Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-17
QUIET AND VERY PLEASANT
Life at Oottage City Has Other Charms as
as Well.
A Place of Staid and Respectable
the Summer Contingent.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
COTTAGE CITY, Mass, July IA, 1897.
Last Saturday the board of trade. in car
riages, escorted by the Grand Army post
of this place, marched down to the steam
boat wharf and a large proportion of the
population went along. The throng on the
wharf represented the official and civilian
welcome of Cottage City to the band. Per-
haps it may appear that this was rather
an elaborate and stately reception, but
then it should be remembered that the
musical aggregation constituted the Cot
tase City Band and everybody who is at
all familiar with this foreigr-looking sum-
rer resort of Marthas Vineyard is well
aware that the band and it's concerts con-
stitute one of the features of life at Cot
tige City. When the LIST of September ar
rlVes, and with it the practical close of the
season here. then the band returns to its
home. and the winter residents of Cottage
Clty manage to get alcng without music
at their meals. Now every afternoon and
evening the band plays in the pavilion in
the pretty little park which skirts the
ocean. and Cottage City is supposed to be
il st as gay and lighthearted as some of
the more stylish and fashionable resorts on
the coast opposite
III must not be supposed that either the
enllrely frivolous even if they do go down
INTO their pockets to the extent of $1,000
In ORDER to have a band in their midst dur
ing the season. The fact is that Cottage
city is place of staid and Respectable
hahltS. where windows can he Ieft omen
ana doors unlocked: where the children
can wander about alone without harm ana
"i'e'e you can change your clothes once a
ody or Twice day, every other aay
just as You please, and there are plenty to
Keep you in countenance. 1t is a place of
homes. where the cottage aboun,ls and ,na
nolei keeps in the background. 1t is also
~, ldeh ty .he graveyard of several lively
iai!d bcorns which have left as mementoes
var SIDEWALKS across the downs and
through the woods and streets and ave-
hucs. where the cows now find scanfv
pastore. Hut IT is also evident that Cot
tase city has experienced a steady growth
III population. and while the san-uine
hopes of spectators have not in all eases
neen realized, still the basis on which
.'dese Expectations We're founded remains,
namely, the climate which is inyigoratine
ana al the same time grateful to those in
oencate health. and delightful to people
M"o want 10 get away from the heat of
'he cities and the worry of business.
The Center of Activity.
mere Is one principal street. where the
Tar pavement extends from building line
10 building line. and there is no place set
apart for Il sidewalk. The buildings are
as a rule small frame structures. with
stores On the first hcor and sleeping apart
ments above. Flags and banners float
Saily IN the breeze and one is reminded of
the scenes of fair time in some foreign
town or of a bazaar as seen III this conn
Try The post office is il. a building about
IN 1he center OF one of the sides of This
thCroughfare, and t. this point center
nearly the entire population each evening
" bile the mail is being opened trick b!c,-
Gle riders give an exhibition on the smooth
pavement or perhaps the band passes along
going escort duty of one kind or another or
maybe "a Salvation Army contingent will
hold an open-air meeting. Whatev er happens
TO be the attraction the crowd enjoys it
all systematically AMI moves about gajly
In the strong glare of the electric lights
AS soon as the mail is distributed the
crowd scatters and the Cottage City Mid
way qU!ets down for the right.
the great expansion of the population
winch takes places each summer makes
the prob.e:n of handling the mails a rather
difficult one During nine months of the
year there are about $50 residents in
Cottage City. while for the other three
months the number of people here has
been variously estimated. ranging from
ten to twenty thousand. However, the
postmaster. Mr.. Scranton. seems to have
given satisfaction. for although he was
appointed by Mr.. Harrison he not
disturbed by Mr. Cleveland, who complied
with the wishes of the democratic resi-
dents in this regard,and now he has just
been reappointed by President Mckinley
and confirmed by the Senate.
About the Island.
Perhaps next to the pure air and pure
water the visitor to Cottage City enjoys
the drives in and about the place. After
leaving the tar pavements, which the town
authorities have laid on the streets Of the
town and for some distance beyond the
center of populatiGll the carriage rolls
over the macadam roads. which are laid
by highway board of the state OF Massa-
chusetts. appropriations for this purpose
being made annually by the state legisla-
ture. This admirable system of roaG-mak-
ing. which is carried throughout the
state, is of special advantage to Tie resi-
dents of Martha's Vineyard. because the
loose, sandy soil makes the worst kind of
roads, and when reliance is placed upon
them communication is slow and uncer-
tain. The road to Edgartown, the County
seat. six miles distant from Cottage CITY
is nearly completed, and additions are be-
ing made to the macadlmized portion of
the highway running between Vineyard
Haven and West Tisbrry, the latter PLACE
being the center of quite Il farming region.
1t is noticeable to a resident of Wash
ington that even hamlats on this island
possess an important municipal Institution.
which at the nations capital thus far ex-
lists only on paper. and that is 4 free pub
lie library. In larger place, such as Cot
tage City, there is one, and as the visitor
drives through the streets o. Edgartowu
and Vineyard Haven re secs signs On
buildings announcing that within are books
which are accessible to the public Even
in West Tisbury. which consists Of few
houses at country cross roads there is
an attractive frame building which was
erected to hold the collection Of books
gathered together for the benefit of the
public. The library at Cottage City is
maintained by an annual appropriation
from the small revenues of the town. and
doubtless the libraries in the other places
mentioned are supported in a similarly
public-spirited manner
Among the Neutrality-suspicious. who are here
or in Vineyard Haven ara the following:
Mrs. John d. Wight. Mrs. William Her
bert Smith. Mrs. Budlong Mrs. W. B.
Bryan. Mrs NJ. A. Mcbride. Cen Geo. D.
Ruggles and family, General Rochester
and family. Colonel ard Mrs. Worthins,
DIR. G. A. Bright and family, s. +. Albert
Mrs. Leonard Wood, Mrs. Jennie A. Shear
and Miss Shear. Misses Boorum and Mrs
Idlndflne :. Burr. W. b. Il.
ARUNDEL-ON-THE-B
Events of a Week at n Merry Summer
Resort.