The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
JERSEYS SALT WATER DAY.
TrRN orr BY THOUSANDS
ron THE ANNUAL SEASIDE FESTIVAL

III
rop TgE INNUAL SEASIDE FESTIVAL.
s.id,.rs from the Camp, Spectators from
she cts and Gamblers with an Eye 90
Ttusiness crowd the Beach at Sea Gir1 and
Money Island-BiGgest Crowd on Record.
e., GiR7. Aug. l3-The farmers Of Mon
nouth and Ocean counties celebrated Big
sst water Day at Wreck Fond to-day. This
.,r.an-"Nrsck Pond " the grangers call it's
lL,at4d between Sea Girt and Spring Lake. and
Rs haen the Mecca for the tillers OF the soil on
N. second saturday in August each year as
ia- mack a. the Quest inhaaitant car rel1em-
-, The annual picnic on the beach to-day
90 gigantic success, the partic pants. count
TIC The city folks from Spring Lake. Belmar.
ocsAn Grove aud Asbury lark. nun boring
,+1se Oh to l5,OJJ, and the farmers al the CON
sjps,op 81 the irolic declared that this years
oa,ebrptlon was the best they had ever ~Tartici-
psted ia.
The country folk came early. and by 9 O'Clock
A NJ. the muddy roads leading 10 the chosen
tpo; we're black with vehicles. Some OF the
ceJehrauts came fifty miles from the interior in
order a. sc .ebrate the day. They jourrcyed to
Wreck Pond in every conceivable style OF con-
veyApce. from the old-fashioned carryall TO the
modem pneumatic-tired runabout. and the
wagons were drawn 10y a choice assortment; OF
horseAesh. ranging from the blooded decend-
an; OF HamtietoniRn and Patchen to the de-
csdant str@et-car horse. As a rule. however,
the turnouts Of the farmers were down TO date.
and demonstrated that the Jersey tillers Of the
soil have enjoyed Ii year of prosperity. The
CHANGERS were patriotic. too. for nearly every
Vehicle was decorated with flags or bunting.
Arriving a; their destination they unhitched
their horses. tied them 10 trees In the nearby
woods. shook hands with Neighbor Jones and
NeiEhbor Smith. and then settled down to en-
,oy their annual outing by the sea. the wagons
having been drawn up in line along the beach.
the right Of the line resting on Sea Girt and the
left extending nearly to Spring Lake. There
were nearly a thousand wagons strung along
the beach near the picnic ground.
The crowd was made up OF one part farmers
and their relatives. one part siGhtseers from
the adjoining resorts and one part crooks and
tRkIrs from the cities. The latter detachment
were not al Wreck fp~d Tor their health. but 10
CORA the hard-earned money OF the hlysceds.
and il goes without saving that they accom-
pushed then Iurposs. Gambling schemes Of
beach, and the ~short-haired. loud-mouthed
crook who operated them returned home after
the celebration with their pockets loaded down
with coin that once belonged TO the rustles who
went M against the game" There were in
noceDt looking sweat boards. red and black
wheels. roulette wheels. dice boarus. automatic
T.oEer machines. envelope racks, DC. while
crap shooters. thin bic ringers. monte men and
QOtt4 Epdf lNA-AE4' "NAASN A"S
openly without molestatlon.
AL kinds Of more innocent amusements were
continuous vaudeville shows, ring the
canes, fortune t~sllcrs, hit the babies, stroll
ing musicians organ grinders a dine muse
'EvlrE. Just of from the beach. in the pine
v ). 8 fright youth from Mauasluan
e. i a rough platform and charged the happy
PIC; ,4ers d dime each tor dancing TO music
iurp shed by a. typical backwoods fiddler.
