Evening journal., 1900-07-07
FISHING IN FINE
OFF CAPE MAY
Past Week One Of LiVeIieSt
in Resorts History
Bathing Is Excellent and Great Inter
est Is Taken in The Weekly
Golf Tournaments
Special to The Evening Journal

which has just closed has been the
first lively one of the season. There
has been an unusual amount of life
about the hotels and cottages, and the
thousands of visitors who are here
from every section of the country have
thoroughly enjoyed themselves by par
ticipating in the numerous pleasures tC
be had at this famous old seaside re-
sort.
One may find on an avenue residing
side by side a family from New York
and a family from Alabama, while in
another portion of the town there are
side by side a family from Illinois, and
from Maryland Such is the diversity
OF the states represented here that it is
really a cosmopolitan resort. Not only
is this resort the Summer abode of pea
pie of America, but there are here a
family from France, another family
from Armenia, and two or three
wealthy Japanese families.
The hotels are all open for the sea-
son, and entertaining large numbers
of guests. This number will gradually
increase until the height of the season
is reached, the first Sunday in August.
when the resort is always filled TO over
flowing, and when the horeis not only
have all their rooms taken up, but are
compelled to use cots in the Railways
and parlors.
All the large hotels have their music
for the season, and the 0rchestras are
setting pace to which hundreds Of
people are tripping the fantastic. or
quietly sitting in some breeze swept
nook enjoying the sweet strains as they
are waited towards them.
The leader Of one of the Orchestras
is Simon Hassler, who came to Cane
May first in 1874, when his orchestra
numbered three persons, and furnished
the music at the White Hall. then a
hotel OF much popularity, and the IA
Vorlte haunt during the Summer sea-
son OF hundreds of Southern
planters and statesmen. White
Hall to-day is entirely too far
away from the beach, and is now used
as tenement Simon was here in the
days when Henry Clay and Reverdy
johnson made Cape May their Sum
mer outing place. On one particular
occasion when Henry Clay came here
IN lS47 there was an assembly Of states
men and others whose names are as
well-known to-day as they were then.
There were in the party Horace
Greeley, the famous New York Tribune
editor; Nicholas Dean, president of the
New York Chamber of Commerce:
Reverdy Johnson attOrney-ge Of
the United States; James A. Bayard.
United States senator from Delaware.
and father of Thomas f. Bayard, Cleve-
lands first secretary Of state: and
others equally as well-known. At that
time Cape May was reached only by
steamboats,, regular lines being estab-
lished from Philadelphia and New
York.
There were then only as rivals Of
Cape May, Newport on the New Eng
land coast, the White Sulphur Springs.
in Virginia; and Saratoga, in New
York.
The sportsmen who have been fortu-
nate enough to visit Cape May within
the last ten years have enjoyed most
excellent times in fishing In the vari-
GUS hayens about the resort In Cape
Island sounds, Grassy sounds, and in
the inlets between the beaches along
the outer shores of this peninsula.
there has been excellent fishing with
the hook and line. The most gamy
fish which are taken in this place are
what the residents call blue fish, but
what are really known as weak fish.
Cape May goodies have not yet appear
eu, but when they come there is also
much sport in pulling them in. They
are more on the order of a perch than
of any other species of the finny tribe
Hake are also to be caught in large
numbers and are quite gamy too.
While this excellent sport is enjoyed
On the inland waters, the deep water
fishing of shore, where steamers take
parties daily to distance of from ten
to twenty-five miles, there is also ex-
cellent fishing. Here sea-bass. snap.
ping mackerel or blue fish properly call
ed, are caught. 1t is no unusual oc
currence for a fisherman to return
home after a days outing off in the At
lantic. with from $50 to 500 black bass
Weighing all the way from one to fiv,
pounds. The inland fishermen here dt
not use a rod and line, but fish with ;
line alone, giving it a forceful twir
when they throw their hook bait, an,
dipsy overheard.
The game of golf. which was inau
gurated here three years ago, is be
coming more popular as the days go by
and it is no uncommon thing to Sc
upon the links any afternoon from 80
to 400 persons, either participating il
or watching the game The member
ship, which includes nearly sixty of tn
most prominent Of our Summer guests
is gradually increasing all the time
and members from Ohio. Indiana an
Pennsylvania compoEe the largest
the list.
Each Saturday afternoon the W.
mems tournaments take place on I'll
links, and they are most interestin
events.
The particular places Of cOngreg'
tion have been along the boardwal
which stretches along the ocean from
and from which there is an unol
structed view Of the ocean; on Il
strand which at Cape May is as smoot
as clean, and hard, yet elastic to Il
tread, and which is noted the wor
over as the finest beach in the worll
the hotel lobbies, where during the d;
the visitors meet TO exchange greetin
and "reminiscences of the past; on d
golf links, which are exceptional
popular at Cape May this season: al
ahouf fbp number. of avonuoc tvhfch q,