Middletown transcript., 1895-08-03
Written for the TRANSCRIPT.
MARTHA'S VINYARD.

July 9th, 1896.
GO EDITOR TRANsCRIPT:-If you loo
9. on your map you will find lying off th
10 Southeast coast of Cape Code shol
70 distance out at sea, two islands, tn
names of which are SO suggestive t
10 children studying geography that the
"a seldom forget them-Martha's Vim
y yard and Nantucket. 1t is of the in
i teresting island of Martha's Vinyard
4 would write. 1t is about twenty-iv,
. miles long and ten miles in width, tha
q is, in its widest parts. This island con
talns five towns and several hamlets
, the towns are Chilanark, Tisbury, Gay
Head, Edgartown and Cottage City.
The largest of these towns is Cottage
City. This popular little summer
resort is we'll named, for its buildings
are all of cottage shape and very few
OF them of any great size, with the
exception of course of the hotels.
| Cottage City is divided into two
parts, the Highlands and Cottage City
proper, separated only by a charming
little lake on whose smooth and silvery
surface sail boats and rowboats glide
gracefully to and fro, joy to the eye
OF the beholder and greater joy to the
participant.
The Highlands is not 90 compact as
Cottage City, nor are it's grounds so
beautifully cultivated. 1t is scattered
about on the hillsides and looks down
on the sea. The grounds have been
left very much as Mother Nature
adorned them-blueberry bushes and
sand.
Highlands is Baptist settlement.
In the northern part of the town is
found the large and strongly built
tabernacle, whose dome, rising above
the trees of the grove, may be seen
from long distance away. In this
tabernacle which will seat several
thousands of people, meetings are held |
during the month of August; many |
people coming to the Highlands to |
avail themselves of the privileges of |
these meetings. Here too is the
Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute,
the Mecca of so many teachers and
students. The Institute buildings are
on a bluff overlooking Vineyard
Sound. They consist of Agassiz Hall,
the large main building, containing
the class rooms, an auditorium, a
dormitory and cafe.
Many of the students have rooms at
the dormitory and take their meals at
the cafe, but these buildings are much {
too small to accommodate so many,
between six and seven hundred teachers ,
and students having registered, so the ,
cottages have thrown open their doors {
and with the we'll appointed hotels i
,hese seekers after knowledge are COM ,
'ortable and happy. d
The air is heavy with learning in
his section of the town, heavy enough a
% be almost depressing but when we Y
axe into consideration that many of s
he instructors and large number of Ii
tudents are from Boston and vicinity, G.
iced we wonder that "me,hods, isms, \
nd ologies" are as famiIiarly and v
discussed as you and 1 would IL
iscuss the weather? Although as I IL
tated, many are from Boston, there N
re also students from all over the
United States, thirty-eight states rep n,
3sented l am told. Whilst looking n
yer the register found the names of be
x Delaware teachers, noticed also ~
,ecimens of drawing from an ungraded q,
,hool in New Castle County hanging -
4 the walls of the main hall. Although or
e are small we usually are represented ba
here enterprise and learning dwell. an
he dear "little Diamond" is never in
# behind in the march forward and n,
ward. :.
On the other side of the lake the oh
lief object in life at present seems to nj,
fun and ease. Many of the streets tb
g built in circular form about a -,
cen court, in which are found, trees, act
rubs and flowers, other streets are tw
lit in the regulation way, long, tbt
'aight and narrow, Macadamizsd cor
llks and drives all through both NJ
wns. Many stores and bazaars are ate
Ind everywhere, with their supplies ORC
pretty articles and souvenirs calling ho
: money. The attractive and always bis
be found "merry-go-round" with its tho
" (?) and soul-stirring airs-Sweet
'rie, Daisy, etc., delights the heart
the small boy and small girl too 1 A
,uld say from the number found on Wi,
backs of the fiery steeds. for
electric cars, carrying tourists from for
ce to place, pass through the streets peri
this ideal city. The bathing is tens
ightful and perfectly safe, still COLI
fer, with all the invigorating effects .s p
salt water without the unpleasant aau. - :.
tact with the heavy breakers. snre
)uring August the Methodist friends svrr
d their special meetings in their fine =
ernacle at the same time that their
,tist brethren hold their meeting at
Highlands. Then the air is not
rary SO much but decidedly re-
Dns. At present it could not be
ed exactly so, as hops, dramatic
srtainpents and concerts occupy
time of some of the idlers.
steamers, plying between
tage City and many important
its on the main land, stop at both
d.