. The road is narrow
gauge and runs through n fiat country COW
ored with pines aud scrub oak chiefly, with
here and thoro good farming establishment.
On one of these there are about L. 500 acres Of
open land most of it in cultivation. 1t took
us an hour to run down, tho train stopping
at half a dozen stations.
My first movo was to tho sheltered seats on
the edge of tho terrace, just over the beach,
In front was the mighty ocoanylwith steamers
and sail vessels on tho great path OF COM
mercc, between New York and Charleston,
with school Of countless porpoises rolling
! leisuroly toward the north. Below us, the
waves tapping over the gentle sioping beach,
and TO the lett and right tho yollowish line
of sand, with tho white surf breaking over it,
| oAlcuuluE rs lar us JnO SlEnJ Chn TcdCHs L
am told that tho beach Is firm, smooth, and
unbrokon, giving beautiful carriage drive
for sixty miles. There arc no bays or dan
| gorous places, and the ascent to the high land
is generally easy. ] doubt whether there is
a finer beach drive in the world.
The temperature is the one common TO tho
opon soacost. Yesterday Sunday l had to
don my overcout about 3 in tho afternoon.
| 1t is now noon, and am writing In the opon
| pavilion. The sun is shining brightly, and
it is probably hot in Washington, but it Is
pleasant horo with n suggestion in tho air
that tho overcoat will hayo to BIO called for
in the afternoon. Virginia Beach ID six miles
south of Cape Henry and about thirty-fvo
miles from Fortress Monroe.
This is the first season at the beach. Tho
hotel, pavilions, dining rooms, &C., were pro-
jcctcd on u magnificent scale by the proprio-
tors, two rich mon Of Norfolk, and arc not
yet finished. Tho grand pavilion is 2o0 by
40 feet, and all tho buildings extend along
the shore 500 feet. There is q quarter of q
mile or 30 in corridors, twenty feet wide.
The sewerage is on the same principle with
that at Manhattan beach, aud Is expected to
be perfect in its kind. There arc to be
bowling alleys billiard tables and all the
usual apparatus for amusements. There are
to bo row boats on Lake Holley, narrow
sheet of water nearly mile long, just behind
the hotel. There are to bo stables and
carriages. But these are in the future. The
grand pavilion is finished. The dining hall
hotel, &C., are covered in, but the windows
are not yet in. The furniture is piled in q
high stack thirty feet wide by hundred
long, While write the carpenters, painters
fnishers, upholsters are busy at work. In q
week or two some of the buildings will be
ready, and by tho first of next month the cs
tablishment will be in fair order 1t will not
however, be in flrst-rate trim before mex
season, when the proprietors hope to have II
equal to the best watering places on the sea
shore.
AS an addition to the easily accessihl,
summer resorts it is valuable to Washington
people. The river trip to Norfolk is delight
full, aud costs next to nothing. The establish
ment is among truck patches and farms, ant
can get supplies at cheap rate; and the tw,
fisheries in the neighborhood contribute t.
; tho table all the delicacies Of the sea. |
ought not to be place of extravagant prices
though, doubtless, it will run into these afte
year or two In the mean time, to tn
business man who can spare Saturday, it will
be pleasant to leave Washington Frida.
evening, spend the night on the river, tn
| next two days on the seashore, and retur
Sunday night in time for the Monday
, business.
But, as l write, see that the sword fis
have made an attack on the porpoises an
their long slender tlukcs make frequent pla
above the water. must so with the crow
to look on and imagine the war raging in til
waves. Tho fish are no better than mel
Why don't they follow the pacific advice {
the poet in Rowses version?
Ie monsters of the btiny deep.
, Your Makers praises spout.
Up from the deep, ye oodlings, peep.
And wag your tails about.