Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-08
AT LONG BEACH.
THE LOVERS DRIVE AND cHIL-
DREN'S PARADISE.
Preparing to Receive Summer Visitors
With Open Arms and Brass Band.
Prospective Occurrences.

hearts of heads of families on account of
its safety for young children, was pretty
well patronized yesterday for about the
first time this season. The train which
pulled out of the Arcade depot over the
San Pedro division had one car which
was crowded as full as it usually is dur
ing the height of the Chautauqua ses-
sion, and restaurants and dealers in sum-
mer drinks and refreshments woke up
to the fact yesterday that the annual in
tiux OF pleasure-seekers had begun.
1t was not long before the usual lot of
barefooted little ones, with knicker-
bockers or already brief skirts tucked up
as far as they would go, were engaged.in
the ever new pastime of searching for
old oceans pearly treasures or erecting
architectural outrages in the shape of
sand forts and castles little more sub
stantial than the airy structures con-
structed by more aged children in far
distant Spain.
Parents will never fail to patronize
resort where the hard brown sand slants
SO gradually out. to deep water that the
most diminutive specimen of childish
humanity would have to exercise consid-
cradle ingenuity and perseverance to
drown; and that is precisely the situa-
tion with regard to Long Beach. The
breakers are gentle, the sand hard and
smooth, and the slope so slight that at
low tide a person can wade almost a
quarter of mile out to sea without get
ting out of his depth.
At low tide, however, the chief glory
of the beach is made apparent, for the
hard brown sand then laid bara makes
one of the finest drives in the state, and
in the dreamy summer weather the light
carriages, with room for two only, turn
out in great numbers, and the wandering
zephyrs from the sea could tell famous
stories of Cupid's escapades among the
couples OF happy young people who think
the drive short one and the time be-
tween tides too much in the nature of
an extremely abridged edition of Para
disc Regained.
A slight mist, flying inland high
above the earth, cast procession of
fitting, phantom shadows upon the
dazzling whiteness of the sand yester-
day, and the fresh ocean breeze made
the partially baked tourists from Los
Angeles draw their wraps closer about
them, and gave them appetites such as
they had not enjoyed for weeks. Those
VIII OOuucO UdtIlluS sulbS, UOW6VeT,
and waded into the surf, found the
water so much to their liking that they
soon persuaded hesitating companions
into trying the water likewise, and once
in the breakers the. entire party frol-
licked together until in danger of having
to walk home through missing their
train.
A party of Los Angeles lads OF from
IA to 16 years of age, with the remem-
brance of good times last year, and in
spired with the economical desire to
save quarter, started, as soon as the
train stopped, for the swimming hole at
Cerritos inlet, well known to the youth
of Long Beach, where, far from the eyes
of their elders, they could swim unmo-
Tested and untrammeled with the cloth
ing prescribed by civilized man, brief
though custom permits it to be on bath
ing beaches.
Arrived at the swimming hole, which
looked tolerably natural, and as though
it had been visited only few days be-
fore, the little party stripped, then
stood around in puris naturalibus, wait
ing, is in the manner with boys, for
some one with grit enough to enter the
water first and tell the balance of them
that it was cold. Presently one of the
party mustered up courage enough to
start toward the water, intending to test
it carefully before going in. Unfortu-
nately he stepped upon a muddy spot,
slippery as ice, and was Immediately
foored and shot yelling and kicking
into the water with the grace and
promptitude of load of coal going down
cellar-way. His head presently ap-
peared above the surface, and after
coughing spell he proclaimed that the
water was immense" whereupon the
balance of the party soon joined him in
the water, and the memory of the male
readers of the HERALD can call up
scenes in their boyhood which will give
them an idea of what occurred during
the next sixty minutes.
Hunger at last compelled
the donning of clothing and an
adjournment for lunch, after which the
entire party, feeling lhat their fun had
been too soon abridged, recklessly ex-
pended the two bits each had saved in
which lasted until the warning engine
bell compelled hasty scamper, first to
the bath house, then to the train.
The interest in Long Beach for the
past few years has centered about the
Methodist camp meeting and the Chau
tauqua summer school, both of which
occur next month. The Epworth
leagues second annual convention,
which precedes the Chautauqua gather
ing, has arranged remarkably fine pro-
gramme this year. which will doubtless
haye the effect of drawing much larger
crowd of campers and cottagers there
than ever before. Already almost every
available cottage is engaged, the rooms
in the ARK" have been assigned, and
Manager Geo. L. Cole has numerous ap-
plications for cottages and tents in his
hands which will require considerable
diplomatic ability on his part toarrange.
satisfactorily.
Among the attractions at Long Beach,
at the assembly and the various conven-
lions, will be the music of local brass
band which, under the training of Mr..
F. E. Brown, an experienced musician
from Boston, has been practicing for
months past, until now they execute
music unsurpassed by any similar or
ganization in this section. The mem
bers of the band are as follows:
E. ]. Pratt, Geo. Mcpherson,
L. A. Bailey, Jno. Mcpherson,
Frank Cook, Clinton Elwood
Will Graves, Albert Curtis,
Archie Price, Ernest Ballard,
Charles Dickover, Clarence Grow,