Evening journal., 1900-07-17
HISTORIC CAPE MAY
is BOOMING NOW
Beach Of the Famous Old
Resort Is Crowded Daily
Since l77O 1t Has Been Popular as a
Place Of Recreation and
RecuperatiOn

,. Cape May, n. J., July 16.-While
Cape May has been receiving visitors
since early Spring and while there have
been hundreds of guests here all during
Junenow that July has been thoroughly
opened and that the warm weather has
begun to come throughout the coun-
try, Cape Mays hundreds have swelled
to thousands and on every hand the
visitor is present
This once famous old time resort
seems to be regaining patrons who
came years ago. but who have in re-
cent years gone TO the newly settled
sister places and for the time forsaken
what might be called their first love.
Looking backward some thirty years,
Cape May was the queen of all resorts.
Long Branch and Newport on the coast
and White Sulphur Springs, in Virginia,
on the inland were its only rivals.
Cape May still claims to be the queen
Of all resorts and il has one feature in
its magnificent beach which is said by
all to be the finest beach in the world.
/ 1t is so well-known that even Trouville,
I'm France, is called the Cape May OF
that country.
In recent years Atlantic City has
been a more populOus place, because or
the use of printers ink. Cape May
though slow to take hold will no doubt
spend a great deal OF money in the next
few years to let people know that there
is such a place, and remind them that
their wealthy parents and grand-par-
/ ents came here in the days when the
10 hr nj Inv.
steamer and when they came in coaches
and carryalls to towns along the Della
ware river and there took the vessel
for the place.
Way back in 1901, Gaze May was
known as a health resort because at
that time it was advertised in the news
papers Of Philadelphia by the propr'e
tor Of the first Congress Hall. Even
as far back as ITO It must have been
known as healthful resort, because it
is told in the local history that the
Rev. James Watt and the Rev Samuel
Finlay came to Cape May for recupera-
ton at different times and while here.
each of them in turn was called and
accepted a call to the Cold Spring Pres
byterian Church, which was founded in
l7l4, and in whose cemetery lie buried
the dead Of Cape May for two centuries.
], Turning back to 1900 and from that
time on Cape May has continued to
have distinguished personages to make
1 regular Summer visits to it, Commo-
dore Stephen Decatur was one of these.
! He took a great interest in the place
! and he was the one who kept the rec
) ords Of the gradual incroach Of the
sea on Cape May more than thirty
years. The commOdore's first exper-
= ience in Cape May was about 1850 when
at Hereford Inlet he was wrecked on
the bar and was rescued by two of the
Delaware Bay pilots. asrecorded in local
history. Again We find him at Cape May
in 1914 and fighting the battle off Cape
May Point in which the American YES
sci was victorious. and that vessel was
i, partly manned by residents of the pen
insular country. Commodore Decatur
came here until within the last year oi
his life
Former Postmaster General John
Wanamaker. who is at his cottage here
J recuperating his health. was brought
here by private car from his Pennsyl.
vania home last week. Mr.. Wanamakel
has been interested in Cape May for tn,
, last thirty years and about 1870 in com
pany with Matthew Whildin and other.
conceived the idea to establish a Pres.
byterian resort at Cape May Point
!, three miles from this place. These mer
laid out a beautiful town right on tn,
!, point of Cape May proper and there II
' the centre built large auditorium anC
( pavilion and from thatcen the street.
a run out like the spokes Of wheel q
e the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bal
e which form about three-fourths OF
l. circle leaving the main land to maxi
l. the balance of the imaginary circum
10 ference.
y Several large hotels were built ther
e and, Of course, many cottages and aon
j. sequently the place prospered.
e Under New Jerseys peculiar laws
n one borough government succeeds
% lanother until the fourth one went on
't of existence. Then came a mlI in tn
II prosperity Of the place until a boor
!. has again struck il and il is now doin
nicely. The place as a resort for on
~ particular denomination did not sue
Ia ceed and the resort gradually change
~ until now every denomination is rer
4, resented there.
m The cottage there which Mr. Wana
IN maker occupies, was that which wa
as built in 1890 for the family OF Pres
h. dent Harrison. This cottage was bui
n in the centre of the best location thei
id and the principal contributors were NJ
he Wanamaker, Thomas Dolan, of Phil,
he delphia; William Mexican. the the
ID editor of the Philadelphia Ledger, ar
OF formerly private secretary to Presidel
ut Buchanan; United States Senator Sew
nd ell and many others.
ny Early in June that year, Mr. McKea
~ in company with Others. went into Il
a White House. at Washington. and 4
~ livered to Mrs. Caroline Scott Harris,
~ the wife Of President Harrison. the Re
r. and deed for this beautiful eottal
on which had cost ten thousand dollar
I'D Here during the Summer season un
the Summer Of 1892 President and NJ
a Harrison occupied this cottage and tn
20 Summer Mrs. Harrison decided TO go
I'm New York state and the cottage "
m Oorunicd nv .Rur~oU IIarri-,p ,,I