Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-04
THE MONACO OF AMERICA.

.
nous 30 on 10 the student.
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THE MONACO OF AMERICA.
A La1s osssryasisss en- Gsmsss- and
eambllsz ~ Lens srssea.
A Long Branch letter 10 the Word
says: The salt has lost its SAVIOR at Long
Branch. Undenisbly the place is down
at The heel. Ocean avenue is in misera-
bic condition. The roadside is border
ed by weeds bearing their burden Of
dust as they might in any tumble
down village. There is apervading air
Of unkemptness that never sccomps-
MES prosperity. The porter, the
hsekmAn, and the naughty driver
Of the ten-cent stage, when con-
versaiioaally disposed, direc, their re-
marks toward accounting for this very
evident state ofafairs. The peculiarly
Of the situation is that Long Branch
for the time is crowded. The cottages
are all let, the hotels are packed, yet
everybody inscnsibiy discriminAtes be-
tween crowds and those elements that
90 to make up a successful season.
Outward speech is for the most part
prompted BY ones theological bias.
Everybody must have observed that no
matter how indifferent q man is 70 re-
hgious observaDceS he can furnish at q
moment a whole theological equipment
Of opinions.
BY Long Branch now must be UNDER
stood the area embraced by the hotels.
This now swarms with gamblers, sport
inc-men, and the overflow ef New York
from the iron pier boats. It's difficult
to adjust ones sympathies with ones
senses The accessibility Of Long
Branch and the cheap rates by the boats
are only worthy Of graduation, for they
enable so many poor, tired methers and
feeble children a refreshing sail and .
change Of scene that they can find in no
other direction. On the other hand,
they have helped to despoil Long
Branch. The feeble folk unhappily form
but a small part Of the freight Of the
iron pier boats. When this human me-
nsgerie is let loose the greater part are
men TO whom the chimpanzee at the
park might give the pass among beasts.
Half if not wholly drunk. they rush
pell-mell through the crowd children
are swept from their mothers hands,
women shrek. babies scream. The
scenes are not only disgusting. but dan
gerous. There Is no police, for al
though Long Branch is a suburb Of
New York. otherwise we are in Jersey.
and very slow, very rural, take-eyery-
thing-for-granted Jersey. This hete-
rogenious, sweltering mass distributes
itself over the beach. in the hotels, and
fills the gambliDg-houses if there is no
racing at Monmouth Park.
Never were the gamblers and their be-
longings more openly and disglstingly
displayed. That this is permitted
brings deserved odium on Long Branch
from decent people. Broadway faunts
club" pennants which indicate gam
bling-houses Of more or less pretension.
The humber may even tempt fortune
in shelter-tents flying the well-known
signals. The Ocean Club and the Penn
sylyanis Club are well-knOwn features
Of the place. Your driver would feel
he had neglected bis duty if he failed to
point them out. and the casual
stranger, when be wants to do
the handsome thing, tells you
what he knows. Sit on any piazza 1
about 4 in the afternoon and observe
whe are pointed out to newcomers as
the people Of distinction and you will
gain some idea of the tone Of Long
Branch. You learn where one mans
New York gambling-hOuse is situated.
you learn some personal peeuliarities
Of another. you get some romance of a
third. and Of fourth some creditable (
domestic history; Of another the de- 7
tails Of his wife 5 religious observances, |
and of another that he killed a man,
while everybody within hearing makes
the best use Of eyes and ears. The
significance lies in the fact that these
are the men that are known and con-
sidered worthy OF observation.
To Offset this, however, a manicure
here, whose opportunities for o5serva-
ton are wide. says she finds that If all
the good people want to know about
the bad, all the bad people are equally
curious to hear about the good. Mr..
Ransome has probably been making in
quiries about Mr.. George ". Childs
while getting his nails polished.
Also there are people who, having
eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not.
These are from Philadelphia. At least
one, who. being asked where her hus-
band was, answered with careless
pride: "0h, be is a; the club, as al
ways, you know. He is a member of
the Pennsylvania Club" the little
woman fancying it a mere social club,
where her husband spent his time hob
nobbing with the Drexels and other
Philsdelphians. and utterly uncon-
scious Of the existence Of such a person
Of importance as Phil. DAILY.
The cottages Of Phil. DAILY aud his
brother are regarded as points Of in-
terest for every sight-seer. They are
eminently characteristic Of the Long
Branch Of to-day. Architectural abor-
tons, Norman tower on one side,
campanile on the other. they ale ram
PANTY vulgar both in color and orna-
mentation. The successful gamblers
are luxuriously installed at the
large hotels, the smaller men
tuck their wives and babies at
cheap boarding places, and them
selves live at the clubs. The wives Of
some Of these men at the West End are
extremely conspicuous both in appear
apce and manners. Fancy at 10 o'clock
in the morning toilet of light blue
satin and lace, diamond bracelets, fin
gers laden with rings, aud diamonds
eOpiOusly besprinkled in other available
places on the wife Of 4 well-known New
York gambler, With manners to cor
respond.
A New York dressmaker has a suit
Of rooms at the West End filed with
gorgeous apparel. This is a favorite
rendezvous Of these women, who appear
70 be lavish customers, spending their
successful winnings at the races in
robes of still greater lAsgnifieence than
those in which they are already atiired.