Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-23
THE CHAFF7NG DISH

to pack up and go to Ocean City But he
never went. Almost every evening, cha
grlned by some ones failure to bid properly
for cut glass lady finger container or
porcelain toothbrush rack, he would ask the
attendant to set it aside. I'm buy it my
SELF he would cry, and as he kept on
buying these curious tidbits for himself
throughout the summer, used to wonder
what his wife would say when they all
arrived.
ALONG the quiet Boardwalk we saunter,
"A as the crisp breeze comes off the wide
ocean spaces. Bang bang bang sound the
hammers, as the shutters go up on the
beauty" "parlor, the toy shop, the shop where
sweet grass baskets were woven, and the stall
where the little smiling doll known as Helene
the Endearing Beach Namp. was to be won
by knocking down two tenpins with a swing
ing pendulum. How easy it was to cozen
the public with that A bright red star
was painted at the back of the pendulum's
swing, and the natural assumption of the
simple competitor was that by aiming at
that star he would win the smiling Helene.
OF course, as long as one aimed at the star
success was impossible. The japanese deal
ers, with the pertinacity of their race, are
almost the last to linger. Their innocent
little gaming boards, their fshponds where
one angles for counterfeit fish and draws an
eggcup or china cat, according to the num-
ber inscribed on the catch. their roulette
wheels (''Ten Cents Chance-No Blanks'')
all are still in operation, but one of the
.shrewd orientals is packing up some china
at the back of the shop. He knows that
trade is pretty well done for this season.
We wondered whether he would 20 down to
the beach for a swim before he left He
has stuck so. close to business all summer
that perhaps he does not know the ocean
is there. There is another thrifty merchant,
too, whose strategy comes to our attention.
This is the rolling chair baron, who has
closed his little kiosque, but has taken care
to paint out the prices per hour of his We
hicles, and has not marked any new rates.
Cautious man, he is waiting until next
summer to see what the trend of prices will
be then.
A CROSS the fields toward the inlet where
"A the grasses have turned rusty bronze
and pink, where goldenrod is minting its
butter yellow sprays and riotous magenta
portulaccas seed themselves over the sandy
patches, the rowboats are being dragged out
of the canal and laid up for the winter. The
sunburned sailorman who rents them SAYS
he has had good season-and he cant
complain He comes chugging in with his
tiny motorboat, t6wlng string of tender
feet who have been out tossing on the crab
bing grounds for a couple of hours,
patiently lowering the fshheads tied on a
cord and weighted with rusty bolts. His
patient and energetic wife who runs the
little candy and sarsaparila counter on the
dock has ended her labors. She is glad
to get back to her kitchen during the long,
busy summer days she did her family cook
ing on an oil stove behind the counter.
The captain, as he likes to be called, ia
about to make his annual change from
mariner to roofer, the latter being his winter
trade Its blowing up for rain, - he says,
looking over his shoulder at the eastern sky.
81 guess the seasons pretty near over
I'll get up the rest of them boats next week. -
DUT there are still few oldtimers in
u Fierceforest, cottagers who cling on until
the first of October, and whose fraternal
every time they meet is Sure Best time
of the year !" Through the pink flush of
sunrise you may see the husbands moving
soberly toward the early commuters train,
the SO, which is no longer, crowded. CA
month ago one had to reach it half an hour
earlyfi in order to get seat in the smoker.
Each one transports his satchel, and also
curious bundles, for at this time of year il
Is the custom TO make the husband carry
home each week an instaiment of the family
baggage, To save excess wkeu moving day
eonea. One totes aa oilstovs; Rnothcr.
scales for weighing the baby. Ihss rudre