Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-11
The Little Colony of Washington
Painters There.
LIFE BY THE Sad Sea WAVES
The Fisherman and His Hazardous
Calling.
VARIOUS ROMANTIC POINTS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
EAST GLOUCESTER. Mass.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
EAST GLOUCESTER. Mass.
September s. 1897
Elizabeth StIart Phelps Ward. whose
modest summer home is situated on East
ern Point mentions in her impressions of
Gloucester the division Of the inhabitants
into two well-defined classes. the native
toilerS of the and the transient sum-
mer visitors. She also dwells on the in
difference bordering on contempt with
which zach class treats the other. but if
this is so the arior of the interlopers does
pot seem to have been in any way damp
ened by their reception, for they come
each year in ever-incredSing numbers.
East Gloucester has distancel the main
part of the town as a resort and board
ing houses and handsome cottages have
sprung up everywhere. being especially
numerous in the direction of Eastern
Point From this part of the rown it is
but short distance 70 Grapevine Cove
and to the bass rocks. where the waves
break with fine display in windy weather.
In general the roads throughout the re-
gion surrounding Gloucester are excellent,
either for cycling or driving. and a favor
tie route is the Magnolia road Wien leads
10 Rates. chasm. and the reef Of Nor
mans Woe, made celebrated by J.onefel-
lows poem. The Wreck of the Hesperus."
Gloucester's popularity as a summering
place seems to be inexplicable and without
reasonable foundation. At present it has
no battered hulk bleaching its bones on
the sand and calling UP thrilling tales of
sh:pwrrck: the leading citizens unite in
saying that no sea serpent has been seen
in The neighborhood this summer. and it
Is positively asserted that there is high
cliff called lovers leap" a feature usually
considered Indispensable to every well
regulated resort. l. is but fair to state,
however. that there is an almost equally
romantic tale connected with Rates chasm
two or three miles away. An iron cross near
the edge of this gigantic assure in the
rock marks the spot from which young
girl was swept into the chaSm before tho
very eyes of her fiance, who was standing
beside her. In view Of the fact that the
SPOT is about forty feet above sea level,
and more than twice that distance back
from the waters edge. this tale puts a
great strain upon tile visitors credulity.
As 10 the way in which the accident hap
peEed historians differ. but nothing short
of tidal wave could have washed her In
from the seaward side and one is forced
to fail back On the conclusion that the girl
was sucked into the gorge by the force
Of a returning wave.
Any account of Gloucester which should
not do full Justice to the artist element
would be Hamlet without the prince. The
painters who early found out the beauties
of the spot and made il their own have
continually advertised il in the winter exhi-
hitions and it Is partly due to them that
the place is so widely known. There are
artists here from all parts of the country
ord there is probably not another town in
the country that is more frequented by
water cOlOrists in summer, for it is an
ideal place for workers in that medium
With most of the summer visitors the end
of August marks the close of the season.
but with the sketching population Septem-
her is the great month, and many remain
through October. One can hardly go any
where. either on the moors or along the
docks. without running across busy sketch
ers-
To some extent Gloucester's vogue Is
passing resort for artists. Not that its
popularity among serious workers is On
the wane, but it is no longer considered by
those who are slaves to the prevailing
style to be the most fashionable spot from
WI ich to gather material for the winter