The record-union., 1891-08-22

families some members of which require
! the soft and health-giving air that is said
to prevail during the winter months.
| When the summer comes the real resi-
dents leave for the continental spas or
! for the Highland lochs and glens of Scot
land. Then population of at least 90
900 is entirely changed. Liverpool or
| Manchester shopkeepers or brokers,
county eurates on pinched allowances,
and managing clerks with hollow eyes
and chests ''let' the houses deserted by
| the quality, and gain enough life and
v1gor for the rest of the years struggle.
These, with the 'trippers' and excur-
sionists, make up the population and
crowds in summer. The shopkeepers
rather scornfully serve them. But these
! fine shadings of distinction are willingly
! recognized and borne by summer tenants,
| and are never seen by those to whom one
day in the year at Southport is the sole
! aspiration OF a twelve months brave
| saving.
Scenically Southport is winsome rather
| than striking. 1t would be ranked beau
| tItul IN itself were there no added charms
of shore or sea. Its long, cool streets
| reaching back countryWard, are beauti-
| ful. Crossing these and running parallel
with the shore, but shut away from it by
a single great range of sea-view baths.
pavilions and hotels, is one of the finest
avenues in Europe. 1t recalls Princess
street, Edinburgh, the Paris boulevards,
and the Prado OF Havana. This is the
| great avenue of shops and bazaars, of
| equestrian display, a sort of Rotten Row
for brilliant equipages, and the grand
| promenade for beautiful and beautifully
| dressed women. With all its splendor it
| naS huShed and quiet air. Indeed this
dreamtul pensiveness is characteristic of
the entire place. II is not languor, It is
the sea airs tender bidding to rest. Some
thing like 1t comes with the soft breezes
in Florida, in the Bahamas, and with
those Witching, narcotic breaths that
pulse and throb in Cuba and the Azores.
Exclusive OF its seashore delights the
place is provided with so great a number
OF genuine attractions that the dearth of
these IN our own watering-places be-
comes humiliating reflection. On land
reclaimed from sand there has been
made one OF the most exquisite parks in
England. Its winter gardens, open all
| the year round, and atfording various
forms of entertainment and recreation,
cost over a half million dollars. A con-
SerVatory and aquarium, among the
nneSt IN Britain, are also here. Its Kew
gardens are only second to ROyal Kew in
London. Its free public library and art
gallery would honor any city. The Vic
torIa Baths cost nearly quarter million
dollars. And its botanic gardens and
museum are alone worth a DAYS visit.
1t would almost seem that in this extra
ordinary provision for recreation and ed
ucatIye diversion lies a suggestion of
value TO our own managers of great re-
sorts. There are variety and diversity in
IT, Ii mluImlzes the loating tendency in
huge crowds which begets rowdyism. 1t
pays because 1T attracts the same people
again and again.
The city faces the sea to the west For
three or four miles along its front runs
the Marine Esplanade. The great hotels.
the most imposing private residences. the
grand baths and pavilions, extend to the
north and south along this. forming an
almost unbroken facade of great beauty
and interest. In front of all this. the
sands and the sea; the sands an ample
playground Tor millions, not thousands.
OF visitors; the sea dream of majestic
sweetness and repose. From a central
street pier has been built across the
SANDS, which are covered by spring tides
and often left like polished gold by other
high tides, TO the sea channel. This is
nearly mile in length and one of the
longest IN England. 1t provides q wide
promenade all this distance; and a cable
passenger railway runs nearly to its sea-
end. Here the pier is brOadened to per-
maps an acre in area, and there are re-
reShment rooms, music pavilions and
room for dancing. Seats are everywhere.
ana the pier can comfortably accommo-
date $4,000 lOungerS and pedestrians.
While from the Sea-channel beneath il.
excursions are made to as far north as
Barrow, as Tar west as the Isle of Man.
ana as lar south as LlandudnO, in Wales.
To the right and left of the great pier is
always to be seen the real holiday activ-
Ity OF Southport. The sands, or fOreshore
as they are called here, are fully three
tOurths of a mile broad. One could fol-
low them, along this or greater breadth.
for twenty miles TO the south, and to the
north all along the Lancashire coast and
around Morecambe Bay on the north,
distance OF more than one hundred miles.
L nave never elsewhere seen so noble
reach Of beach. 1t is pure sand, with no
shlngleI and scarcely pebble within it,
10 the lett is marine park within the
sands, q salt water lake within this. and
all the grotesque shows inseparable from
great popular resort grourod beyond in
manner permitting to ohosest police
surveillance. To the right there is little
but the sand and the sea. 1t is the play
ground Of big and little children, and
glorlously the thousands enjoy it. A
stranded brig, sitting bolt upright in the
sand adds zest to the picture \ fleet of
d-boats-curious, widetired wagons
propelled by sails-cOurSe over this level
plain. At the shore edge beyond are
rows OF ragged bathing-Vans, like an en-
lgrant train gone into encampment.
Donkeys, Salvationists and vagrom musi-
clans are everywhere; but not a single
oeggar Is allowed in all the parish pre-
cinctS.
For myself l love best to come to South
port when the great interior hives of in
dustry beIch forth their thousands for
days outing here, or the Lancashire and
Cheshire miners come down stronger in
numbers than any one Of our single ar
mics during the late Civil War. That
may seem like exaggeratlon. ONLY few
days ago L was one of just such crowd
here at Southport. Not only did 10000
minors leave the black coal-pits voiceless
behind them, but many Of their families
came. The great wheels at the pit-mouths
were still, and the ''pit-brow lassies,'
with some of my good friends among
them, came also. More than 100000 of
these sturdy folk were here-nearly as
many souls as are housed in Roche ster or
Louisville-and all in one day. It is at
such time that one may know, if he will
use his eyes, how precious a thing is the
CLINT of the waves, the cool touch of the
golden sands, the whispered lullaby and
mysteries of the sea, and all the benefi-
cence of Gods blessed sunlight kissing
through lite-giving air the pallor from
out these toil-scarred faces to unused
eager eyes and haunted, hungry hearts.
EDGAR /. WAKEMAN.
His scheme Failed.
Those were hustling days on the west
ern rivers, fifty years ago, when the emf
grants from the East 1locked to the prai-
rios of the NNaSt save fha Tye,,y,x,,a, C,os,,.o