Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-09-07
ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.
SCENES, SIGHTS, RAzzLE-DAzzLEs,
FAKIRS ON THE BOARD WALK.
The Dressing and Undrcssing--Tbs Festive
Jsrscy Mosquito and tho Glasses
on the Beach.
,corr..pondencs of tho Richmond pi.DascA.I

Correspondence Of tho Richmond pispasch.l
ATLANTIC CRY, N. j.. September 9, 1890.
/ think II was o young governess who'
upon being asked what she could teach.
replied, Dress and address," A few such
eovcrnesses might be scattered about the
hoard walk " at this watering-p place Its
advantage. The board walk, WIDE plat
form elevated above the beach. extends
along the beach from the inlet" where
the ships come in TO the Excursion house,
distance OF about five miles. Here are
located the booths, the sbanties. the mer-
fairgrounds. the raZZle- dazzles, the To-
boggan-slides, and here the fakir Is IN MS
paradise. Visitors who have been IN At
lantic CITY all summer tell the freshly.ar-
rived that the place is thinning out, bn,
certainly the appearance OF the board
walk" during bathing hours and at night
would seem TO indicate that if the season
10 drawing to q close when II was at lts
height people must have slept hanging on
the pailings of the cottages and hotels.
HIGH TIDE.
Saturday night marked the highest tide
Of the season and the scene on the " BOARD
| walk" was one not easily forgotten. Every
pavilion was literally jammed and the
promenaders were almost as close together
| as sardines IN a box. And motley crowd
| il was. There was everything IN the way
| Of dress from the latest Worth costume TO
"Atayism" in fashion as represented In
| the Poke bonnet and the four-lnch-deep
corsage or waist. The moon was IN her
glory, the walk was a blaze Of electric
| lights. the dressing and undressing-there
was more of the latter than of the former
were of every hue and tint. and brass
bands were braying at dozen different
| points-the whole producing an enert
almost bewilderIng TO one who, had never
visited this resort before and which Is
more easily imagined than described. One
thing, however, is suggested very forcibly,
and that is that Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
must have made study of Atlantic City's
board walk and Admittedly bathing
before she wrote her excellent article in
the August Forum entitled THE Decouae
in Modern Life"-an article which, by the
way, every mother who has young daugh-
tiers should read. 1t may be little Iadl-
cal in some respects, but for the most part
bristles with sound sense and burning
truths.
MOSQUITOES.
Until visited Atlantic City i had al ways
Dragged on the Virginia mosquito and held
il up as the most active ard vicious ana
best lupg-eduipped bird of his family
But il is with modification and chagrln
now confess that the most abie-bodied
mosquito that ever reared family In the
Dismal swamp cannot hold candle TO the
mosquito whose domlclle Is In the Jersey
meadows but who comes here IN the sea-
son to suck the ife-blood out of the yisi-
tors as do the faklrs. The Jersey mos
ouito has sting like yellow-lacket
voice like q new Richmond electric street
car, and though there are everywhere ex-
posed for sale dead shots for mosquitoes,
| have concluded that the only genuine
and reliable mosquito-extermlnator Is
double-barrelled shotgun.
THE BETTER SIDE.
However, there is a better side to Allan
tic CITY life. The boardwalk" throng
II speak of course of the majority of the
throng, for there are many elegant and
refined people visiting this resort must be
aenarated from the staid native over IN the
cifv proper. The two classes can best be
compared to two currents Of water flowing
side by side in the same channel but never
mingling-the one muddy, yet studded here
and there with crystal bubbles; the other
perfectly clear.
The native merchants goods are as low
priced as goods in any other city of this
size. Their attention to strangers is
marked, and whereas on Sundays the Only
respect the day receives on the board
walk" is from the -go-rounds., the
toboggan-slide. the razzle-dazzles, and the
switch backs, the community proper is
church-going people. Down by the beach
on the Sabbath every shop and booth
is in full blast. Over IN town the day Is
as quiet as it is IN Richmond.
THE BEACH.
There is no question that the beach is a
MAGNIFICENT one. From II to 2 o'clock IS
hafhlnu-flma
then the scene is animated in the highest
degree. For miles the surf is dotted with
people. while at intervals of space for the
same distance can be seen groups in beach,
chairs and lounging in the sand, any one
of which groups is O picture in itself. In
deed. this morning | obseryeda group that
was almost reproduction OF a very striking
seaside picture in the Corcoran Gallery
at Washington. Aad the surf -well, there
ia a poem. by Steadman l believe, which
best conveys my idea of it, particularly as
IL appears in the early morning before
bathing has commenced. l quote from
memory:
"splendors Of morning the billOw-crests
brighten.
Lighting and Turing them on 10 the land
Far away waves, whore tho wan vessels whiten,
In blue rollers break Oh the beach where we
stand.
Curved ike the necks Of a legion Of horses,
Each with his froth-gded name flowing free'
Hither they speed In perpetual courses,
Bearing thy riches, oh beautiful sea-"
As have said, quote from memory, and
"a | have not seen the poem for years
memory may have taken some Liberties
with the poet If so / beg his pardon.
PRETTY CITY.
Atlantic City is pretty city-in fact, 1t
is very picturesque city, but If a fire ever
gets good start in it that will be the last
of the place for some time TO come.
brick building is almost curiosity here,
and fire would prove infinitely more dis
astrous than did the tidal wave OF last
year
There are very few Virginians here, and
those that are here board, so far as can
learn, at the same cottage. Outside of that
cottage have not seen familiar face.
However, have encountered some famliiar
objects and observed some familiar traits
and partaken of some familiar dishes and
have concluded that IL is shame not to
admit New Jersey into the Union. Tue
chickens are built on the Gordonsville
plan; the sweet potatoes and watermei-
ons are of Hanover-county proportions
and flavor, and the good people or the
place consume q quantity of Virginia to-
bacco. II that does not entitle New Jersey
to become one of these United States and
prove her loyalty what wills