Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-11-03
A LETTER FROM THE
CITY BY THE SEA.
The Great Storm and
The High Tide Of 1897.
4 RECOaD-BREAKIHG HEIGHT REACHED Monday
THE STORM CUTS OFF ALL COMMUNICATIONS
BY RAIL-AND THE WATER SUBMERGED
MUCH PROPERTY-POLITICIAN HAUNTED

Henceforth we must date all compari-
sons OF high tide with that of 1897. The
notches cut on buildings and fence
posts indicating the high water mark of
1889 may now be whitfield out and new
ones cut several inches higher. During
such weather, when the atmosphere,
surcharged with water, is circulating at
the rate of sixty miles an hour, there are
always lot of people-mostly fools,
who walk out somewhere where the
water is waist high, to see if it was ever
higher. | am never included among such
ventursome explorers, and am content
to warm chair at my fireside while
Others hunt up the record.
| believe it is conceded that the tide
was the highest on record, and l know
we were all cut off from railway COM
munication for three whole days. Al
though everybody expected great dam
it is gratifying to know there was so
little. The tide rose so rapidly Monday
morning there were not a few timid
on the coast of Pleasantville after max
ing the voyage on the roofs OF their
houses. Some of the politicians, hear,
had their superstitiOus fears aroused to
high degree, and went down on their
marrow bones and beloved for help
just as though they had been protesting
Christians all their lives. Some members
of the Old Dumpmasters' Brigade
whose sins of commission and omission
could not be written on barn door,
naturally felt uneasy and wondered
where they would be at in the event
of a general washout. Even that old
Saint, Levi Albertson, looked pale for
several hours but when he took account
of stock with his conscience he found so
many good deeds recorded to his credit,
be concluded he could safely run his
chances and countermanded the order
that he had sent to Philadelphia for
flying machine to take him out Of town.
While on the anxious seat he kept
muttering to himself. "If Sam. Kelley
will only forgive me, feel assured that
st. Peter will chalk my back and mark
it %. X"
Capt G. was over on the mainland
engaged in continuous prayer for his
fellow-soldiers, and as he was high and
dry himself he doubtless felt he could put
in some big licks in their behalf
1t is said George Long thought his
time had come, sure, and began to
explain away his recent conduct at the
County Convention, after which he made
a tour of the clothing stores to see if any
of them kept a stock of fire-proof suits,
with birthstone deOdorizers attached.
That lucky dog, Sam. Rose, was in
Philadelphia, and entirely out of the
reach of water except the little he
incidentally mixed with his cold tea, and
he wrestled, in spirit, for the safety of
his partially-submerged partners. who,
in this locality stood aghast as tbe tide
poured in and threatened to set every
body adrift. Sam. telegraphed to his
partner who is good man-though a
wicked Democrat-askiDg his opinion of
what might happen to him in case the
high tide reached Philadelphia. Borton
replied that Sam. had nothing to fear,
that he had been good to the poor, and
had tried to serve his constituents well.
Sam. then felt easier, took glass of ice
water and dropped off to sleep-in which
it was revealed to him that he had made
a mistake in lending himself, to his
enemies and that the whole object of the
movement was to break down the pre-
sent Councilmanic Combine" and that
even "Lew." DOnnelly was deceived
by the shrewd young man from the
Second ward. 1t was also revealed to
him that Sam. Kelley was as righteous
man, built upon broad-guage prin-
ciples-too broad in fact. to stoop to a
petty revenge. With this, Father Rose
awoke, with a yard-wide smile suffusing
his countenance, and he exclaimed,
cts all right Hereafter I'll do as Stoy
did. I'll cut loose from some of the
fool politicians and trust the people,"
ARGUS.