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THE GAY NINETIES
ENTERTAt'Ml ENT DURING THE GAY NINETIES OFTEN OONSISTED SIMPLY OF FWIILY GATHERINGS IN THE EVENING TO LOOK AT THE STEREOSCOPE, READ, PtAY THE PIANO, AND SING. OCCASIONALLY THERE WERE BENEFIT CONCERTS OR DRAM AT It C SKETCHES FOR CH A R IT ABL E PURPOSES, AND MASQUERADE DANCES CALLED "DANCE SOIREES" WERE POPULAR. MANY FAMILIES OWNED YACHTS AND LAUNCHES AND ENTERTAINED THE HR FRIENDS WITH DELIGHTFUL MOONLIGHT SAILING PARTIES. CARD PLAYING, ESPECIALLY FOR CHURCH BENEFITS, WAS IN VOGUE, THE FAVORITE GAMES BEING HEARTS, EUCHRE, AND 500, THOUGH THE MOST FASfONABLE SET WERE BEG INK ING TO LEARN AUCTION BRIDGE. CARD PARTIES WERE OFTEN GIVEN AND WERE ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL AFFAIRS, WHERE NO G'NE PLAYED FOR MONEY, BUT LOVELY PRIZES (USUALLY CUT GLASS OR GIBSON GIRL PICTURES) WERE PRESENT Eli. OTHER AMUSEMENTS OF THE PERIOD WERE MOONLIGHT H AYR IDES OUT TO BROWN’S VINEYARD (ALWAYS WELL-CHAPERONED; AND ALL-DAY PICNICS AT BREATH'S FARM ON JOtfRDAN RIVER. BICYCLE RIDING, ESPECIALLY TANDEMS* WAS EXTREMELY POPULAR, AND A SHOP RENTING BICYCLES FOR 25 CENTS AN HOUR DID A THRIVING BUSINESS. PARTIES AND DANCES AT THE CLIFTON HOTEL PAVILION WERE SUMMERTIME ATTRACTllONS FOR V1ISJT0RS FROM NEW ORLEANS. HARDLY A HOME ALONG THE BEACH WAS WITHOUT A •SUMMER HOUSE* OR PAVILION NEAR THE WATER’S EDGE, WHERE FAMILY AND FRIENDS WOULD SIT AND CHAT ENJOYING THE SHADE AND COOL BREEZES DURING THE LONG, HOT SUMMER AFTERNOONS. AT Nl'GHT PEOPLE BY THEHUNDREDS WOULD WADE UP AND DOWN IN THE SHALLOW WAT ER NEAR THE BEACH, LOOKING FOR SOFT-SHELL CRABS AND SPEAR! NG FLOUNDERS BY THE LIGHT OF KEROSENE TORCHES.
OYSTERS WERE PLENTIFUL IN THOSE DAYS, SELLING AT 20 CENTS PER TOO. SUNDAY EXCURSIONISTS FROM NEW ORLEANS WOULD USUALLY RETURN WITH SEVERAL JARS FULL.
THE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER, THE SEA COAST ECHO, WAS BEGUN IN 189^,