Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-18

that many of the canaille of Coney
Island have gone to Ocean Grove for
the summer. Mr.. Drooler took a tin
type of me in bathing costume while l
waited; give it hero with the aid of
Mr.. McDougall. who has so kindly
volunteered before this ut times to set
me right before the public. Very few
people look real well in bathing cos
tune, it seems to me, and this picture
would indicate that | am no exception.
Bathing in n hired chemiloon with red
braid on it does not give me that gentle
sense of thorough ablution that l felt
when in childhood l defied the police
and, clothed in nothing but conscious rec
titude and a little bag of assafetida
which | wore around my neck to keep
off the prairie mango and other plaques
incident to n thorough education, l
plunged like long, buff streak into the
bosom of the mill pond.
''Oh, them was glorious days." as Sir
George Pullman says in his Night
Thoughts. How lean and rleager is the
salary we get today compared with the
joy that came with freedom and health
and fried mush and gentle sleep" / was
speaking to Sir George about it the other
day, and rs he charged up colored
porter with the loss of u towel on his last
trip he heaved a sigh, and looked out
at window as who should say: 'Ah,
what recompense have wealth and posi-
ton for the unallOyed joys of childhood,
and how gladly today as L sit in the
midst of my Oriental splendor and costly
magnihcence a titled foreigner with
ghttering order on my breast. but chaos
in my soul, and thoughtfully run my
fingers through my choice but changing
chin whiskers, would give it ALL wealth,
fame, title and position, for one brief,
balmy, breezy day gathered from the
mellow haze of the long ago, when 1
pool near my suburban home in the quiet
dell and allowed the yielding, soothing
mud TO squirt up between my dimpled
toes"
The West End is not overrun by wealth
and style or russell harnesses or Changing
carriage chains, but it has an atmos-
phere of light melody and freedom from
restraint which is real nice, think. l
won cane there during the week by
throwing rings at it. 1t was not an in
telectual cane, but cheap, and with
very small development about the head.
The more go to Coney Island and watch
the ways of West Enders and cane ven
ders the more | notice that the gold
headed canes are so wide across the top
that the rings will not bestride them.
the cane got has nice red typewriter
head on it, made of celluloid, and the
stick itself is of pure hide bound Wee
hawken Malaga. 1t only cost me eight
cents, but the canes l bought and did not
get cost me $2.S5.
Pop corn this year is favored with
everything as neatly as soda water and
Is less gummy, as young lady from
Nnssar said to me on the boat as | was
holding her hand for her moment while
she was listening to some boat music.
Speaking Of boat music in New York
bay this season, think notice slight
Improvement in that regard, several of
the bands having been shot by maddened
passengers and their places not yet sup
Piled by others. One entire boat band
was bitten by mad dog in June; also
In the calf of the leg, and no one has
been raised up to take its place as l write.
Much good may be done At times, |
think, by well directed hydrophobla. A
colored quartet who thought they sang
on board the excursion boat which last
year encircled Staten Island daily now
imagine that they are singing at South
Beach. For the privilege of wauling on
that trip last year these men had to
pay the boat small sum. Toward
autumn their wives raised it by laundry
efforts. Nothing was paid in by passen-
gers except once. An i'll guided man
from Poughkeepsie who was deaf and also
absent minded gave them five cents On
tie 18th of July, but he was observed by
another passenger and the next day the |
body OF the Poughkeepsie man was found
far out to sea with an alright stove tied
around his neck.
These cOlored gentlemen are dependent |
solely on their voices and their wives for
support. If they were not permitted to |
obtain their hvelihoods by singing they
would have to work. l do not dislike |
these musicians, but their songs, devoid |
OF anasthetics, will kill burdocks by the |
roadside. l like good coon music and
will walk quite long distance to hear
1t, but when it is so rank that the rest
less oysters turn over in their little oys-
ter beds and moan as the boat goes over
them think it is time to call halt.
Many able prophets said that this year
would see great falling off in the at
tendance at Coney Island, but do not
notice it. 1t was said that other new
resorts would cut into Coney Island
even as the enraged and outraged surf
had cut into Brighton Beach; but it is
not apparent. New York needs all the
breathing holes there are. and though
you go to one and think that the multi
tude cannot be duplicated You find that
it can over and over again at hundreds
of other places, seward and inland
Good food can be had at Coney Island
at moderate price, many articles com
pairing favorably as to quality and tariff
with those in the city. Devilish crabs
and lionized potatoes especially are to
be had in great profusion and at reason
able rates to all.
Mr.. Anton Seidl is holding his recitals
at Brighton Beach, and amidst the roar
of the surf the sweet music of the
orpheclide and germicide may be heard.