The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-01-06
Atlantic in MidWinter.


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Atlantic in Midwinter.
REsTFuL AND QUIET CITY by THE
WAVES.
The hoarse roar of the surf dashing
upon the smooth sand. the sigbing Of
the wind as It's eddies through tenant
less booths and pavilions, and the
quick step Of the pedestrian along an
almost deserted plank-walk--these are
the sounds that distinguish the Allan
tic City OF December from the great
playground of July. The shrill music
Of merry-go-rounds, the loud-calls of
hurried walters as they rush to and
fro bearing cooling beverages, the sp-
peals of dealers in sea shells, the cries
Of children at play, and the surge of
crowds--these are the sounds that are
now remembered as but an echo of the
past season, aud they are thought Of
only as what will be heard 10 the dog
days of 1883.
Those who have visited Atlantic
City only 10 the Summer have seen but
half its beauties. They have seen
swarms of people on the beach and in
the streets, the hotel parlors, billiard
rooms and corridors crowded with cots,
q stir and hustle everywhere, and
several thousand men and women bath
ing, moving, talking all day, and hug
ging the delusion that they are getting
q well.earned rest. All this is changed
in December There are few on the
beach, and abundant room in the hotels
for all who may come, and those who
are able to take few days from bust
ness and drink in the salt air at Atlan-
tic City derive more benefit from
brief stay in the Winter than in
fortnight's sojourn in the hot days of
Summer.
To call Atlantic City Summer re-
sort does not cover the ground. Many
of the hotels, and all of the best ones,
are open the year round. This fash
ion was set about ten years ago by the
proprietor of the Hotel Brighton, and
has been kept by him ever since and
copied by most of his neighbors. The
experiment has proved perfect sue
cess, and to many people the charms
of Atlantic City in the Winter are
more attractive than the allurements
of sea bathing and music in the Sum-
mer.
Nearly everybody spends the day on
or near the board walk. A tramp on
the boards or stroll or ride along the
beach at bw tide are the regular
events of every day life. Some who
do not care to walk or ride sit in the
glass-enclosed sun parlors and look at
the ships sailirg far out on the sea, or
occupy their time 10 the less poetic
of amusement of watching men dig
CLAIMS on the shore. It is wonderful
how the clam.digger manages to find
the happy clam. do not mean one
of Frank Siddall's CLANS, for he is not
hard to find anywhere, but the succu-
lent, salt water shell fish. The digger
walks near the edge OF the waves with
hoe in one hand and basket in the
other, and whenever the hoe descends
it is certain clam has been found
The CLANS are used as bait in the cod
fisheries.
Occasionally there is q storm, and
the grandeur of Winters storm at
ses is something that cannot be con-
ceiyed by those who have only seen
Summers gale The great breakers
come rolling in, their crests tipped
with line of snow-white foam, and
dash madly against the wooden bul.
warks, throwing volumes of water
high in air. Then the waves slowly
recede to meet another torrent of
water rushing in, and again the white
spray is tossed on high. The board
walk shivers under repeated blows at
its supports, and fortunate is it if sew
eral lengths are not carried away.
There is a certain balminess peculiar
to the air of Atlantic City, due, in the
opinion of scientists, to the proximity
of the gulf stream, which diverges
slightly to the eastward after passing
Cape May. The influence of this
warm current is distinctly felt here
where the trend of the coast exposes
the shore to its full effect. The rigon
of Winter climate are moderated, the
air is hracing, without being sharp,
and the winds and breezes pleasant,
not penetrating. Physicians claim that
the atmosphere is specific for certain
cases of throat and lung trouble, and
no doubt many people suffering from
these complaints have been greatly
benefited by sojourn here. However,
Atlantic City is not an infirmary by
any means and the large majority of
Winter visitors are those who desire
rest snd want to enjoy it at a place
where they will be free from annoyance
and care, while not being SO far away
as to be unable to reach home quickly
in case of emergency.
The hotel accommodations are excel
lent. At the Brighton, which is re-
garded as in many respects the best
appointed house on the coast, there is
every convenience for making life
pleasant, known to the guild of hotel
keepers. The proprietor was the
pioneer in the Winter business, and he
has led from the first. The house is
comfortable, the apartments roomy,
the attendants well trained, and the
cuisine of the best. There are other
hotels open, some of them very good,
mono of them poor, but the Brighton
is generally considered about the best.
There are ample railroad facilities
for reaching Atlantic City. Fast ex-
press trains with parlor cars attached
are run over the West Jersey and
Camden aud Atlantic railroads, cover
ing the distance from the Delaware
river to the sea in ninety minutes.
The traveller enjoys pleasant ride
across the Jersey fields and through
the pine forests, until at last he slights
in the long depot, to hear the roar OF
old ocean sounding in his ears, and to
draw into bis lungs the braoing salt
atmosphere that has crossed dozer
currents since it passed over the gull
stream, sixty FIVE miles away.
| ATLANTIC CRY. N. j., Dec. 22, 1887
| Never speak evil of another while