The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
WINTER ALONG THE BEACH.
RoCkAWAY BUsY At DIAMOND Dig
GING IN These DAYS.

Found In u single Winter-The Circula-
ilon of Currency-The Lonely Lot OF
Policemen-Tho Contentcd fisherman.
When Whitley who has very light hair aud
a last name, although no one EXCEPT aiew inti-
mates ON Rensen Hose No. ] knows Il, and Tom
Morton. who cooks sea food for Mrs. Hopkins
during the summer months. and George Young,
who lives on the beach all the year round be-
cause he likes the air. gather round Henry
Reuters stove. and Billy the Barber taps the
cask Of stock ale md the wind drives the spray
from ihe incoming rollers clear down Pier
avenue into Jamaica Day. the talk invariably
turns upon two subjects. the diamond dig
ginR industry and the question Of who will be
the next Chief OF the Fire Department. AZ
this season the diamond digging industry IL
Mt its height. and, consequently, Is the more
discussed Of the two topics.
To the uninitintcd Horkaway Beach might
not seem to be the most likely place in the
world in which to search for diamonds. bue
then. you see. the uninitiated don't know.
WHY. Tom Morton alone dug nearly sixty-nve
dollars worth OF diamonds and other precious
stones last winter. and as for Katie. who passes
the winter In the coy seclusion OF Murray's
Pavilion and has the exclusive privilege OF
digging under It. well! according to the men
around tho stove. II she would only tell what
abe has made, abe would make wealthy women
look ike ~ cents, nut sno lS as reJlCent ~ Bno
10 rich. Four factors enter into the success
ful search for diamonds on the beach: a heavy
storm. a very low tide, a good strong back and
n shovel And this is how it all comes about.
When. during the months OF July and August
three large excursion steamers land 1000
persons three times q day at the Seaside pier.
.hese crowds. largely made up OF women and
children, go straight NJ Seaside avenue TO the
sen. Here they scatter right and left along
the boardwalk and thence to tho beach be-
low. and so from IL o'clock /. the morning
till well into the night the beach is trans-
formed into n camp Of women and children
seated upon n groundwork of shifting sand
and broken glass. and tho amount OF cheap
jewelry and silver money which they lose In
the sand is astonishing. When the winter
comes and the sea rises well above the high
water mark Of tho summer months. many OF
these leavings in the sand are washed out and
gather about tho upriGhts which support the
big bathing and dancing pavilions. but a
storm is necessary to accomplish this result.
Then is the opportunity for tho diamond
hunters to dig. or course. digging for dia-
monds is not always profitable.
A more discontinued body OF men than the
METROPOLITAN police who patrol Rockaway
Beach in winter it would be difficult to find.
They have absolutely nothing to do. and they
cant even cit around stoves and drink mixed
ale with n MuniGan in IT," They pass their
nights. huddled behind sheds and their days
patrollinG deserted streets. There Ia no
crime doing. for there is no one to commit
crime. and not n living thing is to be seen
which answers TO the name of Dewey. and
makes n precnrious living on the fish and big
Besides digging for diamonds, the men
around the stoves occasionally sally forth on
which are wished mp on the beach. Some.
times the beach is covered with them for miles
md when cooked by such an expert as Henry
cross, with blue stones in it: which naturally
M%ssn nnHy'i ba G" Iuek. o'S WIFI o 5%f' in NH he '9 sea % sns
the posts which support the life lines In front
these posts has never been dug. Think OF It'll
The wealth of India within lifty feet Of ths
Hall! But some lime there will come a phe-
bb mo 1rolaI low oN, tide; ana then these po ,siti will
no more winters on Rockaway Beach.
Many Of the inhnhttants OF Roekaway Beach
lights sitting , around M Ia Terroom stoves y "a and dali all
the harrooms are open all the year around. but
f Instes%I n sT kinG Of d0 %s, mot I T~maiIt on orr the ssSshsi
has sprung ur. For example. the PROPRIETOR
OF q barroom will 'nke, 81 from the till and
and the ihe''ss = viii iihi' be ee sS " + Then sr"s sRe two Hyon viii
u Eisii, ia an I"rtlhn"rT harro ON sne ID t h, 81 81 and n gather
to It's original till. and every one Is comfort
i l'lt Shl All luSI uuluIllu MI INA Dc. viii
sitting on the end Of tho Seaside pier. which
makes out into Jamaica Bay. n gentleman who
salt water fisherman in, or about New York.
He is about 80 years old, and his tackle is tho
"E9Sin sdHfnslxs ana IN fa S9m thnn can i%s ob fsh 90
be makes it himself His rod is epIit BAN,
marvel Of easy running and has every manner
Of stop and drag: He we%rs corduroy trousers
he made himself. because he adds shoem8k-A
ing 70 his mechanical accomplishments, Next
lentber knarsnck which contains everything y
fisherman can possibly Iced. In
lie arrives, AT the pier lust Mt slack Tateror
Just as the tide is turning to run in. He puts
Iaot his intent n iishing gloves yes L and bats two
p blood worms. He then makes a cast. taxes
his position on the stringpicce of, the pler,
lights his pipe. places his thumb on his patent
next three hours, About 800 feet out from
the pier is a small hole in which ,tioupders arc
Whether he catches anything or not is imma-
terial 10 him; for has he not done his hest2 has
directly into ne right rpotf Il the fish Do not
that some time striped bass will be caught in
the surf on the beach and on fine days. with
surf from Seaside to the lire-savinG station.
Have you ever caught onef' he was asked
oh: no." lie answered cheerfully. but It's
To. the policemen he is n constant source Ok
not to say an object of suspicion. AZ
one Of them could bear II no longer.
and one bleak afternoon last December he ap-
preached tho fisherman. who was sitting on
the stringpiece OF the Seaside nler as usual.
Say" sail the policeman. for heavens
sake. what DO you stay down here for. any
Because | like IT," snid the fisherman.
Like it, said the policeman. Like it?"
And then he slapped his leg and burst into
loud, incrcdulous, laughter; Suddenly he
and looked at the fisherman ~intently.
guess you're a pretty foxy guy. at that.'b a
said and walked thoughtfully a ynv. He evil
barred from civilIaation and doing time, so to
speak. on tn" beach. but the fisherman was
perfectly unconscious Of these suspiclons: he
founder hol" or not.
Last winter the cod came up the bay. and
Old Harry. Warren il credited with having
made nearly $500 out OF them. This year tbs
preparations for the reception of the cod
when he Gomez have been mighty. but the cod
have not upreored vet and old Harry Warren
IS watched night. ana day for fear he may steal