Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-18
THE JERSEK==5RESORT
What Thirty Years Has Done
for Asbury Park.
OTHER PLACES READY
roc
COTTAGES AND HOTELS ALL FUR
BIsHED UP.
Biggest Season for Years Expected
Washington Guests
on Hand.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

1t has taken thirty long years of uninter-
rupted struggle to accomplish. Starting
back in the early 7O's as tiny side show
for Ocean Grove. the resort has grown
with amazing rapidity, outstripping the
sister resort within ten years from the es-
tablishment. The city Of Asbury Park was
built on a plan of exceeding generosity.
The engineers who laid out the town were
wise in their generation, and broad avenues,
abundant shade, a free and open ocean
front. with no hotels built close to the
boardwalk, furnished an opportunity for
the creation of what is today the best con-
structed resort of the Atlantic coast AS
bury Park is a park in fact as well as In
name. There are none of the hot sandy
reaches and graSSless dunes so characteris-
tic of the seaside, but broad lawns of close
grown. well-kept greensward extend to the
very borders of the sea. The resort is
dotted with beautiful public parks, and
three large fresh-water lakes afford the
fine opportunity Of boating and canoeing.
The change in the ocean front control
from the one-man power to municipal own
ership took place just two years ago. In
that period a change has been wrought
which is the admiration of the new arrivals
and a marvel to the visitors of past sea-
sons. The new boardwalk was partially
completed last season, but during the win
ter the greater change has taken place.
First, the boardwalk was completed from
Gnu " eIu, giving ASDuTy TdTh d Iull mile
of magnificent esplanade, seventy feet In
width, strong and fine, with it's promenade
surface as smooth as drawing room floor.
The next greatest Improvement is the
erection of the beautiful new Casino on the
site of the old Asbury avenue pavilion.
The new building arches the boardwalk and
extends for about 800 feet over the ocean.
At the site Of the old Fifth Avenue Pa
vilion the new Arcade has been built. This
building Is also of pure white 1t is SINH
lar In architecture to the new Casino.
though simpler in design. Its capacity is
nearly equal to that of the Casino.
The musical season at the Casino was
inaugurated May Is, with an orchestra con-
cert. Het5s.
This season opens with the beach In bet
ter condition than 1t has been for twenty
years. The rolling surf has done it's own
beach building with the assistance of the
jetties, and now for distance of four
blocks. there is a sand bar about three feet
below the surface of the ocean at low tide,
extending nearly a thousand feet seaward.
The breakers come in with an even sweep,
and holes and gulleys are almost unknown.
The fashionable Coleman House has been
much improved during the past winter.
Frank B. Conover Will reopen the house
the last Of next week, with the heaviest
bookings the house has ever known. Dur
ing the early season the chief social attrac-
ton of Asbury Park has been the Casino
and bowling alleys of. the Coleman House,
which were opened May /, and have been
thronged nightly ever since.
Among the additions to the Lafayettes
attractions has been the installation Of
private baths In connection with the finer
suites of rooms. The Lafayette will open
formally June %, but after today the hotel
will be open family STYLE" for the recep-
ton of a number Of older patrons. Mrs. M.
H. Frost of the firm of Wright & Frost, its
proprietors, Is at present awaiting the first
season guests, who are to arrive this after
noon.
The Hotel Columbia opens tomorrow. This
Is several days earlier than Proprietor w.
Harvey Jones has opened his hotel for
many years. An excellent orchestra has
been engaged for the season. and the beau
tiful Louis XIV ball room will be the scene
of formal dance to celebrate the beginning
of the season next Saturday.
The Berwin, which Is located on 4th ave-
nue.. a block from the beach. was opened
two weeks earlier than usual this year by
Proprietor 8. Baker Brooks. This Is Mr..
Brooks sixth season at the Berwin, and
during the winter he has given his personal
attention to the improvements at the house.
which include extensive Encouragement
and redecoration of the exchange and the
installation of private baths. in connection
with many of the finer suites.
Frederick w. Book made his initial ap-
pearance at Asbury Park in 1902, and has
advanced to the position of one Of the most
successful hotel men here within two years.
He is proprietor of the Hotel St. James,
which is one of the best appointed aIl-year
hotels in Asbury Park, and enjoys already
large clientage.
Proprietor a. NJ. Sexton has been enter
tanning house full of guests since the first
warm weather The Hotel Marlborough,
which is the largest of the all-year houses
and one of the largest hotels in the re-
sort was completed last season and re-
manned open throughout the winter. The
hotel is complete and modern in every
spect, with electric lights, private baths
and every appointment conducive to the
comfort and convenience of its guests. The
hnfa al at,in xad TO haa inf atpnn
age.
Mayor Frank l.. Tenbroeck opened the
West End Hotel earlier than usual this
season in order to entertain the members
of the New Jersey State Encampment of
the G. A. r., which held several important
meetings and a big camp fire at Asbury
Park on Thursday and Friday of this week.
The West End has been renovated and re-
furnished this spring. and with its i'm
mense capacity, $50, is destined to have
splendid season.
Notable among the big improvements to
the hotels is the great increase In the ca
pacity of the Bristol. The hotel is situated
at the foot of 4th avenue, overlooking the
sea, and is one of the finest In the resort.
The addition, extending along the 4th ave-
side, has nearly doubled the capacity
of the Bristol. and an electric elevator has
been installed Messrs. Banta & Hilyard.
who built the Bristol three years ago. will
again manage the hOtel.s
The hotel has hardly left the builders
hands ana mas Deen leased Tor the coming
season by Mrs. w. W. Reid who success
fully managed the Hotel Albion last year.
The Aberdeen opens next week.
The Wellington will be run this year by
its owner. Benjamin Biggs Smith. This no.
tel is one of the favorites among the south
erners visiting Asburyi Park, the cuisine be-
ing under the direction of an expert south
ern chef and the table Astounding in all or
the Dixie land deiicaCies.
The Hotel Touraine and annex has new
proprietor this season in the person of Mr..
J. j. Donneli. Mr.. Donneil brings to AS
bury Park a wide experience as a hotel
man, and this. combined With the lengthy
career of the Touraine, under the manage
ment OF Prof. N. A. Jolly, the owner, por-
tends an excellent SUMMERS business.
Mrs. E. A. Chopper has purchased the at
tractive Hotel Lenox property on 4th ave-
nue. and remodeled the house from top to
bottom Under Its new name, the Mary
land, the house is one of. the most attrac-
tive in Asbury Park Mrs. Chopper Is
Baltimorean and has a large following OF
Maryland and Washington friends, who
will be numbered among her guests this
season.
The Hotel Colonial was built In 1902 for
Mr.. T. V. Silva, its present lessee and pro-
prietor. The house has enjoyed two splen-
did seasons, with every prospect of third.
The house is colonial in architecture, as
well as in name, and is situated in the most
select Section of Asbury Park. From the
broad verandas of the hotel a fine ocean