The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-12
CHARLESTON'S SEA RESORT.
THINGS That MAKE sUJLITAN'S
ISLAND UNIQUE.

W HHAANN asN INV SAN
Ethics or BathinE-ssuther Hospitality
Displaying utselr-Tho~ Oid-Fashioned Ferry.
The queercst summer resort on all thoAtlantic
coast is sullivan's Island, down by Charleston.
II you don't believe this go there and sec for
yourself. You will find q big, mattrcss.like
expanse OF sand, white and glistening, with
long wooden houses deniinR IL at regular inter
walls, and "a few palmettos and silver-loafed
maple bushes the only sign of vegetation. You
will find n superb beach, wide, smooth, and
level rs a floor, with never n sign OF peddler's
booth, roller coaster. merry-Roround, fortune
teller, or other coin.snatchor having purchase
on 1t from ono end to tho other. You will ride
In q car drawn by big gray mules along a ram
bling street, midway between the back beach
and the front beach. and you will pay 10 cents
for tho privilege, and see other passengers pay
ing only 8 cents for riding the Same distance.
II you are Of an inquiring turn Of mind and
ask the reason for this discrimination, IL will
be explained that you arc riding up from the
boat, whereas they arc going only from one
point on the island to another. II you were rid
ing down to tho boat you would have to pay 10
cents, too.
Tho" Island, the place is called. Other isl-
ands there are on tho Carolina coast, called In
variably by their respective names John Isl-
and, Jim Island, Jehorse Island, and 80 on, but
Sullivnn's Island Is 30 famous throughout the
low country that Its name Is seldom used unless
1t be In speaking to an outsider.
There arc more Outsiders on Sullivan's Island
in proportion to the population than on any
other low.country island. Occasionally one
hears Of q whole family's summerinV there
from Georgia, or from the Carolina up coun.
try, OF even from Ohio or some other foreign
place, but this last is very rare. and on none Of
the other islands would II be likely to happen.
On all Of tho other islands and In most Of the
Tow" country villages and summer places q
strain of kindred blood runs through the entire
community. A man was brought up to think
that he must marry his first cousin II he could,
II not. his second or his third cousin, failing
that. was bound to contract alliance with some
relative as close to his particular branch Of
the family tree IA possible.
II nature had denied him girl cousins, or his
brothers had monopolized them all, he might
wed the sister OF tho lady whom his father took
for q second wife, or her daughter. granddaugh-
ter. or other relative. This un written law was
rigidly adhered tn. in spite OF tho mystifying
complications It involved in order to keep the
land and slaves In the family. Now that tho
slaves are q thing OF the past, and, In some cases.
the land likewise, the intermarrying is kept up
In order 10 perpetuate tradition.
On Sullivan's Island, on the contrary. there
are several families of low country people who
have dared to marry rank outsiders, men and
women whose fathers and mothers they did not
know and had never even seen. This fact par
TALLY accounts for certain innovations on The
island that do not obtain else whcre.
Being an outsider on the island, 1t will be n
day or two before you become acclimatiLed, as
It were, and quite up in the ethics OF your sur.
way win moot likely puzzle you at first, and
you VIII have to acquire the knack OF wadinx
about Q IN the ,Snd sTeee;sfuIly; and and win; Of
account for the island girls looking s~o'demure-
ly pretty in their sun6onnets and tanner hats
dol" In the course Of a day and puzzle over just
what: they mean when they say. "Oh.do, DON'T
What is a tanner haiti oh, il is just a tanner
hat, d nonesuch looking AFFAIR. built OF straw
and light in weight. meant 20 b. tied down un.
der the Teares.s hin or left tapping with the
Talk about the coJuetry OF the fan. OF the span.
ish m~anttlla, of the floating veil! No one Of
with the tanner hat and the sunbonnet In re.
gard TO attractive possibilities when they are
"q Her 81 sisters aeS 1 up Sorts laiSnq Ike ere to w Ses ta inSa.
or freckled. or burned rcd Ike q lobster. but sho
guards against such disasters with unrelahinK
vigilance from the beginning OF the season till
the end. She frills her green sunbonnet with
white laoo and lines it with pink. and never
sun has gune down or Is behind q cloud. She
will sit for hours comfortably on tho piazza in
blinking sIll Sarehe"ded in the y glare arc Er eHS' now "
and again her hand goes upward and YOU think
she IS going to take i on; in fact you keep OK.
hold OF the frill and steadies it a little, or pulls
1t coquettishly TO one side, and goes on with the
cate hand. and the turn OF her wrist shows TO
Eoof advantage when she reaches up to her
When the wind isn't so high I can wear my
net is better. The wind always blows down
troduced. you sit wondering II she looks just as
pretty with that bonnet on. or II the shape OF
e esF h sarn ~ "ut E% be Z too diiSs isI on the back Sf Ao O.;
her neck a failure. At few other summer
places is the spectacle of a girl riding a bi-
Character Of the suiiivaa's Island girl. to be
Another thing that the outsider will find out
pretty quickly on The Island Is that when tho
girls arc gong In bathing he is expected to
take himself of to his room. or to the back
porch, or anywhere out OF sigh. The first
time that the subject OF the surf is preached he,
volunteer to take a swim, TOO. but he Is very
soon enlightened regarding this matter.
.nytRinS'" ~ VIII be c no IN u %.' a. = sen nn aSiin, lei
twirling Of bonnet strings and tanner stream.
ers. and II he presses for the reason why and
practical i~nducement, he will be listened to in
silence. or be given to understand that none Of
indeed. except on moonlight nights with. maybe,
a cousin or brother. never with a stranger.
Inc average SULLIVAN lhland girl, II detected
by accident In her bathing suit. pulls her circu-
lar or mantle or whatever wrap she habitually
wears down 70 the waters odRe, closer about
her, colors even p.nkcr than the lining OF her
hat, and fees precipitately, no matter how deep
the sand or how hot the sun. II the intruder,
calls out, 'Oh. no. don't!' and PUSHES gasping.
The bathing hour is not a dress parade on
the island. Nobody has expensive suits or
even worry, carefully fitted ones, while braiding
and eye-riveting. gay -colOred decorations arc
rarely seen; Tho sun shines down too nerccly
posed. and tho ordinary bathing dress has
sleeves coming well down over tho wrists and a
collar reaching well up toward ,ho ears. Tho
water Is warm, luxurious in temperature, and
tempts too prolonged dalliance with II, even
though the big breakers come rolling In with a
vim and curl over far above the bathers' heads
Tho island Is the most r"'axlnR, curative
place In existence. II the 0 iider goes there
with q purpose he will quickly abandon IL or IL
win abandon him, He win forget all about it
and take TO downright, demoralizing. dawdling
and d%rifting, 20 far as intent is cSSncernea.
white, pearly. shining. clean. drifts. in great
mounds and heaps, lust like snow right up to the
front steps OF the houses. 1t covers the fonces
and gets ankle deep on the plank walks thai
order to defeat It. Itdrtfts into tho bedrooms