The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-01
SPIRITED "SUMMERGIRLS'.
A CONVENTION AT ASBURY PARK
IN BATHING SUITS.


NEW YORK, Aug. Salisbury Park, al
belt it is but little dot on the coast of New
Jersey. has managed to stir up more sensa-
tons during the past two or three season
than a dozen more pretentious watering
places. OF course, as everybody knows, lit is
highly moral summer resort. Nothing i'm
proper in the slightest degree is tolerated
there. 1t is even asserted by old timers
that the waves show proper sense of deco
rum in dealing with the bathers, and that
Father Neptune put his foot down on his
too frolicsome water nYmphs and would not
permit them to take liberties with the fair
forms of the pretty girls, tossing them high
up in the surf and again launching them out
feet foremost like an oncoming catamaran,
as the sea does at Long Branch and Nara
gansett Pier.
In addition to its police, who are all Sc
lected for their pious demeanor and severe
expression of countenance in dealing with
recalcitrant bellies and beaux who insist on
remaining on the beach at forbidden hours,
there is a coterie of censors composed large
ly of elderly ladies, which makes regular
social inspection of the delightful resort at
stated intervals This they do on their own
account exclusively. for even Asbury Park
has not evoluted so far as to give the
Committee of Mature Matrons and Maid.
ems" as the younger element styles these
sell constituted mentors. any formal au-
thority. Naturally the youngsters rebel at
such argus-eyed dictation, and there have
been instances where a new and gay ar
rival, when she has been taken in han d by
some prving committee woman, has been
known to be SO lmpolite as to tell the inves-
tigator to mind her own business" Such
rudeness, of course, could not be tolerated.
fr in ln List Of
where so much latitude is allo wed in the
wearing of bathing garments. Every lady
seems to have brought to ASbury Park her
own selection in the way of bathing robes,
and the result is stunning array of faaci
full costumes that would make the fortune
of an enterprising photographer-but the
photographers Of the place are all of the
other kind and would not TIA Ike" a pretty
girl III her short skirted aud snug fitting
bathing gown for the world. So
the dears-and there are lots of
| them-wear the short dresses as
long as they can, and on almost every occa-
| sion within certain hours. One is surprised
to meet on the board walk bevy of hand
some women, logged out in the most ap-
proved costumes of the modern water
nymph, leisuI ely toddling down to the
sands and chatting pleasantly just as free
from restraint as though they were on Broad
| way III their regulation garments on
shopping excursion. Shapely limbs, ivory
necks and shoulders there are in dlstractng
abundance, aud there is no effort made to
conceal them, either. the mass of black or
golden hair is caught up in natty little
silk cap, that looks too cute for anything
and the lower limbs are lncased in dark or
brown hosiery contrasting charmingly
with the color of the skirts, which are
brief enough to suit notions of ballet
| dancer.
One sunny forenoon last week, there
was a gathering in the Daror of one of the
| Asbury Park hotels. 1t was regular con-
venJion-and such a coAvenuonl Nev-r
before in the history of deliberatve assem-
blies was such a scene witnessed. There
were about twenty-five girls present, each
| in her bathing suit, and they had met to
resent, in proper and becoming manner,
the attempted censorship of those ladies'
whom some of the younger and moro dar-
| ing girls irrevelently dubbed the 'old
| hens"
| A lovely little blonde in a white flannel
suit trimmed with blue ard wearing the
incest of hosiery, put a russet-shod, tiny foot
upon the edge of a chair and called the
meeting to order. She stated that they had
| been tyrannlZed long enough and it was
| about time something was done to check the
| impudence of the ''old hens"
a chorus of That's itn "The mean
| things" and similar expressions greeted her
remarks.
1--WE bathed at Cape May and Nahant
| and every where" she said, car Dieppe aud
Brighton too, and nowhere would such
interference be permitted. We are Ameri-
can girls aud we know how to behave, if
we are inclined to have little fua while
we are about it. This place doesn't belong
to those old Miss Grundys, and we shan't
allow them TO monopolize IL.
A tall, splendidly formed girl with flash
ing black eyes and a Grecian nose, rose
| from her seat on the sofa by the window
and said that Ihe best way would be, to do
just as they pleased and snub their persecu-
tors.
"They are simply band of busybodies, y
she said, archly, land | don't think we had
| better say a word to them, IL might
crafty them to have an open quarrel about
it. They insist that we should wear more
| decorous bathing clothes. Why, what's
the matter with us now, girls2"
"We are all right" came III a chorus from
the chairs, sofas and ottomans
They can't wear anything but gunnybag
suits, themSelves,n continued the tall girl.
land they are afraid to battle when any
body is around, We make no reflection
upon their looks, for that would be mean
but they have no right to compel us to be
as ungainly as themselves, and that is lust
what they mean to do. They insist that We
snan't wear our suits unless we are ready to
go in the water. Now | like the freedom of
bathing suit, and if | choose 10 wear it a
few hours in the day time for my own con
venience, it's nobody's business"
Several other girls spoke in the same impus
dent strain. Finally the little blonde took off
her silk cap, and whipped out q sheet of
paper.
'Here, girls" she said, "here's some resolu-
tons three of US wrote out this morning and
if you like I'll read them"
They were read and cheered to the echo
They condemned the censorship of the sol d
hens" ard asserted the independence of
the American summer girl in no faltering
terms.
There was a knock at the door, and. be-
fore anyone had time to think it few Open
and a colored porter stood, gasping with
wIde-open eyes. Behind him stood three
men.
A united scream, a flutter, a wild STAN
pede, and the assembly dispersed, The in
truders had wisely withdrawn. But soon
the news was all over Asbury Park and the
little blonde, who, at least, had the courage
of her convictions, showed the resolutions
to several people, who quickly com
municated their purport to the elderly
ladies.
And now there is a wild wave of moral
indignation at that resort. But the girls
have won triumph; for, since that fore
noon, they have been allowed to romp and
frOlic unmolested, free as the waves and as