The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-08-10
GALA DAY AT SHORT BEACH
FRIDAY WILL BE 4 RED LETTER
OCCASION Ar THE RESORT.

Beautiful and Spectacular Illumination
Many Races for the Day-Branford Band
VIII Wake the Eehoes-Big Crowds Com
ing.
Just distant enough to escape a
daily deluge of visitors from the troll
ley cars and not so distant but that
it can be reached by a pleasant half
hours ride from the East Haven
Green past East Haven meadows and
Branford woods lies Short Beach, the
summer home of many residents of
New Haven, Meriden, Hartford and
other cities of the Nutmeg state and
her neighboring commemorative.
Not exalted enough to claim a place
with Newport or Long Branch and
other famous resorts this little sum-
mer hamlet of Branford has attractions
which bring those who once come back
again year after year to spend the hot
seasons there. The place does not
change it's attractions every year.
Dame nature never resorts to such
doesn't have to. The same blue ex-
panse of Long Island Sound will al
ways form the background of the pic
ture. The little harbor, Boulder Bay
flanked on two sides by high lodges of
rock with the little beach of whitest
sand at it's head, which has given the
place its prosaic name of Short Beach
will also, no Doubt, continue always
to be a part of the places attraction.
Back a little from the beach or
perched on the wooded cliffs of Rock
land Park are the cottages, some of
them quite pretentious in size and all
of them suggestive of the quiet and
comfort which seems to possess the
entire hamlet.
Many of the cottages are nearly con-
cealed beneath the climbing vines of
Woodbine, clenlats and similar tim
bers, while lawns of green grass and
cool shade trees add to the beauty and
comfort of their surroundings. A wind
mill or two slowly turning, not the
classic type of wind mill with wings
of white sailcloth-more the pity-but
the up-to-date aermotors are about
the only signs of activity the spot pos
sesses. 1t is typical summer resort
for those who are wearied by nine
months of the worlds work and worry.
Every cottage there is now occupied
and the season bids fair to be the best
the place has ever had. The continu-
Gus rains of July were netaphorically
and literally the pleasures of those
who were summering there. Little
could they do but sit in their cottages,
listen to the patter of rain on the roof
and possess their souls in patience.
The aff1iction was common to all sum-
mer resorts and was not strictly con-
fined to the shore. The bright weather
of the past few days has led to the
hope that perhaps at last patience
may be about to reap some reward
for her long and weary waiting in the
rain.
If the weather does continue subdued
the gala day and illumination OF
Friday will be by far the best that the
place has ever had for many years. II
is one of the few shore places-perhaps
the only one with the exception of New.
pert-which has annually an illumina
ton of this nature.
The residents this year are vieina
they are making for Friday evening
Every cottage in the hamlet will be
| illuminated, thousands, one might al
most say myriads, of lanterns being
used in the decorations.
The Bungalow, the summer residence
of Ella Wheeler Wilcox, will have {
string of these Celestial lanterns ex
| tending from the top of the flagstaff
on the house to the end of the wharf
Mr.. J. D. WEIGH of this city always ha:
| his handsome cottage, the Aldersea
beautifully decorated, and this year i
will be better Illuminated than ever
His pier and the windmill erected b,
| him will also be beautifully illuminat
ed.
| Other cottages which are always no
table for their Nominations are thos
of Mr.. Hazel Of this city and w. Fl
Lockwood of Hartford. Stanley Rocl
will also be brightly illuminated by MI
Stanley.
Private enterprise will not be left t
do all the Illuminating. Money has beer
raised by a committee of which Mrs
Wilcox is the chairman, which will b
expended in stringing long rows of Ian
terms along the shore and the long piel
1t is probable, too, that Half Tide Roc
| will have a cross of lights placed upo
it as was done last season with sue
fine effect
An innovation this year, suggeste
by Mr.. Shepard last year, will be on
hundred cans of kerosene oil, whic
will be placed on buoys all about Boul
der Bay and lighted These will ur
doubted1y add greatly to the brillianc
of the illumination. Many of the owr
ers of boats and launches will also trir
sion.
At the cottages it is needless to sa
that the Examinations will not be cor
fined to lanterns, but all the multifar
Gus kinds of fireworks buzzing pir
wheels to sky-shooting rockets wi
mark the place.
The Branford band has been engage
to furnish music for the evening, an
great crowds will witness the beautifl
sight. The Examinations will exten
from Mr.. Ke1sey's fish house to Johr
sons Point, forming a nearly perfec
: crescent.
One of the features this year. whic
was prevented by the storm last yea
will be two barges, which will be fun
. nished by Mrs. Wilcox. One of thes
barges will have a tableau representa-
, Cleopatra going up the Nile with he