, 1904-11-30
THOS. MCCORkLE WRITES
OF HOLLY BEACH
A Year Spent In a Quiet Little
Sea Side Village Along
the New Jersey Coast

News, Wilmington, Del, as follows;
A little yer a year ago, owing to ill
health, I decided to remain over WIN
ter in the beautiful borough of Holly
Beach on the Five-Mile Beach, along
the New Jersey coast.
Among the many things which in
terested me were the Swedish deep
sea fishermen. They are a people who
live simple and are engaged in fishing
long before daylight until late in the
afternoon. They are a happy, thought
full people, and although they are a
hard people to get acquainted with,
still when you get to know them they
are exceedingly friendly and interest
ing. Their life upon the water has
given them a varied experience and
some of their stories are like the ones
read, when a boy, in "Robinson
Crusoe.n
They are a hearty, good-natured peo-
pie and always enjoy a good joke.
Surprising to say, they have been
taught thoroughly the Bible, and one
can hardly relate an instance, either
in the Old or New Testiment, that
they are not familiar with.
Just before 1 left | was surprised one
evening when thirty-three of them
visited my cottage and presented me
with a beautiful American flag, 6 feet
by 10 feet, mounted. When L remem-
bered how hard they had to labor to
make a scanty living, so that they
might provide for their families, [ rea-
lied what a great sacrifice they must
have made, and l shall give it a pro-
minent place in my home to remind
me of the loving friends I have in
Holly Beach.
Shortly after the winter set in / look
ed into the matter of a church home
for the neglected colored people and,
with the assistance of my Oldest boy,
we built a temporary building, 40x60
feet, and secured the Rev. E. A. Nit
chell, a graduate of the Lincoln Theo-
logical Seminary, as their pastor.
These people are above the average
good, reliable and Industrious and
the only pity is that the white church
es had not taken up long ago the mat
ter of assisting them in securing a
place of worship.
They have a deep interest in their
new church, and within a few months
they have purchased a desirable 20
ner for $500 and have already paid a.
bout $3.50 OH account. The present in
dications are that they will have a
new church, ready for occupancy in
the spring.
1t would do you good to look in on
one of the Sunday evening services
which are usually well attended. The
pastor mostly breaches a stirring SER
mon, and when he gives one of his
outbursts of eloquence he fairly shakes
the foundation of the little 'Taber-
nacle in the Wilderness
The singing is exceedingly good and
hearty, and with Brother Vance as
leader, with his rich o voice,
singing their old favorite Cleaning on
the Everlasting Arms" you would be
reminded of the First Regiment band
coming over the Washington street
bridge. During the winter [ arranged
for two meetings on Sunday afternoon,
one at go for women and one at 4
o'clock for men and women for the
deeper study of the word of God. The
meetings were we'll attended, and |
am led to believe much good was ac-
complished.
1t was my pleasure to visit among
the people of the village during the
long winter evenings, and L am pleas
ed to say that their homes were COM
Portable and attractive, with an album
dance of children, who were hearty
and interesting. Surrounded by SO
many happy, bright faces, it did not
take me long before | knew almost
every child in the village.
After the summe was over the ma
jority of the people hibernate, and a
bout all they do is to dredge for oys-
tiers and CLAIMS and shoot mud hens.
L frequently thought, when [ saw
them in their easy-going ways, that
they were truly a people of Nimrods,
ram-rods and fishing-rods.
1t is a most delightful place to spend
the summer. The bathing is the finest