The St. Johns herald., 1895-10-17
JERSEY WASH DAY.
A GaIt-Water Festival on the
 Coast at Sea Girt.
It Is Held the Second Saturday In August and Smacks Pleasantly Of Old-Time Rustic Re Teiry-SoTne DroH
 Sights and Incidents.


 Sights and Incidents.
 Mrs Burton Harrison, in an article on American Rural Festivals" in the Century, writes as follows:
 Of those which l have seen, and those Of which l have been able to gather accounts, the one smacking most pleasantly of old-tilne rustic rev elry, and therefore to be offered honor able precedence in this recital, is the ''Salt Water Day,n or Wash Day, /" of the New Jersey farmers, that since time out of mind has been celebrated on the second Saturday in August, upon the coast at Se;, Girt.
 To make this Jersey holiday, as- semble thousand back-country ve- hicles, of all sorts, from the hooded farm wagon, which has not greatly altered It's pattern for centuries, to the rude blackboard and the pert suliy. The horses are withdrawn from shafts CT pole to be tethcTcd behind the wagons or piclzeted at little distance in the rear. Around the iinpromptu camp gather people enough to blaclzen 6 mile Of the sandy shorc-pcople who for montlls have been looking forward to the occasion as the chief holiday of the year Cedar chest and camphor trunk and lowered bandbox have been called upon to disgorge their treasures; but there is no other attempt at costuming than the assumption of mere Sunday best. An odd feature of the great con course is the seriousness with which it takes it's pleasure. 4 solemn, even strained, expression of determination to revel or die sits upon the majority of faces. During the unharnessing Of the wagons, which have been arriving upon the scene since early dawn-camping over night being not infrequent-the good wives unpack their luncheon bas- lzets, take tally of their pies. and, if need be, while away the time by me- thodically administering punishment of the good old-fashioncd variety to their inpatient youngsters.
 Around the outskirts of the concourse are seen the booths and ro3trums of the fal1irs attracted from New York by the promise of rich harvest from the farm CTS wallets, There are also ri1ie-ranGe, merry-go-round, and a dcll. target at which balls are thrown for prizes. Many another cheap diversion offers itself during the explorations of the farmer and his wife and clamoring progeny, and more than one pinch Of dire experience falls to the lot of the paying member of the party. The nasal cries of the Yankee Autolycus offering his inkles, caddises and lawns are con- 5 tinually heard above the swelling mur murs of Jersey joviality.
 Pairing over, there is a general re- treat to the tent dressing-rooms. i'm proviscd with shavls and canvas cur tains in connection with the vehicles The great annual bath of the pilgrims is next in order, and down to the shin ing reach of ocean, where the crisping pillows hurry in, presently troop the queerest processions of bathers ever seen out of Q caricaturc. Many of the men and boys, disdaining change of dress, go into the water in their ordi- nary clothes, summing themselves after ward in tic hot sand until toasted dry again. Others put on shirts from which sleeves have been removed. and trousers cut off at the knee. The bathing outfit of the women reveals droll n1iscellanics of bygone fashion in cut and texture, some of the mere coy among the ma irons including pantalet5, sun5onncts and gloves. With sober mirtil, deaure smiles, suppressed cries of excitement, the phalanx moves into the surf, taking hands to jump discreetly up and down in long lines. safe within the danger line. To the great nunhcr this ven ture into the sea is actually no more than an annual experience.
 After the bath, noontime turns all thoughts dinneryvard, and tho camp settles down into one vast picnic. Pies of all kinds suggest the litany-chant- ed without taking breath-of the fem mine hotel waiter in the ear of the summer boardcr: ''Apple-pic, Iaince- pie, custard pie, ier1od pie, squash pie and pieplant pie" Doughnuts (called nuts in the vernacular), cheese in liberal wedges, ham sandwiches, hard boiled eggs. and pickles. supply the favorite menu; and lemonade and root beer-perchGncc a stronger beverage are produced in bottles each confess ing by label to 3 different intention in its earlier career.
 Then, while the summer sun slants in the cloutlless heaven, the rnerrimcnt g6es on to it's climax, more dips in the ocean are taken, more money changes hands, more soiid food is consumed. til at last the shades of evening close upon the scene, and general ''llitching up" .r l.. A . T CN-y ter day at Sea Girt.
 Useless Fish.
 4 Maine fishing schooner had the odd and unpleasant experience recently of continually filling it's nets with kind of fish that the fishermen didn't want.