Morning journal and courier., 1885-09-09
Wednesday, september 9, 1885
A NEW HAVEN RESORT.

|
 What Outsiders Say About saviI B Rock-Its Attractions-Coney Islan' ? in Miniature.
 New Haven boasts more summer resort
 than most cities of it's size. The chief 0
 these is Savin Rock Savin Rock is water r ing place and-as such lays claim to shore at D fractions, good bathing, boating and fishing But what does good fishing mean? You } friend has spent the summer fishing in ex
 cellent fishing grounds and has caught onl. | a few small fish. Here is discrepancy-ex cellent fishing grounds and few fish. How
 can these be reconcileda What is an exce' lent fishing grounda Fishing has beeRFb;s ed "contemplative mans recreation kycellent is the key to the problem. khst be one
 fishing ground, first of all t;on Kaenino
 which provoke' to oontsy sy with truth that
 this idea in view, I qSt savin Rock. A long
 per formerlXf mile; part of this
 one-quarted away two years ago in a
 was Won the remainder of this, day
 storrday the fishermen collect at high tide
 sad the pier sends out long shoots ot tish- poles as thick as alders in swamp. As the tide carries their floats in they raise their tackle and cast out again and again with a sounding splash which would drive the fish away if there were any; but the fish is here a mythical animal, so it makes no difference Certainly here is good place for contempla tion and consequently for fishing; clean, dry pier to sit upon and beautiful scenery, the blue waters of the Sound stretching away before you for twenty-five miles, the sandy shores of Long Island just visible OF the hor- izon; on the shore just behind you the pretty summer cottages and all disagreeable features of the shore softened or obliterated by dis tance. But on the oontemplatlve character of the fisherman much depends, for this ele- yates Savin Rock to the position of good fishing place; the lack of it degrades the Rock to a mere steamboat landing.
 Of the former beauty of Savin Rock there can be no doubt, before the rude hand of man crowded out so much of nature. Once it consisted of rugged, wooded knoll, with a long stretch of beautiful sandy beach. The knoll still remains, but it has lost much of it's former beauty. A picnic of no less than 5000 people visited it few days ago, and this is not an uncommon occurrence, so that you can conceive how it is losing its beauty. A road extends from the rock along the shore for about half 8 mile, with the shore and it's bathing houses on one side and a continuous row of cottages on the other interrupted only here and there by a vacant lot overgrown with rag-weed, wild carrots and stunted pines. Some of it's new, freshly painted cottages have an awkward, gaudy appearance, and show lack of har- mony with their surroundings. But age is softening their colors, pulling up the rag weed, grading the land, making lawns and laying out walks. Savin Rock, being a health resort, must of necessity be healthy The soil is sandy and porous, just the kind most healthy. There is notably less malaria here than in New Haven, and mosquitoes, fabled to be test of malarial district, are few and non-aggressive.
 There is no surf bathing here to speak of. The shore is shut in by two promontories which bound New Haven Bay, and opposite is 8 long breakwater Surf bathing is not agreeable to many. No ordinary swimmer can swim in the surf. He must stay near the shore by the ropes and cannot venture out boldly by himself; the waters buffet him, instead of him the waters, and there is the possibility of being pitched high and dry l on the shore with his wind knocked out or of being carried away by the undertow. To 1 him the Savin Rock shore is most agreeable. Here the waves are so small as rarely to be 1 disagreeable to the weakest and the shore so sloping that one can walk out hundred | feet or more before the water is over his | head. : There are always at hand many sailboats with sailors that person can hire and take many pleasant sail. Faulkner's Island light may be done in day with B favorable breeze. The Thimble Islands Indian Neck and Short Beach are much shorter distances and pleas
 
 rowboat at his disposal he can TOW across the harbor to Morris Cove in an afternoon, lunch there and return at sunset.
 The conveniences and annoyances of Savin Rock are those of city. Marketmen and grocers call from the city every day and take orders; you have the city water supply; all the stores of the city are at your disposal by three-quarters of an hour ride in the horse cars, but on the other hand, you have the noise and dust of city. The show man is here with all his paraphernalia, his merry go-rounds, his skating rinks, his rol. Ter coasters and Punch and Judy shows, and the bartender is not an unknown parsonage. The comfortsaof summer resort vary of course with the expense. At most any sum- mer resort the millionaires can be made com fortable At the Rock the humblest kind of architecture exists to the beautiful modern villa. One of New Haven's wealthiest citi- zens has just erected $60,0 ,000 cottage here. There is fairly good hotel here and rumors are afoat that very large new one is soon to be built.
 The population of Savin Rock is partly floating one and partly those who own cot tages and remain here permanently during the summer. Some of the former come on excursions from all parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut and some are business men, and others from New Haven who come down just of an afternoon to take a dip in the wa ter. The boarder who comes here has few conveniences and comforts which induce him to remain. He has found a smaller Coney Island or Nantasket, with it's hustle. noise. bands and side shows. But to the New Ha- ven business man whose mind is daily strung at a high tension it is a place of relax ation and rest, balm for weary minds. He leaving the dusty city approach es the Rock toward sundown. After taking a cooling dip in the water he dons his seer sucker suit and rests in his hammock. As darkness comes on, from his porch with it's trailing ivy he sees the moon rising over the bay, the reflection of it's beams forms glitter water lulls him into slumber, the cool salt | breeze waits away the heated air and gently 1 rocks his hammock. But finally the distant | thud of the paddle-wheels of the New York l boat breaks the stiffness and reminds him l that he is not in fairyland.-Springfeld Re |