Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19

What Vacati<
Continued
Civil War the camping out spirit became more
developed, the local camp meetings, which
were of regular occurrence IN all the Northern
States and throughout a great part OF the
South. grew in popularity and size. Instead
of temporary tents and a few days given up
wholly to religious services, permanent asso-
Citations were formed, which bought tracts of
open land, built board shelters on them, and
kept open for several weeks. After the harvest
ing season was over many families would 60
to these camp meetings for rest and recuPera-
ton. Housekeeping was simplifed, and if the
season had been prosperous many families
would take their meals at the boarding tent
and lay aside all domestic cares. The original
frame shelters had additions built to them
and developed into the cheaper forms OF
summer cottages. The vacation habit &C
quired at the camp meetings easily and nat
urally spread to farther trips and longer and
more distant vacations as the financial pros
perity of rural neighborhoods increased.
Several of the present day most popular
tauqua. Ocean Grove Asbury Park, and Cot
tage City, had their origin in such camp meet
ing grounds.
Centennial from an interior town took the
short trip that separates Philadelphia from
the ocean for the.ma jority of them had never
seen the ocean before. Their first salt water
bath was taken at the ocean point most con-
venient to Philadelphia, which is Atlantic
City; and it is due to this initial impetus and
the advertising it received all over the United
States that Atlantic City owes its develop
ment into the biggest vacation resort of the
United States. 1t is estimated that it is
visited by four million persons every year.
When 1t Became Habit
EVER since the Centennial fixed the vaca-
II ton habit among people of moderate
means, the summer vacation season has been
we'll esta blished, until now it IS almost a uni
versal custom. What has been overlooked is
its economic effect. 1t means the expendi-
ture unproductively of vast sums OF money
which otherwise would be kept in the locall-
ties where the summer vacationists live, where
a great part of it would take the form of per-
manent improvements instead of temporary
pleasure. Idle rich men and women squander
money the year round. Every month is vaca-
ton time for them. 1t is doubtful whether
lodges are any more expensive than their
palaces on Fifth-ave., and the general result
IS the same whether they live in the one or
the other But the effect Of the custom on
the savings of the masses is a different thing.
Summer vacation time and Christmas are
The deposits in the savings banks, the little
slips in the cash drawer, the contents of the
children's safes, the weight of the canvas bag
or the stoutly knit stocking, tell the story Of
the American habit of saving to spend at the
two holiday seasons. This is the big difference
between the European and the American sys-
TENS. The French family saves to provide
dowry for the daughters, and occupation for
the sons, and to add to the household stock of
interest bearing securities. The German saves
for his old age, for early retirement from work,
for the better social position that an income
from an investment gives. The Italian too
saves to secure freedom from toll, to become
landlord. and to live in ease. Thus the old
country habit of saving is to accumulate to
keep. OF all people the Americans class
are the only ones who save to spend.
We Save Spend
IT is an American habit that the times of
idleness are not occasions for economy but
of expenditure. The girl that works for eleven
months of the year in a shop or factory will
save little every week so that on her vaca-
ton season she may blossom forth in new