Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-16
THE MERCURY FELL.
,,,Eu A VICTIM or A MENpAcioos
MANS IMAGINATION.
,DygETURE WITH 4 RANlAC.
voa on tho Question of Currency
THE Hotel Proprietor Imposes
miles and Regulations ON HIS
ehelLStuddsd Beach. n. w,
k,...sset Il 1915
Guests


o., The ioe-ladon breath Of winter
,,,,ging on the bosom Of my negiigee
80, and around my snowy flame!
',,..rs whistlcd hibernal blasts that
s- me SILVER through and through
80 frosts made their fairy feathery
,--.,,s on the glasses that contained our
$50 and the hotel bristled with icicles
,,po ne Luray Caverns with stalactites.
,,,.on ire ocean froze, and we had 10
49,. nanny OF the surf-bathers out OF the
80, The water CONCEALED before they
s,.,v, what was the matter. our genial
,-.,,rfetor" is to-day cutting sailed Ice
- the Atlantic lie win use II IN the
.-..,eo.trre Of his cream and sherbets.
-, bo+binr-ssgits. before they can be
- ho,,e 10 be beaten with hammers,
-, ore 50 stir. and even then they
- oplv be utilized for underwear.
6re-ee0 I'm a fur-lincd ovcrcoat, mitts'
$50 anr-raufiers. and wear legslns over
-, eboes while many, covered with pear
s,-srs are seated on the VeTahoa' ana
trsgllng around the great stove, Whlch
s(...4, n comfortable warmth TO all. To-
,,orrosv we are going 10 skate out 10 tne
pcrr,,,das. n there Is not another fan
>, ,er,noratiirc. and II the snow does not
- the ice Every precaution VIII be
,ot,er 70 prevent the participants in the
s-,iic from becoming frost-bitten, and
toraree viii be built along the route
.t-l.-, fbe snaD first came II took us hours
=, thayy out the FIRE In the kitchen.
krood OF chickens frOze TO death beneath
b,e,r mother. we have 10 COOK our water
fore IL IS drnkable. Inc
$50 @ not q guarantee OF my insanity
y n
90 jiouorYf II Is an effusion from our
i.ge-iel proprletor's' pen. l asked him 10
al, me out with my letter this week.
Nd having an eye 20 business, he knock
~ ~ the above AS a preVarlcator that
80 should have a championship belt
-, 5ed him. When ] asked him how he
came 70 have the aforementioned cream
thoueht ne must have gotten II from
. 6,eeu,--iis said. "Oh, I'm only INDUCING
IN q little cxaggeratioD TO help my ousl-
Da<e" To think OF man IKE that
wasting his talents in the hotel line, when
ne New York newspapers would buy his
ser7,iccs at his weight in gold.
The thermometer here registers 100 In
-, shade but it's hot work 10 find the
shade For miles q great white beach
ileached by a scOrching sun, stares us ~
fho face. while the ocean, in oily rolls,
ie~Dos the strand with unceasing rest
lessncss. ana profuse perspiratiOn. Never
have / seen an ocean perspire so
copiously. IL changes color as often as
charneicon-is green one hour and blue
fbe next Our genial proprietor claims 70
have arranged this in order 10 vary the
rronotony. We will see this luxury
tented on our weekly accounts. Since
my opsrc-giasses arrived l have not
bathed mach myself. for / am busily oc-
cupied ashore. There IS so much TO see
I'D a place Ike this. What a study in
human nature " affords. Verify il is
worth going miles 20 behold the girl who
has never batned before and who appears
Tor rhe first tfrns in the 'airy-fairy-
Lillian" costume. TO which j have before
Fnuded. She coyly makes her exit from
the both-hOuse, after having first peeped
cautiously out 70 get her bearings. and
then. casting an embarrassed glance al
her stockings. she sprints oceanward al
a Tt rneudous e0it. and proceeds 10 cover
nm With water that which, in q bicycle
costume. she would not hesitate 10 dis
ilav By and hy she loses her timidity,
and aGter two days she will unite with
i.er crSticai sisters IN Tidiculing those who
cannot stand the test OF short skirts.
Christian charity is ap unknown quantity
with women. 50 far as their own sex are
concerned. I am quite popular here, be-
cause l make II a point 10 take each
Woman aside separately. and abuse the
bther female guests. They pretend 10
stand agbast at my cyniclsm, and, ex-
claiming. "Oh. you horrid thing" they
yieesomely chunk me in the ribs with
their fans. But ali the same they are
pleased.
on yesterday we had an adventure,
which, from a weird and dangerous
Eiand point. surpassed anything that I
had ever seen. About six miles from our
toafs In a portion Of the sea that ever
Peetfps and Fages over hidden boulders
and deadly shoals, there IL a wild, rocky
island fre0uentcd only by Cuns ana sea-
birds For years II had been untenanted
by human beings, and few indeed are
the fisher folk who venture near It's
precincts. OF late however. strange
Nghts have nlckored about this storm
dashed place. and mariners passing the
dlsolate spoz have noticed a ghostly
figure scrsulbnng Ger the rocks Some
said Il Was the shade Of a skipper,
drowned one Christmas night while
others alleged II was the demon that
had so often iured ships 10 destruction.
Be tat as It may We resolved TO solve
the myHtery--to light our cigars with
the fires Of this demon. SIX of us. armed
10 on chatterug teeth, and wrapped IN
accident Insurance policies, set sail for
tie island one morning at dawn. by
noon, after trip more replete with
dangers than the asking OF the
question. is il warm enough for your
We anchored among the boulders. and
proceeded 10 land upon the desolate
epot. Thousands Of wild fowl, appre-
bending that we were the representa-
lives OF some millinery establishment.
took fight while Tecalcitrant sand-hd
ulcls appeared on every side Bravely
urging ny companions to proceed. and
- leave Toe behind, lest the birds by
away with tho boat. we finally decided
upon our plans. We agreed 10 STICK
% each other Ike brothers, and, II
necos sary % die together. l had the
s-kes al over. and after preparing a
t.l or la0ng for the shipment OF my re-
malns 1 ordered the party 20 proceed.
elddeaiy-aiInost as suddenly as light
Eing strlles-we ssw a Wild figure leap
before us. and pitcousy shrlelNng, dash
away in the opposite direction. The
fght Of tho uncanny wretch made US
lcl. and. being Elk 70 his one, we va
ianty pursued the fugitive On, on, on
tDeI the wild inan, over rocks and
sands, maQiy leapng ana recklessly
p,uusine But the chase ended sudden
ly Tripping his foot in mass Of sea.
weed washed ashore, he fell. and a mo-
uent later ne was our captive.
Ile madmsn'S eyes-for mailman he
proved 10 be-nashed with lurid fires as
be giared az US and ground his black
ened teeth IN frenzy. Then ne fell a
trembling and a moment later quivorcd
and covered like terrified animal. Had
tho light OF rcason--the blessed spark