Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-08
Atlantic City Regarded From a Femi-
nine Standpoint.
IT Is EMINENTLY SATISFACTORY
Pen Pictures of the Summer CITY
by the Sea.
I n I Z r E S NC CHAT

Correspondence Of The Evening Star
ATLANTIC CITY. N J.. August 8. 1896.
The little French fable In which the
melon complains Of being relegated to the
kitchen while the rose that utterly USE
less creature" Is allowed to adorn the par
lor. might well be used as an anwser to
the croakers who fall to see anything
good in this most attractive of all the sea-
shore resorts. or to discover the cause of
its popularity. 'Je charme. dit la rose"
And SO might this favored spot reply. Il
charmr' Yes: with the charm Of air. and
sea- and sky-the breezes laden with health.
the waves bounding with the JOY springing
from the bosom of nature and the skies
beaming with the smile of Deity, while
our hearts swell with the consciousness OF
the brotherhood Of humanity that sways
and surges with and through the exuberant
thousands who tread the boulevard of the
world. the always alluring board walk.
which. If ever legislated out Of existence.
would wipe Atlantic City from the bulle-
tin board and overcome US all with the
wilderness Of the what.
Harmless to the Multitude.
Studying 1t from a woman's standpoint.
with its limited horizon. and from every
other point Of the compass. 1 have reached
the conclusion that no one can be hurt
morally. socially. sanitarily or intellectual
ly by sojourn here. The devil is not SO
black, or else much blacker. than he is
painted. black enough. however. to serve as
bogie-boo to the infantile or Mephisto-
pheies to the wary and unwary: but if he
is here 1t is simply because he is ubiqui-
tous. and SO are his worshipers. Our Sa-
vior found Satan on the mountain, and the
saints may discover him here but he is
really not In evidence Lounging in the
pavillons. loafing on the board walk and
peIampu!ating the beach, a self-constituted
detective, as good fortune brings me hither
from time to time, l have utterly failed to
discover single infraction of the Ten Com
mandments. Ones ear is sometimes shock
ed by the queer grammar. vulgar idioms.
loud laughter and boisterous behavior
which is rather exceptional, but nothing
which could be classed as viciously rude,
vulgar or depraved; nothing to shock the
moral sense. and very little that is dis
tasteful from conventionl or aesthetic
standpoint.
DccOrOus Summer Girls
And SO with the eye: occasionally We NAV
view consciously. perhaps hypercritically,
what appears to be too familiar romping.
hut instances Of this kind are rare, and the
summer girls who flock to this shore ap-
pear to be quite as decorous and circum-
400 who inhale the aristocratic atmos-
phere at Newport, some of whom. If we
can put any faith in press illustrations wore
circus rigs on their wheels last summer
Nothing of the kind is seen here. So far
L have discovered nothing riSque in bathing
attire. Very few stunning or extrayagant
costumes are seen. 1t takes an uncommon
ly fine face and figure to appear above
mediocrify in bathing attire. after tempting
the waves. OF course, the females who
dress for the beach only. and they are not
a few, get all of the exhibition and dubious
admiration for which they bid, but nous
autres-Well. don't turn kodak on US.
We ell look alike in our bathing suits, even
variations of manner and language disap-
pear as we dip in the briny and 1t is
'ohr' and "ah!" and there comes another"
as We spring to meet the bounding surf or
lind ourselves hors de combat in its nom
respecting grasp. Mrs. Grundy may be
standing on the beach. and doubtless is but
v no cares: We are lin It, and just frisk and
founder like children. The man who in
vented surf bathing should have a monu-
nent.
Circus Antics on the Beach.
To be candid, must cite one instance of
beach behavior which rather shocked some
OF us last Sunday. While the Salvation
Army was holding cornet and banjo en-
tertainment. near the pier, about twenty
yards further up the Shore young wo-
ions by going through some gymnastic
gyrations which rather rivaled the pranks
with which the clown makes his entrse
into the circus ring. This performance.
while vulgar. was not wicked. Probably
the girl had only the courage of her con-
victions and thought If such evolutions are
admissible before gymnasium audiences
they are equally proper before a larger
public SO We threw the mantle of charity
over the exhibition and concluded that she
MAR 20 ill.,
group airing their private accomplishments.
This. with an old woman. fat and blonde,
who carries a 'speak-easy'' in the vo,umin-
Gus folds of her corsage. was all one could
discover to support the impression that
Atlantic City is mice because it's naughty"
Those who hold to this view are invited to
come and
beard the lion in its den,
The Douglas in his hail."
Ard IL you do. be sure to take a train that
will bring you over the Delaware river
bridge route. The Pennsylvania railroad
has scored another vote of thanks In Offer
avail themselves of its always courteous
avail themselves of its always courtnous
at the ferry and the incommodious, il not
weary. wait at Camden, by transporting
US around and above the city. skirting Fair
mount Park. passing through Germantown
calling us. from the airy height Of the
bridge, with the refreshing breezes of the
river and the charming coup d'oeil OF its
banks. Try 1t IL you wish to jot down a
green spot in your memory.
Tariffs Like Temperature.
August is not the most economical month
in which to terry here. The Bonifaces all
begin to calculate on q 81 to l ratio, and
their rates incress Sc in geometrical progress
sion. The newsboys even follow suit, and
even the soda water man when you tender
him the Washington tariff for your favor
lite tonic has the audacity to silently push
ten-ceN check at you. although you
have spread out nickel to his ignoring
gaze.
All that was left over of the Midway
Piaisance at Chicago still holds its own
here. but the city council carefully roots
out any Objectionable features The chutes,
toboggans and bazaars thrive and flourish
but socially there are but few attractions:
an occasiona: hop at a hotel is offered as a
sop to cerberus. The Rudolph. which holds
a full-dress ball tonight, has counted
among It's guests that jolly pagan mission
ery. Bob Ingersoll.
Many Washingtonians are here seeking
health and rest. At the Traymore q. H.
Hoffman and son are booked: r. o. Hoitz-
man and wife are at Haddon Hall: Mrs.