Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-30
NO MORE BOARD WALK
An Iron and Steel Esplanade at Atlantic
City.
A Big Season Expected - Moderate
Prices for Good Accommodation
at the Scashore.


TioIl pISSSul lLis ScdSoii a.
Atlantic City will indeed be a "crowder."
Residents here do not imagine that the
season proper ought to open earlier than
the middle of June If 1t is not already
opened now the thousands that are rushing
here are not aware CT the feet. 1t was de-
cidedly cool last Sunday. and yet the trains
brought nearly 1000 visitors. There will
be more than twice that many next Sun
day.
1t is a more pleasant trip here by rail
tran it used to be. Heretofore 1t was neces-
sary to change cars at Philadelphia and
make u tedious transfer across that city
and a ferry ride over the Delaware to
Camden. Now there Is a magnificent bridge
spanning the river from philadelphia to
Camden, and trains run through without
change.
No More Board Walk.
Those who have been here before will find
a good many changes and improvements.
The famous old board walk will soon be
a thing of the past. 1t is being supplanted
by pretentious "esplanade." This new
affair is q thing of iron and steel 1t is be-
ing built along the beach front little
farther out than the old walk 1t looks as
though il would Withstand the test of time
and the battering of ali the waves that the
ocean could hurl against ii. 1t is nearing
completion, and arrangements have been
made to dedicate it on a grand scale as
soon as it Is finished. At least half the re-
sorts along the beach are doing business.
Within the week they Will all be running
Most people know that this city is the most
noted in the land for its diversified pleas
u1es. The seeker after peace and qu!etude
can md ii here. OF course, the bea CHI is al
ways scene of mirth and revelry. The
handsome streets, however, are as quiet
and orderly as your Connecticut avenue
or any other of your lovely thoroughfares.
Everything goes" here. There are enough
saloons, II set side by side, TO line a street
from Rock creek to the Navy Yard, and yet
there seems to be little offensive drunken
ness. The city has police force of only
thirty men. and they don't seem to have
much to do except to patrol their beats md
corral their salaries.
Old and New Features.
All the old features that have been seen
along the board walk for so many years
are there this year, Of course, but there
are lot of new ones, too. One of the
oriental nations has sent representatives
to establish a garden. 1t covers a space
about as large Lafayette Square, and is
filled with all the wonders of a wonderful
land.
Bathing in the surf has not been inaugu-
rated yet, except by the men who are at
work on the promenade. They work in
the water eVe"y day, and every night, and
the sight of Jrem almost makes cold chills
run down the backs of the rolling chairs
that are wheeled up and down the walk
Ihere is a trolley car line here that runs
from one end of the island to the other
That comprises all the street car facili-
ties. But there are more wagons here that
look like those things that Mr.. Herdic
brought to your town about fourteen years
ago than there will be delegates at Perry
Carson's barbecue. They take passen-
ger To any part of the city at any time of
cay or night for a dime. They say there
isn't any gambling here. l asked po-
Hceman about it, and he winked both his
eyes. If the gay boys want to have a try
at pulling the tigers tail it is likely that
they can find a chance along Atlantic ave-
nue..
Moderate Prices.
There is one thing that strikes a stranger:
1t is the moderate prices of things The
only thing that seems exorbitant is the
mercantile tax. But in the face of all that
II is true that one can get good accommo-
dations at very reasonable rates Half the
city Is made up of hotels and boarding
houses, and there is such a rivalry between
them that they are almost all of them good
and cheap. One can get board and room
here as good as is furnished by any of
cur Second-clasS hotels for IS a Weak-that
IS now: what the price will lie later on
when the rush comes is hard to tell 1t is a
safe prediction to make that those who
come here to spend Sunday three weeks
doors unless they have made arranyem4n
with some landlord i'll advance. The sway
ger set do not get here this early in the
season, but the vanguard of society's pets
are beginning TO come. Several Baltimore
pelles arrived last Saturday and Sunday.
Politicians ut the Seashore.
There was a Maryland gentleman here.
too, but he did not come after dip into
the sea, but. If rumor is correct, he came
to take a dip into national politics. His
name is Lowndes, ard at present he has
job at Annapolis as governor of the
state. Some other gentlemen met him at
Haddon Hall Among those gentlemen
were Senator-elect Wellington and Politi-
clans Sloane of Maryland and Flynn of
pennsylvania in general and Pttsburg in
particular. Somebody might wonder why
Senator Flynn of Pittsburg joined that con-
clave, but whoever guesses that he came
as the represen tative of the folks that like
Mckinley better than they do Quay in
western Pennsylvania will come near MAX
Ing good guess. The papers have sug-
gested that Gov. Lowndes would like to
tail the Mckinley ticket. and this meeting
here furnished the grounds for the sug-
gestion.
Edwin S. Cramp, one of the great ship
builders. was here this week but he did
not come on political errand. He doesn't
care who makes the Presidents SO long as
he builds the ships.
Among the Washington people that ar
rived this week were A. ]. Wcnde, at the
Berkshire; Miss Good, at the Archdale and
L. NJ. Westbrook and daughter at the Sea-
side.
Many Of Washington's society people own
their private cottages here, but few IL any
OF them, have arrived to occupy them yet