There were also quick lunch - establishments
a. fsr1fuAlDr and N|LlArR of all hot - ELnn-
witches were legion. Then, too, dealers il pink
lemonade. sosi drinks aud throat lubricants
ADJUSTMENTS were patroniZed 50 literally that
severai Of the vendors ran out OF stock shortly
The visitors from the nearby resorts began
70 arrive soon atter l. O'Clock. In the crowd Of
EiEhtseers were thousands OF hikers. Hun
Gr-ds Of soldiers iron Camp Voorhees, also
helped swell the thronG. and the blue-clothed
volunteers had lots, OF, fun flirting with the
witt the gIib tongue and glad hand-came also
ana spent the afternoon, !ollyinC the granger
constituents aud "fxing, things - for the an,
O'Clock the strand wa crowded to the waters
edge for a distance Of two miles with the Salt
WaterlteS and their visitors.
1t Is an unwrFt4n law that on Big Salt Water
Day every farmer who celebrates the event
o dsei "a ,o a a,p N r khe seq bs ans the me 1 ssfb Tas
houses al Wreck Pond, the rustics were obliged
g use their ~caTryaii wagons for lighthouses;
Curtains were lowered. shawls were. tack ed
over the openings IN the vehicles, and just be-
fore midday the sigma TO begin bathing was
given. Soon the ocean was alive with happy.
noisy bathers The hath robes worn by the
women, never saw, Paris. and some of them
would have severely shocked the professional
written law Of Big Salt Water Day was 10
bdthe, and battle they did, without too strict a
regard for Appearances.
After the hath the teasting began. On the
beach and IN the woods the mcrrymakers
spent two hours in the open-sir dining room.
slowing away the, good things that the wives
and daughters Of Jersey farmers know SO well
how TO provide, Then the men made social
calls on theif, farmer, ~neighbors, while the
women folks cleaned up a biz. Farmer Jones
PAD brought along with him a jug Of apple
called on him were treated to a swig from the
jug. Farmer Brown supplied d brand of hard
cldeF 70 his callers that made them forget their
CURED once d week instead OF only once d wear.
betweeL the apple brandy. hard cider and other
wei goods the celebrauts Soou began 10 limbo
w 4hey talked war. po!lilcs and crops, and in
kone instances the discussions ended in fights.
Ihtre was no bloodshed, however. for peace
makers stalk9d abroad and saw TO it that there
were no pitched battles. Meantime the lads
sights.
The lollihcation was continued until nearly
Susk. when preparations were begun for the
nomeEArd Journey. Good-byes were said all
trcun1. the young folks kissed and promised
passed around tor the last time and. with the
song, The tired rus1fcs ieft "WTacf Pond foI
LnelI distant country homes, every one Of them
SeNSnNo0 WIN IDeJr WISH 10 the Snore. Inc
departure OF the farmers was the signal for the
akirs anq p%soclers 10 decamp for other parts,
sna y N. the beach was practically de.
serted. but on every hand piles OF boxes and
oott!es gave evidence of the big celebration. q
reeora- breaker for crowds and fun.
.halt Mater Day was celebrated to-day al
A9ney Island. on the Raritan Bay shore. tive
ples from keypOrt. Here the farmers hocked
~ me hundreds and before noon every avail.
SpIe Tree and tie post was taken up by single
horses hnd teams hitched to all sorts Of Vehi.
Gee. The oid-fashioned carryall seemed the
moet popular mode Of transportation and fro
Soenu{ one could see the farmer and his wife
Hpoh the front seat with several children Gnd
ne nurse with the baby in the rear.
1he weather was not very propitiouB, bni
svsry one seemed in good humor and enjoyed
sSery minute Of the day. During the morning
the water Was black with bathers. Others
Ssht c!an rning, and waded far out from shore
VIZ = hoatIng tub and a clam rake. At moor
Secn LAmlly brought out the lunch basket. anc
WAS 4 sight To see the hundreds Of people
young and old, seated upon the ground undel
sne urees eating and laughing. telling stories
A1d cracking Jokes.
Durng the latter part OF the afternoon the
SSnciuE pavilion was the haven of the young
Pceple, the Old uOdler WAS cAllRd unnn 10 ths