Evening star., 1897-07-28
Long Island Sound and Its Many At
tractive Summer Resorts.
DOTTED WITH YACHTS and HARBORS
through a Country Where Cycling
is Genuine Pleasure.
GAY NARRAGANSETT PIER
Special corrc>rertlenre of The E,eninr star.


NARRAGANSETT PIER. r. l..
July -. 1881
Leaving our headquarters at Washington
Place, IN the heart of Greater New York.
We made our way through the crowded
streets out 11th avenue. which has a con-
crete side path adjoining each curb. to
!.,ih street. and thence to Cornelius Van
derhilt's -,th avenue palace of red brick and
stone. surrounded by a S2O.,H1 fence. OPP
POsi:e the mansion is the entrance to Cen
tral Park. of the most beautiful exam
pies of landscape gerdeLing in the world.
After skirting the shore of the lake and en-
Eying the smooth. hard drives. we took
ths Riverside drive and celebrated cycle
path along the shores of the Hudson. pass
ing en route the MASSIVE tomb so recently
dedicated TO Gen. Grant. The road here
turns to the right. and, crossing Harlem
bridge. soo1 wheeled into the beautiful
little town of New Rochelle. A winding
read brought us TO perfectly graded road
through rolling and attractive country.
Little streams of surprising clearness; WELL
kept lawns to the very waters edge; sub
st.Jntial stone walls and velvety fields
formed pleasing paIorama for three
miles or moe. and fitting climax of our
brief run through the empire state was our
visit TO the town of Port Chester, on the
sound. For the next two miles coast was
indulgrd in, the read being exceptionally
good. and it SO continued for some distance
further.
Another glimpse of the sound and we
wheeled into Greer wich and over the Cos
Cob bridge to a rather billy road leading
TO tanford. thriving Connecticut city
with a snug harbor. and of some repute in
sporting circles the place where the
amateur skating championship contests are
held. Here the thrifty Connecticut farmers
save big item in tie cost of running their
farms by using the large rocks with which
their fields ahDnnd n hIlilI their fences
I he farmers of this state have also idea
of uniformity, for the farm houses are
provcrbially painted white. Crossing under
and then over the New York and New Ha-
tracks, the little towns of Norwalk and
Southport are quickly reached by good
rcaI Repair shops and "Whselmen's
Rests are found along this road at fire.
quent intervals, ard no one need have any
fear of four or fve-mie walk to the near
est hamlet. is frequently the i'll the
south.
Line of Villages.
Connecticut. in fact. Is one continuous
line of villages. from Greenwich TO Bridge
port. Straight on. following the electric
car lire. Fairfield. picturesque old town
with grand eInIs and a fine stone church
and public library, is reached. Pushing
OF rapidly over u fine macadam road the
lighthouse at Black Rock comes into view.
and then the tail cnimncrs of the Bridge
pert factories are welcomed. as they herald
the completion of most pleasant days
run. Arriving 1T Poplar street our teat
was soon spread on tie beautiful lawn If
one Of BridGeport'ss leading citizens. by
EkUtl were most generously entertained
during Gur stay III the park city. A ride
If nine miles through the cool. elin-lined
streets ans! over the smooth roads of Sea-
siae Park, the latter the gift of the late
T. r. BstrntiIl. out TO the breakwater,
where ii magnificent view of the sound is
obtained. and ON whose broad surface the
sss,is Of over forty yachts. comprising the
famous feet of the Atlantic Yacht club OF
New York on its annual summer cruise
TO New London and Shelter Island ana
tn,lr c0n%OrtS from the Bridgeport Yacht
Ciab. proved OF great interest from tour
ist-s Standpoint and the absence of our
customary pack made the miles shorter ana
our pace more rdpit- Returning to camp
our host insisted on Il night IN bed IN
stead OF in IL tent. which We accepted. just
To see. how il would feel, and the luxury
proved rather detrimental to our usual dls-
cipline and early start the following day.
Leaving. Bridgeport by the bridge over
the Housatouic river, spin or Ioir mics
carried US into SIrathford a quaint and
typical New England town OF the edriler
period. Here the johnson Homestead was
our Mecca. and its owner, Mrs. susan T.
johnson Hudson, the secretary OF the
Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the
Union and Conuecticuts vice reg mt, bade
us thrice welcome. and did us the honor of
escorting US through her beautiful home
stestd. where Bancroft. the historian, and
many others famous in literary life were
wont to call for day In peruSdl OF the
priceless historical library. Neritable
storehCuse of our colonial and rev )lution-
AIRY history.
Along the sound.
n pleasant ride of fourteen miles by the
shore road through characteristic Connec-
tiCut scenery. and the towns of ldilford,
Woodmount and West Haven. and we en-
ter the thriving city of New Haven, with
its of Yale field on the left and Savin
Rock the right. All along this please
stretch OF pike glimpses of Long Island
sound, handsome cottages and trim yachts
make the ride one long to be remembered.
The great elmS that fringe the city streets
remind the traveller of the capital city and
its shaded thorouehfares but the rough,
Belgian pavements are not by any means
as attractive as the perfect streets OF
Washington Temple street. famous for
its wonderful elms. the Yale gym. Osborn
and Vanderbilt Halls and Yale green were