New-York tribune., 1903-01-11

| the edice In the winter. just as well, for
| in those days there would have been no consrega-
tion In winter This summer resort; crowd
ed then for a few short months during the other
seasons deserted.
Yesterday Tribune correspondent left New
| York and three hours later was pacing the board
walk of Atlantic City. Blue showed in places through
| the fluffy clouds of the sky. soft wind. slightly
salt laden came off the ocean. An overcoat was
unnecessary
The famous four mile promenade was not crowd
ed, but it far from lonely. The season is
st three weeks from the rush mark But the
usual Saturday exodus Of regular week enders
in evidence
Leaning against the iron rail which keeps the
board walkers out of the ocean there was an ola
| man. His face gum and frownng, so de-
cidedly in contrast to all the others that one was
moved to stop and question him.
What is the matter. my man?" he was asked
You be in trouble.
''Troubler' he muttered. Trouble! There Is
trouble enough. Just look at the crowd.
Now this old obviously a native and
| not visitor AS such. how could he possibly see
trouble in the presence of crowd. Atlantic City
is a city of hospitality 1t was almost beyond
comprehension.
.r1t q large crowd means plenty Of business and
good times for Atlantic City,. observed the corre-
spondent
1T don't mean good times for one whose pro-
fession is guard summer hotels during the cosed
winter season. he growled.
The secret of his out. He was
caretaker OF job, and naturally for an open
hotel needs caretaker.
The old man. and others Of his calling, VIII have
to find something else to do. for 'open all the
wear" is the motto which has spread over Atlantic
City in the few years. until 1t comes to cover
almost everything in this wonderful pleasure CITY
| by the sea- Another year two of Expansion In
direction. and the resort will forget that there
| is such thing season.
Even now there is little of the "fold-up-your-
| tent" spirit among those. who serve the various
sorts of resort JOY to the hungering public Inc
big hotels and they Atlantic City's mainsprinS
] hardly know what closed shutter means Inc
| cheaper smaller hotels and the boarding houses
! still close, for their patrons cannot get away eX-
| ccpt the vacation season
! 10 return for just a minute the church which
| could not be heated, it long ago ceased to exist
| Tomorrow the visiting hundreds who go to church
| can choose from score of well built churches OF
brick and and plaster. Atlantic City is no
longer summer resort, but permanent city
| whose attractions payable on demand DE IL
! in cool July temperate January.
The permanent figures here are, of course, the
same summer winter. First and foremost
| dominating the whole. is the ocean foreground 1t
rolls always fluffy white fringe on narro"
! strip of beach here almost under the board walk,
so much So in fact, that the spray comes through
| the cracks; there two hundred feet distant, but
here or there still rolling and noisy Back of it
like line Of powerful sentres the great hotels
| of the place. These MASSIVE structures, OF
many windows and apparent surplus OF pazzas'
which in several instances extends to the board
walk itself. Back Of the hotels are long rows OF
! cottages smaller hotels. boarding houses even,
which in winter like deserted ant hills Then
comes the business part of the city on the long
cross streets, and they are as busy as regular
! resident population of thirty thousand souls could
expect to make them. Beyond that is more water,
for Atlantic City is buiided on an island OF sand
| All this is here winter summer.
The principal difference between the two seasons
! is absence of enormous crowds and in the crowds
sign of hurry hustle. This is most notice
able on the board walk There is room to walk, in
! the first place, which is more. than one can say
| of the summer The rolling chairs have
clear track Nor are they so much in demand, for
wthal the midness of air there is invgorating. and
| there is something about 1t which makes walking
and distance walking at that, a pleasure
The beach is very different in winter. Instead of
crowds Of ba thers in suits of many colors, there
are few children playing in the sand That drv-
ing and riding popular is shown by a score of
fine turnouts which speed up and down on the track
beaten hard by the surf The donkeys and pony
| carts are almost a much in demand as in summer
The busiest factors in the beach scene are the
Atlantic CITY small boys, playing hockey, form
of that game in the sand. Earlier in the year they
played football and later they will turn from
hockey to embryo golf. They the lads who
further north would be playing real hockey on the
ice-covered ponds and they are about the only
ones around who sorry that ice and snow never
here
Nearer the board walk yOungster is at work
l who attracts no little attention. He is artist
In his way-the way of crooked stick for pencil
and a spot of hard sand for drawing paper. He
executes wonderful likenesses of those who hang
over the railing to watch him. When through ne
writes under the picture, II make my living this
way" Then he smiles at the homely woman whom
he has made beautiful with stroke or two, or at
the bald headed man TO whom he has given hair
covered scalp and the small coins shower down
upon him.
The difference which one notices most, however.
is the spirit of rest which has over the place
The man worn with business and the woman
jaded by the social round are much In evidence
There are many invalds but not enough to depress
the more fortunate
There is little in the amusement line now at At
lanic City but the visitors not to mind. They
are satisfied with the playing of the hotel orches-
tras and with the nightly performance at the the
atre on one of the piers. The Coney Island ike
amusements are quiet for the time, and for that
mercy the winter visitor offers thanks. The major
ity are here for rest-rest through exercise. They
walk two or three hours day, sand even more;
they take plenty of time at their meals. which are
exceedingly good, and they sleep, and sleep, ana
sleep.
Cupid must have been whispering the winter joys
of Atlantic City to the brides and bridegrooms OF
this winter You can find lonely places there, "
may have been the message. or No one pays any
attention to honeymoon couples" Anyway, happy
pairs have never been much in evidence. and
the men who push the double seated wheel chairs
are coming money.
At one of the big hotels down toward Chelsea
the pianist who, for the present. is the whole
orchestra. is a bride. She is hard worked little
woman for the playing hours are long. Her hus-
hand will play the second violin when the full or
cbestra goes to work. but until February he
can do nothing but listen. He stands 1t well
enough except when sentimental idiot sends
the pianist request for They Were on Their
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