354 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



useless. Yet at Absecom we found old orchards of great apple 

 trees, and plenty of evidence to prove that the land is productive. 

 We saw but little clover or grass, for the reason that here is an 

 immense salt marsh, over which the railroad passes to the sand}' 

 island upon which, since 1854, this straggling village, mainly com- 

 posed of hotels and summer boarding-houses, has been built, 

 around the tall lighthouse at Absecom inlet. 



At one of these great hotels, " the Chester County House," your 

 committee dined, in company with a large addition to their number 

 from the towns along the route and visitors to the beach, as guests 

 of G. W. Custis, superintendent of the Camden and Atlantic road. 



By direction of the committee, Solon Robinson offered the fol- 

 lowing resolution, before the company separated at the table : 



Resolved, ^y this committee, that in consequence of the extreme 

 courtesy with which they have been treated — such as has seldom 

 been awarded to any similar body — we are unwilling to separate 

 without publicly tendering our most sincere thanks for all these 

 kind and pleasant hospitalities, to President Potter and Superin- 

 tendent Clayton of the Raritan and Delaware Bay road ; to Presi- 

 dent Frasier and Superintendent Custis of the Camden and Atlantic 

 road, for their personal attention and kindness, to the gentlemen 

 at Manchester, to whom we were so much indebted ; to the ladies 

 and gentlemen at Hammonton, who opened their hearts and houses 

 to furnish the comforts of their pleasant homes to weary travelers ; 

 to the ladies and gentlemen at Ellwood, for an impromptu enter- 

 tainment, got up with telegraphic dispatch ; also, to our German 

 friends at ^^^^ Harbor city — and, in short, to all persons and places 

 we have visited, for an earnest manifestation of good will and at- 

 tention to us as strangers, visiting a new country, where we foujid 

 unexpected friends. 



In explanation, Mr. Robinson said that, unexpectedly to the 

 committee, they had been afforded remarkable facilities for this 

 visit. Col. Potter had put an extra train upon his road, which 

 enabled the committee to enjoy a '•lunch "at the " Manchester 

 Club House," which, if not called a lunch, would pass for a first- 

 class hotel dinner ; and also to visit the cranberry gardens and 

 other fruit productions at Manchester, and stop at other stations 

 along the road, the prcisident and superintendent accompanying 

 us all the way to Manchester. Then we were furnished with a 

 special train upon the Camden and Atlantic road, by which we 

 were enabled to make the pleasant calls along the road, and enjoy 



