, 1905-05-31
WILDWOOD WAYS"
BY w. NJ. EggIestOne, an Emf
nant Scientist Residing in
StanhOpe, England

From the Auckland Chronicle, published at
Blshop Auckland, County of Durham.
England.
Weardale men who can WELD the
pen are met with in various parts of
the world, and amongst the prominent
ones must be classed the author of
sport Indeed, Mr.. Thomas Martin
dale, of Philadelphia, formerly of
Weardale, the land of his birth, whose
recent production in word painting
has just reached the writer in the
shape of a lovely and nicely got up
booklet on wildwood Ways This
booklet tells you all about that new
and most popular health resort of
ldwood-by-the-Sea Situated with
in a nice run by the West Jersey and
Seashore Railway from Philadelphia.
Our popular big game hunter and
author, who has bageed his bull moose
in his many hunting exploits, spotted
Wildwood when he was sick, and
having benefited by his s%ojourn says,
Il have searched for health all along
the Atlantic coast, or the Pacific coast,
in the Western mountains, in the pine
forests of Maine, and in foreign coun-
tries where | was a stranger to the
language, and never before realised
such a change for the better as | have
q v nnrinnan1 of wood ~ M No.,
tindale then, being so much in love
with this pleasure and health resort,
gives us a series of bright sketches of
the days of long ago, when the country
was Nature-wild, when Capt. Kidd
and his fellow-pirates settled there,
and of the bright and beautiful pres
ent, when, in summer days, its eX-
banding beach is thronged with hun
dreds of merry bathers.
The first sketch gives us a glimpse
of the still existing wild part of Wild
wood, as seen by the author and a
friend who also went "floWerizingn
in the woods, and where they found
in Natures garden the blue and the
blackberry, the Virginia creepers,
trumpet flower vines, cedars, wild
cactus, pretty pinks, and wild coral
honeysuckle, with its brilliant scarlet
berries, the pfettiest of pretty things
found in the Wildwood Jungle, and a
host of other blooms and blossoms and
creeping things in the way of plant
and floral life.
In another sketch the writer deals
with that wonderful fiye-mile beach of
Wildwood, of the barrier of trees and
creeping vegetation, and of the birds,
the solitary Woodcock, the snoW-White
egret, the Baltimore oriole, and the
scarlet tanajar, king bird, kingfisher,
osprey, heron, bittern, curlew, the
Willet, the calico-bark, and wild ducks
full spot is that a score of years ago the
New Jersey coast of five-mile beach
was an almost impossible jungle, to
where, however, many years ago a
herd of cattle was transported and
became a great danger to travellers. 1t
became necessary for travellers to keep
"A sharp lookout for these cattle, and
especially for the great black bull,
which one upon a time prevented two
farmers from carrying off a calf. AT
last the herd was eXterminated.
AN OLD TRADITION
'"Treasure Irove from Pirate Ships
casts an interesting glamour over the
early history of Wildwood. Tradition
has it that the farmers, in the early
part of last century saw one day a low
rakish schooner coming up Grassy
Sound, followed by a small brig.
whose sails had been punctured with
cannon balls, and its gearing badly
smashed. The farmers found the first
to be a pirate and the second a prize
When the shades of night had fallen
lanterns were visible, and the spoils
and plumber of the prize ship found 6
hiding place in the island. The farmers
soon spread the news of the hidden
treasure. When the two vessels de
parted the old settlers, very naturally
attempted to locate the hiding place o
the spoils, but were met, in this at
tempt, by the contents of shotgun; so
not being armed, the searchers retreat
ed. Next day, however the farmers
with guns and dogs, drove away thu
watchers, who disappeared and wer'