The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-08-26

Aulantlc City Doaru walk Is aDouu
most interesting thoroughfare / have
seen in America-excelled only by
Broadway. 1t is three miles long and
has an average width of thirty feet.
Some years ago there was no board
walk, merely planked way down in
the sand. The young men of Atlantic
City, who saw the possibilities of then
community, insisted upon raising this
walk to the dignity of a great PRONE
made. OF course the old men and the
principal taxpayers resisted, but the
young men had their way, and tn,
board walk was lifted i'll altitude broad
ened in feet and made the feature OF
Atlantic City. 1t was the pioneer board
walk, and met with such great popular
approval that now all the pretentious
seashore resorts nave Jnelr BOARD walks
too
But there is no other board walk quite
like the Atlantic City board walk. UL
and down it's great length move $4,000
people, all watching each other. 1t is
study m human nature, in clothes, in
millinery, in style. On one side, the
beach and the duly roaring sea; on the
other, the strangest aggregation OF
amusements and temptations the eye OF
mortal ever beheld. Merry-go-rounds,
always moving, all crowded; roller coast.
often rent with the screams of fright.
ened but not endangered passengers; an
observation railway" whose cars go at
such speed you can't see much, and then
go through tunnel in which you can
see nothing; figure railroad, on
which you describe two circles at diff |
ferent heights over and over to the
tune of Maggie Murphy's Home" from
a steam music machine; huge wheel |
which lifts humanity laden baskets above |
the housetops; merry-go-round COM
posed of bicycles bolted tandem and
propelled by steam; another merry-go-
round which initiates the motion of
a ship at sea, and thus produces in most
passengers a delightful an inexpensive
scores of other queer things
to ride upon; piers to walk out into the
ocean upon, finding half way out the
atrical or opera troop; Photographic
galleries warranted to make one look
ugly in his bathing suit; restaurants,
heaters, horse shows, illusions, candy
stores and taffy factories galore; ice
cream, soda, lemonade, popcorn, pea
luts, cigars, curiosities, toys, relics-of
,hese a revel.
Atlantic City is the city of the hoi pol
OF; it is also the city of the nickel.
Given three or four children, an indul-
rent father and a five dollar bill Re-
ult, more fun than any sane man had
yer thought could be had in two hours,
md not nickel left. Almost every
hing is five cents. IT'S so cheap you
axe everything in sight.
By strict attention to business, nimble
hasing of the willing nickel, Atlantic
lily is rapidly growing rich. Many
comfortable fortunes are made here
very year. Hotel proprietors do WELL
'athhouse owners put four or five per-
ons at quarter each in room which
ost eight dollars to build. The taffy
ian spends his winters in Europe. Two
Dung men who started merry-go-
ound here eight years ago, and who
new how to take care of and invest
leir profits, are now worth half mil
on dollars.
Property along the famous board
-alk is worth from $500 to 81 900 per ,
ront foot, though it is valuable only
1ree months in the year. There are :
,cations on this thoroughfare that could
OF be bought for 1000 foot, simply
ecause their nickel catching owners do
OF wish to go out of their business of
INNING gold mine.
About in the afternoon there is a lull
long the board walk. The thousands
re at dinner At this hour the most
ypical scene in Atlantic City is the
Dung man who sits in hammock be-
de maiden, running his fingers
trough her hair, throwing it loose to
he winds SO that it may dry enough
} be seen in the dining room. Happy
Outhi WAITER WFTTMAN