Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-08-27
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
This City as a Summer Resort Over
estimated.
General Exodus to the Seaside Long
Branch-Clerks' Vacations-De-
cline of Base Bal-A Park
Scene.
special eorrespondence OF The chronicle.

Special correspondence of The Chronicle.
New YORK, August %, 1891.
The misery of life in New York dur
ing the super-heated term was beyond
description After day or two of heat
the wilderness of brick and mortar belo W
Fifty ninth street grows to be regular
oven. Below Central Park there are no
trees except in one or two small squares,
and the stone and brick walls hold the
heat long after the sun has set, and the
night wind has cooled the more favored
parts of the town. AS consequence the
nights are terribly exhausting. Uptown
and on the west side the conditions are
somewhat better. Trees are to be found
at moderate intervals, and the blocks of
houses are not built SO closely as to pre-
vent the cooling river breeze making its
way into each and every house. New
York as a summer resort is all very well
as piece of "fine writing" from the i'm
aginative dealer in fiction, but between
ourselves, it is tremendously uncom-
Portable place when the solid masses of
stone and mortar of which it is composed
become heated to the radiating point.
**s
Every one that was able left the city
during the days of extreme heat. To look
at the cOnveyances leaving the city a
casual observer would imagine that the
exodus was as complete as that of the
Israelites of old. Every horse car, rail
road train and boat, had its full quota of
outbound passengers. To watch the
constant stream of oyer-heated humani-
ty flowing constantly in one direction
gives one an impression of an infinity of
resources only equalled by tirst-class
snow storm or an hours profound pom
dering on the succession of rollers on the
sea shore. AS natural consequence the
seaside resorts were OvercrOwded. The
hills had their fair share of visitors, but
the average man seemed to believe that
dip in the surf and a long drink on
veranda, cooled by the sea breeze, was
the only remedy for his discomfort. One
of the officers of the Long Branch boats
told me that his boat had been loaded to
the legal capacity on every trip. The
hotel men, who have been complaining
of the lateness of the season, enjoyed the
rush, and made the most of the oppOrtu
nifty of reaping an abundant harvest of
New York shekels.
Xxx
AS a seaside resort Long Branch is as
nearly perfect as it is possible to find il
this vale of tears. 1t has been noted fol
some time as the home of Phil Days
Club House, where the heaviest gam
bling about New York was carried on
on-for its gorgeous bathing suits, and
for the kindness with which it received
the stranger within its gates. The glory
of the first is somewhat dimmed by the
closing of the Monmouth race track
which is some five miles from Long
Branch, and the consequent exodus
of those to whom the clay out" and
the track had more attractions than
fine beach and beautiful drives. The
fame of the Branch for chic women and
hospitality, has in no wise diminished
1t is truly a beautiful place; nestling
along the bluff, below the huge hotels are
the cottages of the residents, while ev-
erywhere the background forms frame
work of dark green foliage. The sand is
white and firm, the roll of the breakers
is tumultuOus, the roar of the ocean is
imposing. Nature distributes her chOic-
est gifts with a lavish hand on rich and
poor alike The majority of the folks you
see are mice people one would admire to
know" as they say in Boston, and a
"clubable" fellow does not have to travel
far before he finds some one to assist
him in enjoying the freedom of shore life,
and the absence of enervating heat.
***
The practice of allowing summer W
cations to the subOrdinates in the down
town offices has become almost univer-
sal. A few years ago it was confined to
a comparatively few philanthrOpical bu-
siness houses, but the value of the yaca-
ton from the business point of view, has
been recognized, and now it is not uncom-
mon to find nearly half the regular force
of clerks absent during the warm wealth
er. Every Saturday pale-faced tired
looking men may be seen hurrying to-
ward the depots and ferries, with over
grown gripsacks in their hands. Two
weeks later these same men are to be
seen returning to their work with brOnz-
ed faces, clear eyes, and springy step,
plainly Indicative of elastic muscles. The
majority spend their short vacation in
some of the smaller mountain or seaside
villages, where they find quiet boarding
houses, or small hotels, with rates suited
to their money. On the whole their two
weeks, well spent, seems to have far
better effect on them physically, mental
ly and morally than the longer vacation
of the man-about-town, spent in the
fashionable watering places. About the
only man in New York who seems to get
no rest is the head of the firm. He has
to be at the service of his business from