8 August 1993 – Letter from Cape May

“Letter from Cape May”

Carroll County Times article for 8 August 1993

By Joe Getty

During the late 19th century, a few families in Carroll county began to explore the possibilities of travel for a summer vacation. Extended trips to the beach, mountains, other states and foreign countries were novel affairs and frequently the local newspapers would print letters from the traveling family.

In July 1875, letters from a local family visiting Cape May, New Jersey, were published in the Westminster newspaper, The American Sentinel. The letters were signed by “R” and most likely were written by Professor James Rippard, whose family owned the newspaper.

His correspondence described highlights of the trip as well as the daily routine of beachgoers in that era. Many local residents were curious about the new fad of bathing beaches and probably read these descriptions of activities at the beach with great interest.

First, “R” explained inconveniences of 19th century travel, not unlike problems encountered today: “We left Westminster yesterday morning on the seven o’clock train. Arriving at Union depot we were compelled to wait an hour for the through train to Cape May. After purchasing tickets we went to the station baggage master to check our baggage through, but he declined as he was not aware of any such arrangements having been made. Upon appealing to the ticket agent he blandly informed us that he sold tickets and that the baggage was not in his department. When the train arrived the baggage-master informed us that our baggage would be put out at the depot in Philadelphia and we would have to see to the transfer. All this entirely useless trouble to passengers was for the purpose of gouging them out of forty cents, which we would have cheerfully paid if they would have relieved us of the annoyance of making the transfer. I would advise passengers to demand that their baggage be checked through, before buying their tickets, as the Company advertises a through train.”

“R” stayed at the National Hall hotel and his letters dated July 13, 14, 20 and 23 were published during four consecutive weekly editions of the newspaper. He described the physical features of Cape May including Congress Hall, the wooden pier and bath houses “in which Gentlemen and Ladies may at all hours indulge in the luxury of hot and cold salt water baths.” A major activity was shopping at “the really splendid stores with which Washington street, the principal thoroughfare, abounds; and where, if you have money to spare, you can provide yourself with every curiosity or luxury you may desire.”

On one day, a “buff bath” was held on the beach at 4:00 a.m. and thoroughly enjoyed by “R.” The typical beach scene was described as follows: “The principal bath of the day commences at 11 A.M. At this time, from the various hotels and cottages of the island may be seen the inmates and guests hurrying down to the beach. Those from the hotel bordering the beach walk down and those from the houses further inland come down in omnibuses belonging to the respective hotels and kept for the accommodation of the guests. Imagine the beach stretching from the great ‘Stockton’ House north to ‘Congress Hall’ south, covered and crowded with a mass of humanity of all ages, sizes, shapes and conditions; some singly, some in crowds and more in family groups. Some, you see, running in their bathing dresses along the sand, some going very timidly into the water as if afraid of getting wet, others rolling and tumbling in the shallows, others again, who have gone further out to meet the surf, forming family groups hand in hand waiting for the wave as it advances and, when just about to form into a mighty braker, all jump and thus, buoyed upon the top of the wave, escape the merciless ducking they would be sure otherwise to catch. Some luckless wight, with his back to the advancing billow, is laughing as some frolic or mishap just being enacted before him when suddenly he is struck from behind with a resistless force, precipitated on the sand, and for a moment buried out of sight under a mass of foam. It is then some one else’s turn to laugh. Others more daring strikeout beyond the brakers as far as the life boat, which is always stationed near by, and engage in sports and contests in which only the strong limbs of the swimmer can indulge. Thus it goes all along the beach. All Cape May appears gathered there in dishabille and reckless abandon determined, within the bounds of decorum, to enjoy themselves to the full extent and bent of their inclinations.”

Highlights described by “R” included eating salt-water oysters and other ocean fare, gazing at valuable schooners and a steam yacht along the coast, and going on driving excursions to nearby communities. He also devotes portions of each letter to descriptions of the ocean, sunsets vistas and rambles along the beach: