The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1910-08-25
LETTER FROM
OCEAN CITY
CAPT. j. p. DREW OF BARAB0O
TELLS OF TOWN rlADE BY
METHOOlSTS.
STREETS NAMED FOR BISHOPS
There Are BrunetteS, Tow Heads
and SOrrel Tops Where BilIOws
Roll
Ocean City, N. j.,
Aug. Is, 1910.

Aug. 10, 1910
According to promise I will give you
an account of myself since my arrival
here, and to economize space, L will
begin with brief description of the
place and the people where l am rus
ticating. Ocean City is situated on
an island about five miles fron the
mainland, which, 30 years ago, was a
barren upheaval of sand covered by
salt, meadow grass, and some stunted
bushes. 1t is about seven miles long,
and mile and quarter in greatest,
and half a mile in narrOwest breadth.
The city covers about one third of the
island, fronting both ocean and bay.
On che south side of the city is the
Atlantic ocean; on the north is Egg
HarbOT bay, sheet of water about
two miles and half in width and
some eight or ten miles in length. The
bay is formed by an inlet from the
ocean at Atlantic City, and the inflow
of Egg Harbor, TuckorhOe and Middle
rivers, with the water Of a large creek
at Mays Landing. The bay is the
chief fishing ground of the resOrters
and the docks for half mile are lined
with the craft of both sail and gasoline
power, one of the finest of which is the
yacht of my nephew, Millards f. Will
fong, fitted up with cabins, toilet
room, and lockers for everything.
With an Is horse power engine, we
can go where we please, except to the
bottom, when we take spin ON the
briny surge. Day after day the Day is
dotted with the fleets of sail and motor
boats, going and coming according TO
the fluctuations of the tides.
Streets Named for Bishops.
Ocean City, ordinarily, that is, the
year round, contains about 5000 in
habitants: in summer some 10000. Lit
is seven miles south Of Atlantic City,
and so miles from Philadelphia. 1t
was originally founded by the MeJho-
dist societies of Philadelphia and Cam
den, and the principal avenues are
named after the bishops of that de-
nomination, such as Wesley avenue,
Arbury, Haven, Simpson, etc. 1t was
designed for dwelling place of the
better class of that persuasion, but the
desire to grow, not in grace, but In
metes and bounds, to cover the island
with houses, instead of righteousness,
did not call in the followers of Wesley
fast enough, and very soon, people
who were not of the faithful were very
pressingIy invited to come in-scrlp-
turally to come over into the sandy
Macedonia-nOt to convert the Jersey
heather, but to buy lots, build cot
tages and boom the place. And today
there are many here who are not Meth
odists by a good many methods. They
may, some of them, believe in "free
grace" but from what 1 hear, more of
them believe in the possibility and the
feasibility of falling from that condi-
ton. In their dealing in mercantile
way, they aim for the truth, but L
fear some of them are very poor marks
men. But the city, without any
doubt, is one of the best, if not the
best, ordered cities in the state. Moth
ing intoxicating has ever been sold
openly in the place, and, morally, the
citizens of all classes, as to circum-
stances are unsurpassed anywhere.
Pocket Books Most Popular.
On the ocean side of the city is the
great thoroughfare and promenade,
known as the Board Walk, an i'm
mense platform raised upon piles
along the beach, upon which, after 10
O'Clock a. m. until the same p. m.,
may be seen thousands of the resorters.
It extends mile and half
in length and is from
forty to fifty feet in width. 1t is lined
on the city side for about three blocks
with moving picture shows, vaudeville
theatres, post card shops, ice cream
and confectionery stands, shooting
galleries, ten pin alleys, book and sta
tionary stores. A few people buy books,
but the most popular book mere is the
nocket book. On the ocean side OF the
walk are two quite spacious buildings,
known as the Piers, built out into the