Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1896-08-26
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
r: =.=
OBSTACLES In THE WAY OF THE ELECTRIC
ROAD. THE SILVER SCARE. THE CUBAN
WAR AND TRADE. A PETTY PERsECU-
TIoN AT BRIGANTINE BEACH.
Editor Pleasantyille Press !:

TIoN AT BRIGANTINE BEACH.
Editor Pleasantville Press:
The Season" will soon be over.
The outward tide is already greater
than the inward flow, and in another
week or two the birds of passage" OF
every hue and feather will have migrated
to other chimes. The weather last week
was cool and delightful for those who
appreciate comfort, but not quite hot
enough for the soda water vendor and
the malt extract dispenser. The Windsor,
the st Charles and a few others have
reaped harvest as they always do.
Whatever the weather OF the conditions
OF travel these wellkept houses manage
to get their fuli share Of public patronage.
notive considerable activity IN real
estate transactions and many people
seem to be looking for Investments in
that line especially in meadow prop
erty. II this City was alert to it's own
interests it would open up many Of
the streets running out on the meadows.
The increase in taxes paid into the City
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS amount
to thousand per cent; but the aver
age Councilman here finds but little time
to consider such triile as an increased
income for the City.
There seems to be a bfoader-gauge
view taken of the Sunday Amusement
question since the publication, in the
Press, OF some letters bearing upon that
subject. Many people are saying that
the Press is right in demanding that
all should be treated alike, and that
if the saloons are to be run wide open"
on Sundays thin the various unobiection-
able shows on the Boardwalk should
be accorded the same privilege. Ivent-
ure to predict that no serious obstacles
will be thrown in the way OF any respect
able exhibition after this year. This
does not mean unbridled license, offen-
sive displays, or Sunday desecration.
Everything of that sort can be regulated
by police watchfulness and activity.
l hear that the Mayor has been over
run by people who wish to make pub
lie parade OF their unsuspected holiness
and wanted him to close up all the decent
places on the Boardwalk on Sunday.
OF course they did not have very much
weight with the Mayor, although they
were politely listened to. l think the
Mayor acted wisely in not attempting
to enforce any doubtful "Blue-law" ordi-
nances, and hit it about right when
he vetoed the late one which was proba-
bly, purposely constructed to be knocked
out by a veto. / hear thatthe Mayor
carefully read the Press letters upon
this subject OF Sunday Amusements,
and that he paid your correspondent
the compliment of saying that the argu-
ments in favor of the show people had
never before been so fully and forcibly
stated. The show people have had as
a whole pretty hard season. Not many
of them can show balance on the rig,.o
side of the ledger, and the most OF them
have sunk good money. Some have
skipped" by the light OF the moon, q
few have managed to get out even. and
a very few have made money. The dull
times will partly account for this for
all kinds OF money seems to be rather
scarce along the Boardwalk this year.
l think as whole these people who
furnish amusement for Atlantic City
visitors deservet to be W ell treated. Among
SO many it would be strange indeed
iftherewerenotsome" me"beats"and "fakirs',
but both OF these Objectionable classes
are not by any means confined to the
ranks OF those who furnish amusements.
lam told that they are found even among
those who sell oleomargarine for butter
and lard and skinned milk for the best
brands OF pure creamery butter. These
people do not come here altogether for
their health. They come here to make
money. They pay the highest rents OF
any class OF tenants in the City in proper
ton to the accommodations they get.
Suppose they could be driven out alto
gether. Would that make the Boardwalk
more attractive to the throngs that
come here7 Would property be more
valuable? Would those who have space
and buildings to let along the water
front get any higher rents from the few
sgoody-goodies" who always bleat but
seldom buy Are not these multitudinous
shows rather attractive to nearly all
strangers who come here? Do they not,
as whole, furnish agreeable and inno-
cent amusements to lot OF people who
come here for perhaps day or two
in the year, and also to many OF the
regular visitors who stay during the
season? Understand me. do not aTvo
cate anything disreputable.. Cut that
out root and branch. But what is decent,
orderly, and reputable let it "go" even
on Sunday unless those who have sew
eral millions invested here want Allan
tic City made an exclusive Camp meeting
resort. In that case the lumber yards
will do box office business in selling
makedoorandwindow shutters.
Another point right here. / am not
asked or paid to write in defence of the
amusement people. Not one of them
knows the identity OF ARGUS" Not
one OF them has been asked to pay
cent for these letters. Not one OF them
has been stood up" for tickets. Am
fool7 / suppose so, Judged by some
standards but let that pass. only
write OF things as / find them and it
has seemed to me that fairly deserving
class OF people have been subject to petty
annoyances, and made to feel unsafe
and uncomfortable, when very much
less deserving people have given every
body to understand that they stood
upon solid ground. That Atlantic City
has held it's own insthis year OF phenom-
inal dullness, speaks volumes for it's
attractiveness and good management.
It cannot be wholly bad when so lew