New-York tribune., 1901-08-18
THE CITY BY THE SEA.
OF ATLANTIC CITY Nom,
POTENT THAN EVER THIS YEAR


with guests just at present. and every hotel pro-
prietor Is kept busy putting in bank the money +b
Will carry him through the dull season that viii
Ioiow vacation days, there is probably no pIaca
"here the coming dull season is looked upon with
more conplacency than here in Atlantic Citv ,r5
1t is safe 10 say that there are few other reso-,
entertaining floating population OF not less tha,
a quarter OF million souls: for two hundred az,
fifty thousand IS the smallest figure named in an,-
conservative estimate Of the number of vacationis,
now sojourning in the City by the Sea- and man,
persons insist that this is too low bv al least >
per cent Small wonder. then. that landlords are
giving little thought to the future being conte,,
with the prosperity of the present and satisfied to
let the future take of itself
And this the future is amply able to do. If anu
reliance Is to be placed in the experience a, H.
past and the promises that have been r,ada g
the coming winter. Atlantic City unlike the M,
Jor'y OF resorts claims all seasons for own and
the claim is apparently founded upon the most sh
stantial of seasons. In summer time the n1aca a.
summer resort that holds enviabIe place in tba
directions of millions. while during the v,iptor -
taxes leading position among the popular wints-
resorts OF the country. In fact the summer sT.
winter seasons have both frightened out So ronch
IN recent years that there is no break batvvaa a.
Two a gradual change in the size and appearanoa
oi the Visiting throng being the only thing In in
olc1te where one ends and the other begins
feopi@ become so accustomed to look upon tb,
ocean and its manifold attractions as something n,
oe especially appreciated and approacbed orr9 -
'he summer that 1t does not occur to them that
uiiuer particular conditions the sea may afford
even greater benefit during the cold months Thosa
VINO i've in the North find it hard TO think Of tb
Sed IN winter as other than bleak and forbiddtng
and the east wind has a reputation for penAtSari1
discomfort that poetry can make then, foroa+
Aho YET IL IS a fact that the average winter tenn
perature Of Atlantic City is considerably biqba-
than that OF other cities in the North even tb
protected inland towns The reason for +bt- b,,.
ness ana freedom from chill lies in the fact thu,
the great ocean river known as the Gulf St,ean,
Ho"s WITHIN comparatively short distance Of the
coast AT this point. and tenpers the air thar blo
IN from the sea, giving 1t. with Just enough north
ern ygor TO free it from any enervatina a1ftis
tnat dlstinctvely gentle touch that is so sootbns
and restful for tired brains and worn bodies N -
delightful relief from the shvering dampness Ieft
behind so short time before
The Lenten season has become particularly ,o,,,
Tar with visitors the resort Tired and worn vf,L
the continuous round Of gayeties in the larger
cities, the social leader and the debutante aIfEs
come here TO rest and recuperate before again
plungns into the festivities that follow Easter
Ihus II Is that the Lenten season is from a social
standpoint, the most brilliant time Of the whole
year Unable or unwilling to restrain their pen
chant for social pleasures during the forty
days Of penance. the devotees Of fashion who as
semble here during Lent unite In participating In
functions at the hotels which sometimes rival tba
affairs given during winter in the leading social
centres OF the country
But. after all. it is as place TO spend the sum-
mer vacation that Atlantic City has attained its
greatest fame, and such IT will continue 10 retain
its irmest hold on the affections. The magnifcens
beach the bathing. the sailing and fishing the gun
ming during the proper season. the stroIls on ths
boardwalk and the thousand and one other pIeas.
ures which contribute TO the enjoyment OF a suns
sojourn will always be the most Irresistible at.
fractions and will continue TO draw hither the i'm
mense throngs of visitors that are becoming year
by year more and more characteristics of the SUM
mer at Atlantic City.
The one thing that is most striking to the vsitos
10 Atlantic City is the famous boardwalk and ths
immense throng Of humanity which surges I'd and
down its broad deck on summer evenings. Tbs
structure is in It's way unique. The idea was
original with the founders of Atlantic City, and,
while IL has been copied elsewhere. other resorts
have never been able keep up with the improves
ments that have been made from time to time. Ths
first boardwalk was built in 1870 a cost OF S5.OCo
and eight feet in width. This unambitious
structure did good service for ten years. when it
found to be too small and replaced by a
new walk sixteen feet wide. This walk was de-
stroyed twice by nigh tides. After another ten
years the walk increased to twerty-four feet
in width. and finally. in 1895. the present magnih-
cent promenade five miles long and forty feet wide
for the greater portion Of its length. built The
cost of the new boardwalk up 10 date has been
nearly $4,000 and 1T stands to-day as monument
to the enterprise and prOgresstveness OF the most
enterprisng and progressive resort in America
framework and pillars. carrying a heavy yellow
pine superstructure strong enough 10 support a
railroad train but time has proved that the money
spent for it's erection well invested storm
tides which would have swept the old walk out OF
existence have had effect on the new structure'
and 1t carries without q tremor the vast army
ef promenaders who spend so many hours or each
day marching along IT'S broad surface Ihe onS
fault that can possibly be found with the wax
Is that 1t Is too small. and those who planned y
ScarCely be cenSured for not knowing lhe~
Atlantic City have the miraculous pros, s.
Perty and growth which IL has enJoyeu aIItl5 Sao @
last five years. The day is not far distant Nhsn
the boardwalk will have TO be enlarged SO as 70 70
take in the entire sixty foot strip OF highway Cd
Another institution original with Atlantic CITY
boardwalk is the ubiquitous rolling chair. when
IS the of more comment fayoraoie anu ~ III
First introduced for the benefit OF invaHds me
rolling chair has been found so osrs a ease and
has become popular lad IL loohS a ~ n'lIs T5ediy
healthy looking individuals being pushed solemny
along the walk in a luxurious oashtIi sn+. So
and the sensation delightful The chairs az nrs5
made hold only one person; eut aSiiiaI5 n5
the double vehicles almost as numerous HS 70
single ones The fad has g!1S9 11ebsrs who receive
small salaries but manage TO make la1F L's
But Of ali the things Atlantic City boasts mere
is nothing that gives her more deSeI' 9Iend on
which the resort is built, has coast line OF aeii bis
quite nine miles and fny Teyep hy mon none In the
world There no dangerous Spots. 'he ntIv uSoI
being gerfestyy ybaI po9sn snssr sG Of getting
denly beyond their depth is reduced 10 miniinT I'M
called into requisitiOn to accommodate the 5athe[s.
and large portion OF It. n i fact opis Is por.
tion OF the island but fully two miles or tne he
noon hour on warm days in addition to the smau
parties who oathe at South Atlantic Sityo,L-spss City Ls
OF Atlantic City's bathing beach. showing scores