Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-08-20
Drandyviine Summit.
About Eight Thousand Per-
sons. Were There.
HOW THEY PASSED THE DAY.

the Day-some of the Folk who Were
There--Many Pretty Faces.
staff correspondence of EVENING JOURNAL.
BRANDYwINE SUMMIT, Pa. Aug. ia
The morning broke with threatening
clouds and occasional light showers Of
rain. The prospects for a successful
Big Sunday with the tremendous
crowds Of last year, were somewhat dis
couraging. But people began coming
early in spite Of the weather The first
carriage arrived from Wilmington about
. o'clock and by $3.50 the crowd was in
creasing rapidly The Wilmington and
Northern railroad made preparations for
big crowd, but only about 300 persons
came out on the train that left French
street at s o'clock
Hundreds of persons drove out from
the city over hill and down dale, in car
riages and buggies, and some rode out in
the stages
About noon the sun broke through the
lowering clouds, shining brightly. and
soon dispelled them Ii dried the damp
ness from the foliage of the trees in the
grove and added more cheerful aspect
TO everything. The atmosphere had been
cooled by the rain. and during the after
noon the weather was as clear and pleas
ant as the most inveterate camp meeting
crank could wish. From g. 80 o'clock I'M
til late in the afternoon almost steady
stream of vehicles came down the hill Ia
the entrance BY II o'clock G20 carriages
We're on the grounds This number was
doubled by o'clock in the afternoon.
The horse pounds We're full and the space
allotted to carriages covered with all
manner Of conveyances
The occupants of the carriages
alighted and came in through Summit
and Union avenues in n steady stream.
Wilmingtonians, obstetrics, residents
of Delaware county, Pa. and New Castle
county, Del 1t seemed as if every body
living in the country within radius OF
twenty miles was here. The farmer
youth brought his best girl in the indis-
pensable buggy, and his parents came IN
the large carriage with the remainder Of
the family. The youth from the rural
districts carried his carriage whip Will
| him wherever he went mindful of past
losses in leaving it in his buggy. The
! girls are here i'm droves; the summer
girl is in her glory. but she
means to be good and attends the service,
/ looking demure and sweet Buxom
country lasses with clear complexions
and fanltless forms stroll quietly mp anC
| down the avenues or sit in the buggie.
with their escorts Wilmington's fair
| Methodist maidens. representing all type.
of feminine beauty and loneliness, are
here by hundreds The young men VIII,
are here have their pick of the ladies' anC
are consequently in high feather. Many
can be seen exhibiting the proof Of theil
! prowess in promenadng with lady OF
each arm
II is estimated that about s, 900 people
visited the grounds during the entir,
day. Probably &, 500 We're on the ground,
at o'clock when the greatest number
were present Many of them were scat
tered about the grounds III their carriages
/ but the crowd in the main circle at tina
4 hour was immense.
The number Of people on the ground
on the same day last year was somewha
larger. The threatening weather this
morning, doubtless spoiled the arrange
ments Of many, or to-days attendance
would have surpassed last years TIL,
crowd has behaved remarkably we'll
The $50 dwelling tents are all occupied
They have very cosy and homelik
look, with the curtains drawn back
showing nicely arranged little sittin.
rooms. Many of the awnings and cur
tains have been selected and arrange,
with Esuch artistic taste Near some o
the tents are small mounds Of small
stones or rocks with earth in the centre
planted with ferns or Towering plants
Beside other tents are beds of soil edge,
with stones from the quarry, and plante,
in the same manner
At noon the bells of the various board
I in - IL 81
bell made great clang also. interruptin,
DR. Watson, who was speaking at tn
time, for a few moments Large mum
bers Of people made their way to the ten
of the church where they belonged O
had the most friends, and were servel
the latest bill-of fare in camp meeting
cuisine
In the intervals of time between tn
religious services double line of prone
naders have possession of the main circle
the lines moving in opposite directions
Some people stroll over to the kaoli
quarries at the edge of the grove AM
peer down the deep hole to the waite
in the bottom or throw stones into tn
pit, timing them with their watches a
they fall. Others procure specimens 0
the rock and of feldspar. Some couple
improve each others acquaintance b
strolls through the woods or into tn
fields, returning with great lunches 8
golden rod or wild flowers. 1t woul
not do to say that young ladie
who attend camp meeting tiirt, but side
long glances are sometimes cast towar
handsome young men, and dropping eye
lashes make demure faces sweeter an
more attractive and the young men ar
not 10th to return both
Toward the latter part of the afternoo
many who had come on the grounds earl
in the morning left for their homes
Their places, however, were taken b
others who came in for the evening ser
vices. Supper was ready at the board
ing tents at o'clock end by six nearl
all had had their hunger appeased.ss
As it drew near to sunset. the crow
began to grow less, the procession of car
riages went out and away from tn
grounds instead of toward them. A
dusk the lamps in the streets were light
ed and lights began to show in the tents
Those in the pavilion were also lighted t
give light for a Bible reading servic
which had been overtaken by darkness
AS the darkness deepened, the katydid
in the tree tops began their harsh com
plant. The moon beams shone throug
the foliage of the trees. Chinese lantern
of various cOlors are hung on the roo
corners of the tents, and in the apex O
the gables, making the camp grounds ap
) pear like brilliantly lighted festiva
grounds. Friends visited from tent t
tent, and chatted over the events of tn
dav anfuust-iner IL with 1,raviaue ,aors