, 1904-06-22
Cape May Letter.
BY OUR CAPE MAY CORRESPONDENT

BY OUR CAPE MAY CORRESPONDENT
The improvements in East Cape May
are going forward steadily. The board
walk goes forward with giant strides
and ere long will circle Sewells Point
and wave a welcome to Five Mile
Beach. This new section of walk is far
superior to that which bounds the beach
drive of old Cape May, it being much
wider, more uniform throughout and
in closer contact with the breakers.
The open iron railing which runs along
its tide-proof length is also more slightly
than the closed wooden n Of the old
section, and, except in frOnto of the life
saving station, 1t is no marred by the
depressed sections which allow the
crossing of the car tracks. The beach
drive also is keeping closely in the
wake of the completed boardwalk and
works q Transformation indeed in the
appearance of the hitherto uneven
sandy surface. The land, at no little
labor and expense, is leveled and
dressed with a thick coating of clay
and then rolled until its surface is as
smooth and hard as a macadamized
street. 1t is but a continuation of Cape
Mays famous drive and is already
much used by automobiles and fash
ionable vehicles of every description.
When completed it will be some five
miles long and it is not improbable
that, with the passing of years and the
development of South Cape May, it
will stretch from the shores of the new
harbor, around Sewell's Point and on
down clear to the Cape and even be-
yond. 1t is a much appreciated ar
rangement and is vastly superior to
the conglomerate line of fake stores
that flank the land side of the board
walks of SO many other resorts.
The dredges are working strenuously.
pausing neither night nor day, and are
rapidly filling in the once tide covered
marsh. These dredges consume each
about thirty tons of coal in a twenty
four hour shift. Their running is, of
necessity, expensive, but the Improve
ment Company have stated that, even
at this time, the sale of lots has more
than paid the expenses so far incurred.
One section of the tract Is rapidly being
filled to grade and the company is In
der a forfeiture of 1925 900 if the beach
section up to the point and the section
Immediately adjoining the city are not
completed by October of this year.
The work is, therefore, being pushed
with all possible speed in order to COM
plete it within the time limited.
The Cape May delegation to Attain
tic City's Jubilee left here on a special
train of four cars on Saturday as the
guests of the Pennsylvania Railroad
aud rafr1rnn6 on SErInU nynWnfnnw
They were accompanied by Rosati's
Naval Reserve Band, which will APP
peal here in the public pavilions on
July I'd and continue for two months,
and carried a beautiful silk banner
made for the occasion by the East Cape
May improvement Company. They
were applauded all along the line.
The hotels are now nearly all open
for the season and will shortly present
their regular summer appearance. The
cottages are nearly all occupied and
the prospects for the season are better
than at any other time in the history
of the resort. The Stockton opened its
doors on the 18th inst. with the news
papermen of Philadelphia, Washing
ton and Baltimore as its guests. A
sad event connected with this assem-
bly, was the death by drowning of e. A.
Streavig, the young and talented editor
of the Cape May Wave. 1t is a pecu-
liar coincidence hat the first drown
ing last season occurred while the news
papermen were here. Congress Hall
has not yet opened but will do so
shortly. 1t is under the same man.
agement this year as is the Windsor.
Atlantic City hotel men claim that the
season is backward and have looked to
Jubilee week to place them on their
feet, but the outlook here seems better
than ever and will undoubtedly prove
to be SO.
b b b
With the exception of the paved
square on Washington street, between
jackson and Decatur streets, Cape
Mays thorofares are now all macad-
amized and are, consequently, in first
class shape. Crushed stone has been
distributed over them most plentifully,
after which they were heavily rolled,
making a smooth and compact surface
that defies rain and travel.