The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-07-27
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.


A Temperance City by the Gee W hat
Pluck viii Do
HAvERELL, N. H., July 10th, 1894.
Dear Banner
While it is week since / left AS
bury Park, N. j., / cannot forget Mr..
Bradley and the ideas of the man that
created the ideal "summer city by
the sea-
He believed there were people
enough within the radius Of the place
to demonstrate that they appreciated
resort and home where the sale of
intoxicants and gambling, openly at
least, would not be tolera ted. While
many of Mr.. Bradley's friends tried TO
dissuade him in his efforts to build up
city, such as has been indicated, say.
ing without the largest individual lib
erty, including all the features of sa-
looms, places of chance and the race
course, no summer resort could be
built up.
True, Mr.. Bradley's ideas were an
experiment, the first of the kind in
augurated in this country, but he has
demonstrated beyond a doubt that
they have been successful beyond the
largest expectations of the protector,
and to-day the city of Asbury Park is
monument to Mr.. Bradley and the
high plain of moral ideas on which he
established this prosperous city.
Twenty years ago the work was be-
gun. To-day the city numbers 5000
permanent citizens, with a summer
residence averaging during July, Au-
gust and September $4,000 people.
Asbury Park enjoys all the leading
features of first-class city-paved
streets, electric lights and city rail-
ways, sewerage, parks, lakes, etc., etc
The tract contains 500 acres, and orig
inallY cost Mr.. Bradley 100000
To-day lots that ten years ago could
have been bought for $500 have been
sold for 81 900, and in a number Of
cases the latter price has been refused.
These figures plainly indicate the
progress, prosperity and advancing
prices of its realty. 1t is emphatically
a city of hotels and boarding houses
there being fully 800 of them which
enjoy a good patronage during the
summer months. a striking feature
of the place is the excellent character
of the buildings, and their beautiful
green laws. There is not a shabby or
poor building in the place. The cost
of the homes range from $4,000 to $25,-
600, while many of the hotels are ele-
CANT edifices, and the churches of the
city in every way correspond with the
general features of their surroundings,
several of them costing 100000. The
people of Asbury Park believe in news
papers, having two morning and one
evening, with prosperous patronage.
That it follows its inhabitants believe
in advertising, we need only state they
raised S10,0 900 to entertain the editors
of the country. While it is bread
cast upon the waters it is certain to
return to the contributors ten fold.
While many of the public-spirited
citizens contributed literally towards
entertaining the editorial gang, the
leading hotels gave dollar day for
each editorial guest they entertained,
and as there were about 700 of them
and they tarried a week in the "city
by the sea-" half of the $4,000 was
made up in that way.
The sea breezes of Asbury Park are
most delightful and refreshing, and
the bathing excellent. In the height of
the season as many as 5000 persons
enjoy the bath at one time along the
mile of beach, which constitutes the
town front, and which costs $10,000-a
year to maintain in proper repair.
There is a fine board walk along the
sea front from fifteen to thirty feet
wide, with number of pavillians To-
Gated at intervals, from which the
spectators can watch the antics of the
bathers and the breaking of the waves
on the shore.
Adjoining Asbury Park is Ocean
Grove, created by the Methodists, in
which the late Bishop simpson, of
Philadelphia, had much to do.
1t is the seat of camp meetings, and
the gatherings of religious bodies and
conventions during the season.
This month the place celebrates its
twenty-fifth anniversary. A quarter
of century ago the first religious
meeting was held in the place, con-
Quoted by Mrs. Thornsby, at which
twenty-five persons were present, now
these meeting and camp gatherings
number from five to twenty-five thous-
and persons.
Then these devout tpersons worshipped
in natures temples, under the trees,
now in magnificent tabernacles which
seats 10000 and cost 100000. It is a
model of its kind and its acoustic
properties are SO perfect that a speaker
occupying its grandly proportioned
rostrum can be heard in the remotest
parts of the building when speaking