The record-union., 1891-08-22
Wakeman Wandering Among
Pleasant Places.
Southport, the Chief of All the English
West Coast Resorts -SsRosy-Nosed
Bil1'' Had More Foresight Than His
Neighbors Gave Him Credit for.
Especial Correspondence of the RECORD
UNION. Copyright, 1871
SOUTHPORT, Eng, Aug. s, 1891.

IL6 ioOlWay tlrIn, WDlcn on the west
marks the boundary between England
and Scotland, faces an almost silent arm
of the Irish Sea. The power of the tides
IN the North Channel and ST. George S
Channel Is broken by the rugged shores
Of the Isle of Man; and, with the excep-
ton of the tides of Liverpool on the ex-
treme south, and in the Solway Firth,
at the extreme north of this region, the
waves of the sea reach the shore almost
ceaSelessly in murmurous ripples or
dreamful calm.
Curiously, too, and as if notably Illus
trative of the seeming truth that nature
ever fashions its forces to a nicely of fit
ting and balance, the entire shore line
for all this distance shore line account
ing for indentations of nearly two hun
dred miles-is nowhere fifty feet above
the sea level. The sea is ever asleep be-
side it.
This is the Lancashire coast. It is a
coast of endless and measureless sand.
Behind it, level reaches of reclaimed land.
with dykes of sod and whitewaShed peas
ants huts, stretch far away to many
towns changing night and day with ma
chlnery, dense with human strivers,
sitting with SCOT and smoke. To the
east, horizon line of chimney stacks
Then, nearer the ocean valley of truck
farms. Then the shore line, a mass Of
low, drear sand dunes, hiding an hun
dred sunny villages and towns: every
one nest of homes for those who strive
III the inland cities, or the holiday place
Tor those millions who change the clatter
ofthe mine drill and spindle for the song
OF the sea but one bright day in all the
scOurging year.
Southport is chief of all the English
f. l. Cf rnG GIr.ts- Z
north of England watering place. Scar
borough, on the east coast, directly OD-
pOslte, drawing from the Yorkshire
towns for visitors, has greater antiquity,
some interesting history, and is altogether
quaint and beautiful; but being only a
summer watering place it cannot vie with
Southport New Brighton, LiverpooPs
Coney Island, at the mouth OF the Mersey,
is gayer and more rollic<ing. Llandud-
no, the famous north of Wales resort, is
grandly beautiful. All the bright places
ike IItracombe, Bidetord and sweet Clo-
velly, along the Devonshire coast. have
superior charms in scenery and in witch
ing Widness Of cliff-hung coast South
port e2cels in the tenderness of its sea,
the soft breeZeS Of its coast and the tran
Scendent spIendOr of its endless golden
sands. Besides, there are four or five
mllllon IN people so near tin Liverpool,
Chester, Manchester, Wigan, Preston,
Burnley, Leeds, Bradford and scores
more of crowded manufacturing cities
that they can get TO Southport and home
again the same day for a railway fare of
from two to four shillings each. And
about ali OF them do that very thing
whenever the money can be spared.
Southport can boast of no remote an
tquIty, though it forms part OF the an
Clent parish of North MeOis, in the Hum
dreds Of West Derby. It is hardly a
century old. Its founder was Church
town Inn-keeper, one William Sutton,
"ROSy-nCSed Bill'' he was called in the
old days, because his own good cheer
most prominently spoke it's merits in his
hearty old face. He was also called the
"Old Duke" because Of his lOrdIy WAYS.
At one end Of the present splendid Lord
street he built Il huge hOstelry among the
sand-hillS. This was nicknamed "The
Folly'' by those who were not so far
seeing as William. 1t soon happened
that customers were attracted to his inn
by his famous grilled fish and good
Cheer; just as eplcureS Will go half the
length Of our land for those glorious
''planked shad,' that can only be got as
the shad was designed to De cooked, at q
certain inn at Gloucester on the Della
ware, hard by staid old philadelphia. A
IttIe hamlet Of cottages soon Sprang up
around The Dukes Folly" It's owner
was also the best fiddler III all the coun-
tryside, and one night when some roy
, IL
had been reveling Zip and heel" in
conViyial moment over a bottle of rare
old port his house was named South
Port" And Southport the place, now of
$4,000 souls, win ever remain.
The cottages first built here were of the
Whltewashed and matched order among
the sand-hIlls, and with their beds of
shrubs and flowers gave an agreeable
color to the scene. There was an assem-
blage OF mimic mountains, with a long
struggling street, and beyond a vast ex-
panse of level country. The salubrity of
the air, the delights Of the sands and the
DreeZcS from the sea, soon drew residents
10 the quaint wild spot, and handsome
dwellings were erected. By 1870 South
port had become a place of fashion and
favorite resort, the sands being in sum
lner time place of great gayety Visitors
tne2 arrived by coach and canal packets.
and holiday makers came in carts or on
foot, with their bundles and hampers on
their backs and shoulders. Along in the
mites we hear of Hawthorne then our
Consul at Liverpool, and his friend Henry
Bright making the place, its beach and
the far-stretchlng dunes their frequent
haunts, both for dreamful idlinp and for
literary work. Indeed, after much in
curry of the old, old folk of Southport, |
am persuaded that the portion Of Trans
formation" written in England and neces-
Sary for the securing by Hawthorne of
his English copyright on that work. was
composed IN the quiet retreats of the then
little old inns here.
Perhaps ii is largely fanciful associa-
ton of person and place, but somehow
with Hawthorne in ones mind the lovely.
ieaty city, as 1t is to-day takes on the
garb OF our own delicious Salem. The
trim, pretty yards recall it. The long.
clm-shaded avenues with a CLINT and
simmer OF the sea through their narrow
ing vlstas, bring it lovingly TO the mem
ory. The wide, clean. sunshine-dappled
yards, backed by prim, precise houses.
hint of 1t. Hundreds of ''hipped" roofs,
quaint gables and ivy-haunted dormers
reproduce its sweet old hooks. The half
houses, halt-shops where modern affairs
and holiday makers relentless needs have
conJured perky shops in the fronts of
stately mansions, gay as Fauntleroy chill
dren IN the laps of men or matrons of the
old regime, are like the bright settings
peerIng out of many of the grim old
house-fronts of Salem.
And one loves to trace the likeness fur
ther-in the hush of the by-streets
where even country birds trill summer
time songs fearlessly: in the old. old folk
VINO saunter about the town as though
they had naught on their minds but the
making of codicilS, because of fancied
Sights, late meals or overdone grills: in
the flavor and SAVIOR of olden seaWise WAYS
and memories not from rotten hulks and
wharves as at Salem, bat in the rich old
sea captains who swagger here when
their gout and rheumatics will let them;
and IN the wlde-eyed young and heart
some life that comes from the outer
world to feel It's pensive calm, staring at
its dowagers and dreamfulness, as n
cathedral pageant might be viewed going
away again all the better for the rumina-
two rnypraurp and r.gSt