Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08
LOVE MAKING At ASBURY.
A More Popular Amusement There Than
Anywhere Else.
How Amorous Couples Garry ON Their
C0urttng-On the Lake and ON the
Beach-Ocean Grove and Asbury.
rrespondence Of The Evening Star.

>~AASSb0uooucoOi Ine Evening Star.
AsBUKY PARK, N. J., July 8, 1898.
To "shoo" hens Il proverbially difficult, but
those perverse fowls are not Sin it" with
Asbury Park lovers.
One OF the most pleasing sports here ID to
chase away amorous pairs which are finding
harmless enjoyment along the beach. Their
habits are to great extent crepusculsr, as
| scientific observers would say. When the
shades Of evening fall they appear in focks,
hike night-Aying moths. 1t is difficult to dis
tinguish the male from the female, because the
two are usually SO close together.
In summer the fancies Of young men and
young women become reciprocal. It is phase
subsequent to thespringtipe weakness Of which
the late Baron Tennyson has SO feelingly sung.
Thus 1t happens that, a. one trsads the board
walk along the beach at Asbury Park, couples
are observed diverting themselves after a fash.
ion particularly esoteric. In each group of two
third party would be smphstically super.
auousIto put 1t mildly. do trop. This ten.
dency to exclusiveness, when repeatedly no
| ticed, becomes almost offensive. 1t is partly on
that account that unsympathetic persons make
| an effort to ''shoo" these lovers awav.
The operation 10 performed not with broom,
nor by the waving OF an apron, but by staring
| and making remarks.
HAvoRIrn NOOK.
One Of the favorite hooks for such couples II
beneath the studio Of an eccentric artist who
does his painting in Q funny little house on the
peach, set upon piles at high-water mark. There
Is room for Just one ove-sick pair in this chosen
spot. There they find themselves screened from
observation by those who tread the board walk
In fact they cannot be seen from any side. save
Dy persons who approach along the edge Of the
strand. Consequently they do their counting
without much fear Of prying eyes, Unfortu-
nately. thew 70 hipk ~ fha vrin Ioxv
In the studio six feet above their heads.
through this opening the philosophic artist
gazes down upon them in hts leisure moments.
| interested to observe their goings-on. Now and
then he upsets q small quantity of water upon
| them. and this drives them away. But there is
sure to be another couple in the same place
within an hour or two. because it is such q very
eligible spot for the purpose.
THE UMBRELLA SCREEN.
The umbrella has long been recognized as a
successful matrimonial agent. A popular song
has been made on the subject OF "courting in
| the rain" Many a mutual affinity has been
discovered through the medium of an umbrella
In shower. Thus 1t Ia not surprising to find
that an umbrella goes with each pair Of lovers
at Asbury Park. With the ocean in front of
them and big umbrella behind them, two
hearts that beat one find themselves to all
| intents and purposes shut of from the outside
world. If. as is said, propinquity brings about
most marriages. the umbrella at Asbury Park
| must be responsible for many matings. But il
| the day be windy Q sudden gust may watt away
the umbrella and make undesired disclosures
Such an occurrence Yesterday morning revealed
young woman in the act Of sitting on a young
mans lap and kissing him, but it must be taken
for granted that they were already engaged.
Founder Bradley does not permit young people
who are not engaged to kiss one another.
THE FAvoRITE TINE.
Pint boab 70 H.
love making at Asbury Park is in the evening.
No sooner has dusk fallen than the benches be-
gin to be occupied by couples. As a rule. they
are so wrapped up in themselves as to pay no
attention to anybody else. Usually they are
| snuggled up as close as possible. Some Of them
hold hands, !" while the attitudes OF others are
| even more affectionate. This sort Of thing is
not at all approved Of by ascetic Mr. Bradley,
but he is at q loss for means to prevent 1t. I'm
feeling individuals amuse themselves by going
about and gazing at the lovers who are most
demonstrative, making remarks which are cal
culated to embarrass them. Fortunately, il
takes great deal to embarrass an Asbury Park
| swain or the damsel who accompanies him.
THE REASON FOR IT ALL.
Why should there be 30 much love making at
Asbury Park? The answer is very simple
| This is mainly a resort for New Workers.. In
| the metropolis favorable surroundings for this
purpose do not exist. The city is too crowded.
All the streets so brilliantly lighted BY night
| that it is impossible to find dark corner for
amorous dalliance. So, when they can, the
| young people from the Island Of Manhattan
come down to the seashore and cultivate the
| preliminaries to matrimony on q sort Of in
| tensIve system. A person who rarely ENJOYS
the luxury Of butter spreads it thick when
| he gets ii. 1t ia likewise with love making at
Asbury Park.
Another favorite method Of counting is to 90
out in boats at night on the lake. For the sake
Of propriety Mr.. Bradley has declared that all
boats must have lanterns after dark. This regu-
| lation is persistently evaded. Couples take
boats, row off with them and put out the can
dies in the lanterns. 1t is easy enough to light
them again before they return. Malciously
disposed persons occasionally go out hunting
for lovers on the water. They put out their
own lanterns steal silently up to suspected
boat and then light up suddenly. There was
one fend awhile ago who utilized similar
method for securing fash-light pictures He
was suppressed for good and all by one OF his
| intended victims. who doused him in the water
and smashed his camera.
The beach is cleared Of people at 9 p. m. now
adays, instead Of 10 o'clock as formerly. After
that hour q man cannot sit on the sand with his
own wife. 1t seems hard, but there is q reason
for it. Said policeman last night
They all tell us they are married and we've
been fooled SO often that we can't draw the
line"
Over in pious Ocean Grove the young people
! seem to be as much addicted to making love as
they are at Asbury Park. It is even asserted
that their regular attendance ct the holiness
meetings ia mainly prompted by q desire to
firt. Parties sometimes 60 from here in the
evenings to see what are called the "sbadow
pictures" on the walls Of the tents along Pill
grim Pathway. These exhibitions are said to
be very peculiar sometimes.
THE GROVE AND THE PARK.
Most people who have never visited Asbury
Park confuse it with Ocean Grove, partly be-
! cause the two have the same railway station.
As matter Of fact the places are in no respect
alike. The people Of Ocean Grove regard As
bury Park as an unholy and almost impious
resort. No vehicle ia permitted to travel
| through the streets Of Ocean Grove on Sun
| days. Accordingly, visitors who arrive there
on Saturday night cannot get their baggage de-
livered until the following Monday. News
papers are not sold in Ocean Grove on the Sab
bath. Newsboys stand Just across the line
which separates the grove from the park and
| sell papers to those denizens Of the grove who
| are ungodly enough to purchase them.
The regulations governing Asbury Park are
not at all offensive to tho liberty loving On
| the contrary they have an excellent effect.
| Anybody here can get all the beer or houor he
| wants by simply ordering 1t to be delivered at
| the house. At the same time. there are no
saloons, and thus there is no public dissipation.
People are not allowed to battle after 8 a. IN, on
| Sundays. That restriction is made, not for
| purposes OF piety, but to keep excursionists
| from coming here. Shut of drinking and
bathing and you inhibit excursionists absolutely.