Evening journal., 1902-04-30
WAYFARER'S NOTEBOOK
Wayisrer Takes a Trlp

! tive fire in the heart of that popular
| resort and wishing TO view the ruins
he went to Camden and boarded a
Philadelphia and Reading flyer for the
sea shore.
The Wayfarer was favorably i'm
pressed with the train. The coaches
are the largest now in use in the At
lantic City trade, and what also ap-
pealed to him was the fact that they
were the result of the skilled mechan-
les of Wilmington. They were built
by the Harlan and Hollingsworth
Company. and are many feet longer
than the regular passenger coaches.
The seats are comfortable and the
windows are large. No better coach
could be devised for observation pur-
poses.
Passengers are shown every cour-
tesy, and Superintendent A. G.. Nc
! Causland. who is a Wilmingtonian.
has the system working in an up-to-
date and pleasing manner.
After boarding the train the Way
farer was whisked to the ocean front
in about forty-seven minutes. 1t was
the most delightful forty-seven minu-
tes imaginable and was thoroughly
enjoyed.
When the train pulled out Of Cam
Zen station on time and the Wayfar-
er was whirled through the vegetable
gardens of Philadelphia, through
Jersey pine groves, fertile fields, bar
rem wastes. pear, peach and apple or
chards in bloom, well-kept vineyards,
patches Of scrub oak, into the mead
dows. and finally the station in At
lantic City. 1t was rapid but de-
lightful ride. The road is ballasted
with crushed stone and there is
no dust.
Arriving on the boardwalk, the
Wayfarer was surprised to find so
many visitors at the resort this early
in the season.
With the newspaper accounts of the
great fire fresh in his mind he expec-
ted to see a great mass of ruins, but
was agreeably disappointed. The
damage does not appear to be great
Foundation trenches are being dug
and piles of lumber are on the ground.
The owners of the burned buildings
will erect temporary structures in or
der to make their land of some profit
during this season. BY next year the
burned portion will be rebuilt in
modern hotels. This fact really seems
to suggest that the fire was benefit
rather than a calamity.
Looking at Young's Pier, the Way
farer could not see that it had ever
been damaged by fire.
One of the interesting features of
the resort at present is the Atlantic
City Twins" They are Margaret Doug
lass and Ann Hamilton Cor
dom and are ten months
old were born at the shore and are
the children OF Mr.. and Mrs. Basil
Gordon. of Baltimore They are
beautiful. rosy-faced, robust girls, and
weigh "A pounds each. The twins are
always the centre OF an admiring
crowd. when on the boardwalk, and
the nurse always is willing to answer
questions for she is proud of the little
tots.
Another feature OF the resort is the
Mayor Of the boardwalk" He stalks
along the walk and allows no waste
paper or other dirt to lie on it.
He is said to have been Baltimore
druggist, and in filling a prescription,
made a mistake that cost the life OF
the patient who took it This terrible
blunder made him lose his reason.
Since he has been at the shore he
claims to be the Mayor Of the board
walk"
The winter storms and ice have
carried away that part Of the board
walk between the Royal Palace Hote
and the Inlet, but it will replaced by
the opening Of the summer season.
The iron girders OF the boardwalk
which were twisted and wharped by
the flames will be replaced by new
ones. and the planRing will he relaid il
about a month.
The boardwalk is alive with rolling
t chairs and addressing himself to tn
4 Wayfarer a man who has been a regi
e lar visitor TO the shore for man,
e years said about the chairs:
Not many years ago the feature o
D Atlantic City for all, rich and pool
@ alike. was the delightful, refreshin
walk from the lighthouse to Chelsee
stopping now and then to watch tn
. breakers as they came rolling in unde
! i the board walk; drinking in the salt
. breezes that gave the city folk ne'
y life. and after a brisk two or thre
n mile walk and half hour or so en-
; Toying the music of the good bands
r sleeping as only the tired visitor at th
It shore can to his fullest enjoyment
t. But today things are changing. TheI
are more than 1000 of those delightf'
seductive rolling chairs on the boar
Y walk. and they are always busy.
Y When they first appeared, OF
le looked upon the occupant as an il
- ! valid and involuntarily extendt
sympathy Today the healthiest lOol
ing young people on the island emplC
d.