The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-09-01

SAot was WhSA | WUS tEg 1uE tV CA- plain to young lady by means of large ultra-marine crab how it was that the animal could catch hold of anything and retain it in his posses sion for long time.
 Mir. Riley composes rapidly while grabbing. easily inventin9, construct ing, mprovising, correcting and re- vising as he goes along. He also con- structs an accompaniment of music while keeping his eye all the time on his sport. He is certainly a very versatile and ambidextrous man. I presume he wouldn't care to have me speak of it here, but to show how easily he composes l will say that he arranged for the pianoforte while we were grabbing sort of roundeau or roundelette set to the air of "March- ing Through Georgia" which made the hot tears well up in my eyes, and they have been SO dry that for years they have squeaked in their sockets. 1 can only now recall few lines of the song, but they show that the song writer is born not made. They are as follows:
 Scarcely could we be restrained from burst
 ing into tears
 When we saw these good old crabs we hadn't
 caught for years,
 While we went grabbing through Georgia.
 Long Branch is said to be the Monte Carlo of America this summer. de- cided that this was the case when I saw several gentlemen here who are generally found around a prosperous mining camp. Where money is plenty there you will find the man with the far away look which goeth with the bluff and him that standeth pat.
 Along the beautiful drive one sees the glad smile of youth and the sad and anxious face of age. In every possible vehicle, trap, carriage or con- veysnce, from the hay wagon of the Jerseyman to the softly lined and gently swaying conveyance of the wealthy but bilious gentleman suffer- ing from atrophy of the soul, you meet the varied procession. There is evidently good deal of genuine joy at Long Branch, and good deal moro of the imitation hilarity which is re- ally pitiful.
 Next to having fun, we are willing to try and make other people believe that we are having fun. We go to a picnic on board crowded boat, where we have to stand up or sit on the boiler. We carry two-bushel lunch basket to a distant pleasure resort, where we eat pie and red ants in the hot sun. We then run for the boat with a headache and caterpillar down our back and cinder in our eye. We then go home and lie about the mad frolic we had.
 There is one class of people to be sincerely envied. They are people Of considerable wealth, who own hand- some houses at Long Branch, which they rent to others at high price.
 Sharks are now seen to approach quite close to Sandy Hook, and in some instances have shown themselves near the Branch, but, so far, bathers have generelly returned from the surf with the same number of legs they took into the water with them. do not bathe here publicly. do not think it is right for me to do 80, and others seem to agree with me. One admirer of mine heard that con- templated bathing here, and sent me a bathing -suit, a iife- prsservcr and a load of bran. I know l am a spare- built man, but I am not going to up- holster myself just to gratify the mor- bid taste of this resort.
 I have been here several days now, and have aimed to lead 6 quiet and reserved life 90 far as possible. Many people do not know that am here.
 Others know it, but do not seem to care.
 Wherever I go I like to be one of the throng. I love to be swallowed up in the great tide of humanity and be where I am unknown and where l am sure that it is not my wealth that is sought.
 I often speculate upon the varied genius which has paid and been pro- ductive of success. Trade comes first. On the hotel register here one reads the names of those who have grappled with the questions and problems of traffic from the greatest to the small- est. Did an American get corner on pork or invent successful collar but ton? He comes here to enjoy the re- suits of his success, so that he can go home and gloat over 1t among his neighbors. Did he strike 1t rich on pills or in the stiffness of the night invent gentle liver persuader? Here he comes to rattle the big silver plated neck-yoke chains of his carriage and seek to attract attention to himself and make himself as offensive as possi- bie, 90 that his patent medicine will not be forgotten.
 I like Long Branch very much in- deed, but not as many other people seem to like it, for my clothes do not seem to be fitted to a watering place,