New-York tribune., 1906-07-22
WORK At LONG BRANCH.
Improvements H1M Change Aspect
of the Place Soon.

Long Branch n. J.. July q (speciaD-After years
OF waiting. Long Branch has awakened 90 the pos
sibillties before IL. and is spending half million
dollars its front. The two-nile stretch
Of ocean 'front.' from the site OF the old West End
Hotel to Sea View avenue is being improved.
These Improvements include widening the thor
oughfare to sixty feet, twenty-fOOt bluff walk
along the ocean front, and system Of bulkheads
and jetties. which will keep the roadway intact
from the toughest storm In addition 20 improving
the front the city Is erecting $4,000 casino
in its twelve-acFe park formerly the Ocean House
grounds.
1t is particularly interesting TO patrons OF Long
Branch to observe the changes made since the be-
ginning of the ocean front improvements. There
were several front cottages which were
weatherbtaten last summer; to-day they spick
and span. having been remOdelled and improved.
some at a cost OF more than $4,000. One OF the
big ocean front hotels. which all right in its
day, has been levelled within the last six months.
1t Is the West End, for years the property of Colo
mel D. Morgan 1ildreth. Another hotel. the Ocean
House, which gained fame under the management
of the Lelands, has been torn down. and the lum-
Der taken from the hostlery has helped erect many
houses in the country. Two more OF the summer
hotels have got 10 so. They are the Rowland.
one of the Oldest along the beach, which has Just
been sold 20 a syndicate headed by Arthur L
Meyer, ana the Ocean Wave Hotel Both
without tenants. and will never be used 90 shelter
summer guests again. The Mansion House,
a popular hotel at the Branch. is still standing al
have to be torn down.
The changes made in Long Branch's ocean front
within the last few years and the improvements
that under way are the subject OF general con-
VerSatOn among the summer people. IT Is true that
the average observer can see less than quarter
OF a mile OF a completed drive and bluff walk and
lumber and piltng piled up along the shore front.
bat those who have watched the work know that
in another year the big transformation will have
taken place. and q two-nle stretch OF beach, with
the always in view, well protected from the
ravages Of the and with several modern hotels.
will be the outcome.
Plans are now being considered for the TestOFa-
tion OF the Ocean Drive between Sea View avenue
and North Long Branch Between these points the
avenue has gone to sea, although expert engineers
say that with good system of bulkheadS and JET
ties II be reclaimed and the entire drive
stored.
Oliver Byron. the actor, one of the largest prop
erty owners in Long Branch. wants to the ave-
restored. why said he to-day, "the Ocean
Drive is Long BTanch's biggest asset. The missing
link between Sea View and Atlantic avenues should
be supplied. Property owners living in the north
eTly section OF Long Branch should be considered
Again, the cost of restoring the entire drive would
be small when the benefits that would accrue are
taken into consideration
When the drive went 20 sea, eight years
ago. Long Branch was unable to expend money on
private property, The people who erected SubStan-
tal bulSheads saved their ocean front, and those
that did not lost it, The question Of the hour at
Long Branch is the restoration OF the entire drive
and unobStFucted view OceanwaFd.
A new Long Branch will greet the visitor
OF 1907. The city authorities have already planned
a campaisn OF advertising and will up-tO-data
methods in bringing Long Branch to the front