Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-08-03
coNEr isLANl.
Two Views ofths Famous ssssits
Resort.
Innocent Mirth and DESTROYING vice.
Eorton's Point and West Brighton
Scenes In Daylight and At RighA

come rolling in mighty force from the broad
Atlantic stretching out far as the eye can
reach, to dash with a roar upon the sand.
CoHey Island to-day differs as much from
the Coney Island of Eve years ago as does
Rockaway Beach today differ from its more
favored neighbor. The heaving bosom Of
the sea, the musical roar Of the rollers, the
blare of brass bandsaand the thousand and
one things that go to make up the necessity
Of theV seaside city's existence, noise and
noise in profusion, must be heard to give
an idea what it really is.
Coney Island OF Five Years Ago.
Five years ago, before steel rails crossed
the fertile soil Of that end Of Long Island
which leads to the beach, and the iron
steam horse made transportation rapid;
when the only means Of reaching twas BY
boat to the only pier-a rough, wooden one,
or by wagon from Brooklyn-Coney Island
existed to New Workers at Norton's Point.
The bathing houses were but little wooden
boxes strung along the beach and almost
washed by the sea. The hotel was old
fashioned and what is now considered be-
hind the age 1t stood alone, and for miles
beyond it stretched out the white, cleaning
belt of sand, unbroken and unmarked save
when the sea, angered by the winter winds,
had broken through and made little re.ks
into which was tossed the soapy-looking
foam, which comes tumbling in, rolling and
sweeping on the waves And how different
is it to-day Norton's abandoned and the
beach a mass Of buildings. The traasfor-
nation is complete, and the old-time visitor
would stand in amazement to-day at the
changes, Like mushrooms, almost fairy
like in the rapidity of their growth, build
ings nave gone up, enormous hotels have
been erected and roads and carriageways
made And all this within the space of 0
;ery few years.
In the Surf.
Leaving the train in the great, big de-
pot Of the Sea Beach Railroad or coming
from either Of the great iron piers, the brain
is bewildered and the mind lost in coniem-
plation of the scenes. Directly in 'front.'
The tall observatory, with its moving cars
loaded with human freight; to the right and
eft the broad white beach and the surf In
he water thousands of old, middle aged and
;oung, both sexes, some in picturesque
Iathing suits the majority in the canvas,
plaid one-garment suit loaned out by the
pathing house proprietors, mixing promis-
.uously and rolling over and over in the
breakers IN the enjoyment Of sea bath.
On the beach, just far enough away to avoid
he stealing little rivulets made by the in
coming waves, family parties with the con-
tents Of lunch baskets spread out, and the
members Of party eating and drinking con-
tentedly. Children in bare feet and with
little shovels digging up the sand, filling
their tiny little sand cans, and growing
brown and sturdy from the sun and the
healthy ocean breeze. Many are strangers
from the surrounding country, the near
cities of New Jerser, the river towns along
The Hudson, and even Pennsylvania fur.
nishes a quota Tired Of the beach and
with empty lunch baskets they wander back
ill they come to the boarded place where
Levy plays upon the cornet. Then one Of
he multitude of shows, the real lake with
real boats operated by steam, the merry-go-
rounds, or the roller coasting rink find them
as patrons Or if not one Of these then the
man who lifts thousand pounds, or the
make charmers, the electric shock batteries,
he man with the trained dogs or birds at
rracts their attention. And when evening
comes, tired but happy, they seek their
ZONES. Such is Coney lsland.in the day
ime.
Coney Island ut Night.
But at night what change! After the
innocent, simple folk have gone then comes
orth the wickedness in hideous nakedness
Then is revealed the real life Of the place
Mixed in the throngs innocent young women,
hop girls and the daughters and sisters Of
mechanics making their first visit, perhaps,
the place. Thieves and gamblers looking
tor victims, side by side with shameless
woman openly plying their nefarious occu-
pations. This is the true picture Of Coney
Island at night. 1t is big spider net and
these men and women are the deadliest
species Of spider. Their sting is poison
and their bite is death. And many Of the
so-called hotels are but conveniences for
these people, great buildings devoted to i'm
moral purposes, and this, too, beyond ques..
ton and beyond dispute. There are hotels
at Coney Island where such practices would
not be tolerated for an instant, hotels where
families can come and stay with perfect
safety, free from all Objectionable persons
and apart from those who 60 TO make up
he wicked night population. But there are
many whose reputation is tainted, which in
the city would be Stunned by decent peo-
ole. And as to the gambling houses, they
are there in any quantity, from the pool
rooms at Paul Bauers to the big games Of
faro, red and black, keno and in fact every
thug in the nature Of so-called games Of
chance, Just off the Concourse or on the
broad Boulevard back from the beach.
A Hotbed of Vice.
To the person who doubts the statement
that the west end of Coney Island is mo-
rass Of the worst kind, that it is hotbed
Of vice, let that person stroll from the big
music stand where Levy toots on his horn,
through the myriad Of hastily constructed
platforms, past the bars and restaurants, till
he finds himself on the road leading down
the beach towards Norton's point Let him
stop and view the people surrounding the
machine for testing the muscles, and then
stroll into the place called q sporting house.
In the centre q roped ring, where hired
plug uglies batter each others faces, and
vile fellow dressed in womsn's clothing
makes noise which the crowd terms sing
ing, and bar at which both men and
women are permitted to stand and drink.
Let the doubter cast his eyes over the as
semblage. Let him note the people. The
majority young, many of them girls, whose
astonished faces betrsy the fact that this is
a novelty. Let him see the wretch in
woman's clothing 60 round through the au-
dience and note bis actions with the men
and with, more particularly, the young
women. Then let him 20 10 hack driver
and say he wants ito have some fun Let
him note the answer after the driver has, as
they put il, sized bis fare up Invariably
it is interrogstive, "Do you want 70 see
some hides, or do you want gamef II
the former, the "fsre" will speedily find
himself at the door Of the Red Light of
the Concourse, and just little to the east
of the monster bazaar building. now nearly