Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-26
SUMMER IN NEW YORK
It Offers More Attractions Than ANY
Other City in the World.
WHERE A DOLLAR WILL TAKEY0U.
The Salt in the Air Is Boon the Gothamite
Doesn't Realize.
SAIL OVER LONG ISLAND SOUND
CORRESPONDENTS OF THE p1sp.rcH1

even Boston environs do not present as
great variety of cooling pleasure resorts,
as easy of access, as cheap of enjoyment.
Manhattan Island is crowded, it is true, and
1t is sometimes oppressively hot in the
glowing dog-days. But lying as it does lie,
practically surrounded by great stretches of
salt water, it suffers more from the excessive
moisture in the atmosphere than from the
direct attacks of the sun.
The steady salt water breezes that do not
affect the mercury in the thermometer
spread their gentle influence everywhere
among grateful people and make daily
summer life in the metropolis tolerable and
even enjoyable. 1t is but few years since
thought this sort of thing "taffy." But I
have experimental good deal in the mean
time and with an experience founded upon
extensive travel 1 have come to the con-
in all, the year round, is the most salts
factory place in which to live.
No City Rivals the Metropolis.
This is not only compared with other
American cities, but with the chief cities of
the world. carefully make the distinction,
all the year round and all in all For there
where at particular seasons of the year and
for particular purposes desired it is more
agreeable to live. 1t is alike lovely in
Venice, Berlin, Lucerne, Paris, Washing
ton, Rome, Charleston at various certain
seasons, and the experienced tourist will so
time his visits as to be in such places when
they are at their best. When it comes to
living year after year, and remaining in
place winter and summer, you have the true
test of your judgment of an abiding place.
In this respect 1 know of no large city of
the world that will fairly rival the city of
New York.
The principal summer attraction of this
city for the resident, as well as for the visi-
tor, is in it's lovely and easily accessible en-
virons, its parks and gardens and summer
amusements. Perhaps 100000 people, born
and raised in New York, Brooklyn and
Jersey City, enjoy these things quite as a
matter of course, without any particular
knowledge of other cities.
Don't Realize Their Advantages.
They never knew anything else, and, like
the boys on an Indiana farm, they regard it
in humdrum way, as hunting for meadow
larks or going fishing down by the old
mill, or an occasional visit to the county
seat. was thinking of this the other day
when in company with an old college chum,
now a well-known Western politician, sat
on the upper deck of a steamer plowing her
way up the East river through Hellgate.
We had boarded her from the elevated in
the heat of the mid-afternoon at Cortlandt
street, beheld the white squadron coming in
to the Government anchorage, steamed out
of the mouth of the Hudson, rounded the
Battery and passed under the graceful span
Of the Brooklyn bridge The smell of the
salt water was incense to the nostrils and
the channel breeze played soothingly upon
the cheeks of some $50 men, women and
children between decks To the right and
left were two large cities of 1900, 900 souls.
The vessels, steam and sail, that thickly
lined the docks on either side and the un-
broken miles of warehouses represented the
commerce of the world.
Sights of a Single Sail.
There was the United States Navy Yard,
with its immense shiphouses and its repre-
sentative specimens of the navy of the past,
the present and the future. A little farther
Randall's Island, with its grim iron-barred
palaces of stone set in smooth, emerald
sward, and Blackwell's great workhouses
and reformatories are soon passing in re-
view. And here is the mouth of the Har-
lem on the left, and whole fleets of steam
and sail Just ahead of US, steaming slowly
through dangerous channel, is the grand
Pilgrim, the finest steamer ever built, on
her way through the sound to Boston.
She sits the water like great snow-white
swan, with the same beautiful lines and
symmetry, and by her side the City of Bos-
ton, of rival line, seems an insignificant
lake packet, and the cigar-shaped ocean
steamers mere dirty pigmies Now rapidly
follow large islands, one after another on
either hand. Through the deep shades can
be seen beautiful villas. Here on the sharp
promontory is fort, the declining sun
glazing the lacquered cannon; there is
bay full of trim little yachts riding at
anchor, and a smart village, Whitestone,
behind 1t. Opposite in the center of an
other island is the great asylum for the
blind, truly magnificent pile. And here
are more forts, more secluded bays with
watering hotels lining the leafy shores.
Thousands Out Seeking Pleasure.
And all along this route we meet steamer
after steamer, swarming with people of all
classes and conditions, and great barges,
with their double decks loaded with little
children coming back to the city after
healthful and mirthful day among these
shores.
Finally we are landed 80 miles from the
city at one of these same cannon-crowned,
deeply-wooded oases of the sea,
and are soon getting on familiar terms with
baked clans and other seasonable ediblesl
While we are at this pleasant task sharp
shower goes by and for 20 minutes we are
treated to sight rarely seen more than
once in lifetime-a perfect rainbow span
ming the waters close at hand and reaching
almost to the zenith. This bow Is perfect, |
and calls forth the subdued but deep ad- |
miration of every living soul present I
have never seen such a bow since early |
childhood, and that was feeting; this lasted |
unobscured and evenly distrib- |
uted for fully 20 minutes, then faded away |
in the evening sunshine.
Pittsburg, foriInstance, Doesn't Know It
IT have been thinking all the day." said |
my Western friend, as we were going back |
to town with our coats close buttoned and |
gazing on this same panorama, only re-
versed, now twinkling with myriads of |
electric and gas lights, 'I have been think
ing how little we knew of all this vision of |
life and loveliness when wewere boys in In
diana. Take the most intelligent and we'll
read people of the interior, for instance
how little they realize that such picture
as we have this day seen exists at all; and
If they were told of it in the most glowing
English they couldn't comprehend it, 1 sup
pose. I confess that have never dreamed
of it, and 1 have been to New York several
times And all for 40 cents!''
Yet this is but one of the many avenues
of summer recreation and pleasure for New
Workers. For 90 cents you can board an
iron steamboat built tor excursion comfort
and pass down the bay under the guns Of
Hamilton, through the Narrows and the
lower bay, viewing Sandy Hook and the
out to sea and around Coney
Island and return either by the same route