The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-09
SALT WATER DAY.
An Annual Festival on the New Jersey
Coast at Sea Grit.

Coast at Sea Girt.
To make this Jersey holiday assemble a
thousand back-country vehicles of all
sorts, from the hooded farm wagon, which
has not greatly altered its pattern for GEN.
turtles, to the rude blackboard and the pert
sulky. The horses are withdrawn from
shafts or pole to be tethered behind the
wagons or picketed little distance in the
rear. Around the impromptu camp gather
people enough to blacken half mile of
the sandy shore-people who for months
have been looking forward to the occasion
as the chief holiday of the year. Cedar
chests and camphor trunk and lowered
handbook have been called upon to dis
gorge their treasures; but there is no other
Bttempt at costuming than the assumption
of mere Sunday best. An old feature of
the great concourse is the seriousness with
which it takes its pleasure. a solemn,
even strained expression of determination
to revel or die sits upon the majority of
faces. During the embarrassing of the
wagons, which have been arriving upon
the scene since early dawn-camping over
night being not infrequent-theg good wives
unpack their luncheon baskets, take tally
of their. pies, and, if need be, while away
the time by methodically administering
punishment of the good old-fashioned
variety to their impatient youngsters.
Around the outskirts of the concourse
are seen the booths and rostrums of the
fakirs attracted from New York by the
promise of rich harvests from the farmers
wallets. There is rifle range, merry-go-
round and a doll target at which balls are
thrown for prizes. Many another cheap
diversion offers itself during the exp.ora-
tons of the farmer and his wife and
clamoring progeny, and more than one
pinch of the dire experience falls to the
playing member of the company. The
nasal cries of the Yankee Autolycus offer
ing his inkles, caddises and lawns are con-
tinually heard above the swelling muir
murs of Jersey ioviality.
Pairing over, there is general retreat to
the tent dressing room. improvised with
shawls and canvas curtains in connection
with the vehicles. The great annual bath
of the pilgrims is next in order, and down
to the shining reach of ocean, where the
crisping pillows hurry in, presently troop
the queerest procession of bathers ever seen
out of caricature. Many of the men and
the water in their ordinary clothes, sun
ming themselves afterward in the hot sand
until toasted dry again. Others put on
shirts from which sleeves have been re-
moved, and trousers cut Off at the knee.
The bathing outfit of the women reveals
droll misce1lanies of bygone fashion in cut
and texture, some of the more coy among
the matrons including pantalets, sunbon-
nets and gloves. With sober mirth, de-
mure smiles, suppressed cries of excite
ment, the phalanx moves into the surf,
taking hands to Jump discreetly up and
down in the long lines, safe within the
danger line. To the greater number this
venture into the sea is actually no more
than an annual experience.
After the bath, noontime turns all
thoughts dlnnerward, and the camp settles
down into one vast picnic. Pies of all
kinds suggest the litany-chanted without
taking breath-of the feminine hotel waiter
in the ear of the summer boarder: apple
pie, mince-pie, custard-pie, lemon-pie,
squash-pie and pieplant-pie." Doughnuts
(called nuts in the vernacular), cheese
in liberal wedges, sandwiches, hard
boiled eggs and pickles supply the favorite
menu, and lemonade and root beer-per-
chance stronger beverage-are produced
in bottles, each confessing by label to diff
ferent intention in its earlier career.
Then, while the summer sun slants in
the cloudless heaven, the merriment goes
on to its climax, more dips in the ocean
are taken, more money changes hands,
more solid food is consumed, till at last the
shades of evening close upon the scene,
and general "hitching up of teams be-
tokens the end OF Saltwater Day at Sea
Girt,-The Century.