Year: 1879

FASHION IN THE sURF-LADrEs GOSSIP ON


TOILHTTEs-RoYALTY AT THE cAPE-THR BRIDE


OF wEBK-PERsoNAL, ETC.


Correspondence Of The Euening S,ar.I


CAPE MAY, August s, 1879.


The season OF '79, at Cape May, may be put
down as a decided success. 1t has surprised
the hotel management, the property holders,
and the visitors themselves. 1t was not be-
lieved, by the most sanguine, that the place
could recover from the disastrous fire OF last
autumn before two or three seasons had rolled
around; but thus far the railroad company and
steamboat line have brought more people to
Cape Island than for the corresponding period
OF 1878, when the weather was even more op-
pressive in the cities; and this too, in the face
OF the fact that the fire cut down the hotel ac.
hotels the Congress and Columbia have only
been rebuilt, but neither has the capacity
OF the former buildings, and DO no not occupy
in ' fact quite two blocks to the thew west 1f Of
its old location. Their erection has estab-
lisaed o. one important fact, however,
In the new Congress there Is dry air column
between the brick wall and the studding on
which the plaster is laid, which makes the
inside wall as dry as one OF the old seasoned
ceilings of the time-hOnt FED Congress- Some
mistakes In the building of the new hotel are to
be remedied before next season, the capacity OF
ing as 1t does the finest site from Sandy HOOK 10
the Delaware, it will be the largest hotel on
that line OF the coast. The brick hotels look
unattractive without by contrast with the light
color OF the wooden hotels and cottages, but
the bricks will have new coating by next
season, and thus harmonic with their sur
roundings. 1t has not been decided to rebuild
some OF the smaller hotels which went down in
the flames last November, though the success
OF this season promises an addition to the Stock
ton and the erection OF very large hotel on the
site of the Columbia by this time next year.


Cape May is essentially


PHILADELPHIA WATERING PLACE


More than two-thirds OF Its visitors are from
that city, Baltimore and Washington making
up the remainder. The new seaside resorts
on the Jersey coast have absorbed the visitors
from the west and south who used to come
here. While they do not find the bathing quite
SO good, the attractions at other places are bet-
ter. One season at Cape May is type of all the
other seasons, and of OF the beach and outside
OF the breeze enjoyment is confined in social
way to dull, lazy round Of life, that, perhaps
after all Is the best for real recreation. Break
fast and music on the piazzas from 9 to II a. M;
bathing from II to p. NJ; nap from 2 to o.
M; dinner from to 5 p. m.; more music from
to p. NJ, including a dress parade by the
tending a mile and a half in front OF the toWn)
from 6 to I p. M; tea from to p. m; hop
from to II p. m, or SIT and gaze at the break
ers and the moon. and at II p. no. retire. The
day out till the ''nOrtheaster" In September
closes the hotels and puts desolatfon itself upon
the ocean drive: The gentlemen vary this
papers, which reach here by 10 a. m every day
In the week Some go sailing in the Inlet and
out on the ocean, fishing, Grabbing, etc, but
they are the exceptions.


It is an Old story to repeat that the great at.
traction OF Cape May Is the magnificent beach
Tor bathing. For length and breadth and
smoothness, it is probably without a parallel.
ocean is the exception, while here it is the rule
EVERYBODY goes In the water, from the young
est to the Oldest, from the leanest to the stout
est, and from the hour OF II in the morning to l
pm. the beach presents novel and pictur-
esque scene, with the grotesQue bathers lined
In front OF the incoming bilfows with back
VariegaIed colors Of the ladies' costumes % and and
sun shades, so light, so bright as to seem to- be
almost an ''airy nothingness."


THE CLIMATE


seems to have changed, so that ladies appear
now altogether in summer fabrics, while few
years ago the density Of the salt atmosphere
prevented their wear, except on an unusually
dry and sunny day. This season the finest en-
broidered muslin robe may be worn almost up
to the indashing spray without Injury. But
fashions have changed In the surf as well as on
the shore. Whether this is due to the rage I'm
the styles OF late years OF the many colored
stockings to the aptng OF the costumes and
manners OF the French watering places, or to
mat restless longing OF many Americans to be
3tT on with n t ne Few before they are hardly of
stretch OF fancy to imagine nowadays that the
f1utter OF colors on the sard and the display of
shapely -colOred hose In the surf are not at
Irouvllle, but at staid, old Cape May, owned
and controlled almost wholly by sober Phila-
delphians.


THE INNOVATIONS IN BATHING COSTUMES


1t Is not so easy to make as good an appear
ance In the water as in the bali room, and the
ladies' vie with each other Ia getting up bath
ing costume. Bracelets and bangles are worn
upon the wrists, an Oil silk hat, not cap as
dordmerly, d th PRETTY trimmed, covers the head,
hose, In solid colors, or In stripes or Designs in
tended to give shapelinesS, adorn the feet and
limbs TO the knee. Some bare the arms to the
waves, for it has been decreed that tan is also
fashionable. Three or four years ago this ex-
h1bftfon-fs it not that?-would not have been
tolerated upon the beach any more than upon
but as long as the latest tint OF the hose Is the
last fashion upon the land, nothing Will prevent
Its elaboration In its attempt "to rule the
water" One Of the local dailieS has twice pro
tested against what it calls these "Immodest
displays" but 1t does no good. They are every
where upon the beach, and in the water give
q big breaker an inspiriting sight as the varie-
gated colors appear on its crest In the rays OF
the mid day sun, dripping for an instant down
along the line and then disappearing again
until another billOw lifts 1t higher mig6tier
than before. There has been, am told, very
fine display OF ladies toilettes here this season.
and am sure they have adorned some very
beautiful women. In fact, there has been ex.
travagance in dress to such an extent as to
excite comparison with more recent seasons
covered by the hard times. Old Mr. Kerbstone
retired Philadelphia banker, who has been
coming here more or less for hundred years,
and who thereby "knOWs everything" assures
me that 1t indicates q revival In business. It
certainly indicates q very healthful revival In
the dry goods trade In some quarters. One lady
whose marriage less than year ago occupied
columns OF the New York and PHILADELPHIA
newspapers, appears In from two to three ele-
CANT dresses a day, and, 1t Is said, has never
appeared yet in the same dress twice. This is
an old watering place story, / will admit, but
am writing you true BILL


THE FASHIONS HERE,
the ladies say, run In the line OF beautiful tints
In one color and stripes OF every coiored satin,
while the Little Buttercup" dress, made up In
all kinds Of colors In silk and muslins, Is the |
rage for the morning wear. On the other hand, |
Quakerish tones and styles are favored, and, to
make them more quaint, fine white wash net is |
wound round the neck or arranged In demure-
looking handkerchiefs which are slipped inside |
an olen dress. Some OF the dinner dresses are |
long and elaborately embroidered In flowers of |
every color, while one Baltimore lady has |
bouquet OF flowers, painted by hand. on the |
vest and skirt of the dress One draSs of pronn |