Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-07-12
MAYOR LOWS LONG SWIM. I

how dear 1 ives to John The Argosy.
MAYOR Lows LONG SWIM,
4 He Comes Near being Shot I'm Mistake for
Sea serpent,
Heu TorE San.
Mr.. Jenkins Yan..Schaick, Bridge Trustee,
and ex-Alderman of Brooklyn, sat on the
piazza of his summer cottage at Cold Spring
Harbor, on the north side of Long Island,
last Wednesday afternoon, LOOMING out over
the calm water, and pensively smoking
cigar. The sky was clear, the temperature
was Just right, and the breeze that blew over
the harbor was laden with perfume from the
woods and fields and ozone from the ocean
Mr.. Van Schaick blew the smoke of his
C; ar away in fanciful rings, and filed his
lungs with the fresh air. He stretched his
limbs out on his reclining chair, and was
about to fall into q nap, when something In
the water arrested his attention. 1t was 30
tar away that it would have escaped the eye
of any one but an experienced sportsman,
but Mr.. Van Schaicks attention was attrac-
ted by it Immediately. After gazing inten.
~ for q few minutes and assuring himself
hat the thing was alive, that it was round
and black above and white beneath, and
that it looked very much like the head of
marine monster, he ran into his cottage and
got repeating rife. Then he sat down to
await developments. He could perceive in
very little time that the mysterious animal
was holding S. S. E. course. which would
bring it very close to his cottage. He then
slipped into his house and out at the back
door, whence he crswled cautiously through
sbrubbery to the high sandy promontory be-
hind which bis cottage is sheltered. Lying
out on the point here, ne was able to observe
the creature much more distinctly than be-
tore.. Several times he saw Its body rise q
little out Of the water, and he judged from
The red and black rings encirclipg it that he
was going to be hopored with visit from
The sea serpent. With great anxiety he
awaited its approach. In little while the
creature was within about half mile of the
shore, and the watcher could see that its
mode of swimming was different from thst
of most serpents. The head was carried
low srd the motion was not undulsting, but
horizontal This puzzled Mr.. Van Setback,
but the gorgeousness of coloriDg precluded
he thought that it wss anything but q sea
serpent.
Presently, to his surprise, Mr.. Van
Schaick perceived another similar creature
two or three hundred yards behind the first,
and following in lis wake. He examined
ais rife and fixed the gauge at 500 yards.
Nearer and nearer the strange swimmers
came. and the closer they got the more was
Mr.. Van Setback puzzled. Twice he put
10 bis rife to take shot at the foremost,
and then laid il down in doubt.
"By Jove, they're menu he suddenly ex-
claimed, as he recognized the regulation
bathing suit stripe. Then hejumped to his
ttet aud hid bis rifle in the house.
A minute later he lay In his reclining
:hsir again, putting cigar up at the zenith
md looking at the fsstapproaching visitors
With an Idont.allow.any trespassers here
.xpression. His severity of countensnce
vas totally lost en- The swimmers, however.
They lanGed on the beach, shook them
,elves aud made for Mr. Van Schaic's cot.
atP.
Hello, Van Schaick!" shouted the fore
most. brawny, good looking young man.
"HelIo, Van Schsick!' echoed the other,
Rbo was older, taller, and thinner, and wore
\ black beard and pair of eyeglasses.
Mr. Van Setback looked stern and aston
shed for moment; then he cried;
We'll, upon my word Low and Allen
Where's the Common Council? Where in
huuder did you fellows come FROM
Why we just swan IL" said Mayor
Low, for the younger of the swimmers was
40 other then Brooklyn's Chief Magistrate,
While the older one was Franklin Allen,
ais secretary.
Swan in from whereH
From Oyster BayH'
Around the pointH'
mo, crossed the neck.
Did hey. Do you know how far it isY'
mo"
Just six miles and $50 yards. Eph
Rogers measured the distance from your
cottage to mine on the map the other day"
The visitors had some of Mr.. Van Schs.
icks cigars and something from his cup
BOARD. They sat talking for half an hour,
mt Mr.. Van Setback avoided all mention
Of how he had stalked them for sea serpents.
Finally the swimmers took to the water
again, and they passed out OF sight, with
he Mayor far in the lead, breasting Cold
Spring Harbor as gsllantly as Ulysses did
he Mediterranean. They raced back over
he course they had come, namely, two
miles of swimming TO Loyds Neck, then
walk of 100 yards over sand, and after that
u swim Of four miles to the Mayors cottage
on the beach at Oyster Bay. The Mayor
led bis secretary in by ten minutes.
This is the longest swim Mayor Low aud
Mr.. Allen have yet taken together. MIR.
Allen used to glory in his ability to beat
any amateur swimmer in Brooklyn until
Two years ago, when he went swimming with
the Mayor at Manhattan Beach. Mr.. Allen
challenged Mr. Low to race to float half
mile ont. They raced, and the Mayor
came IN 200 yards ahead. Since that time
he two have performed some b g swimming
eats together in their own quiet way, and
;irce Mr.. Low rented his cottage on Oyster
Bay beach three weeks ago, and made q
practice Of running down to it every evening
lfter his business in the city was over, he
has fra quently iuvi;ed Mr.. Allen to come
down and swim with him. Annoyed at
being so frequently beaten, the latter
thought he would bluff the Mayor by propos.
ing to swim over and visit Mr.. Van Schaick.
Greatly to his establishment the Mayor
promptly took him up.
Neither of the swimmers experienced any
bad results from their long race, and both
were at the Brooklyn City Hall the next
day, looking as bright as ever. The Mayor
is known as an athlete among his friends.
but his latest performance beats all that he
has done before. When he was student
in Columbia Collage he ussd to wslk over
lem Brooklyn every day, and this so im-
pressed his fellow students that they persuad-
ed him to put himself in the hands of the
collage trainers. As walker, however. he
was not great. He had plenty Of endur-
ance, but little speed.