Fishing for a Story on Coney Island - 1850

I'm not certain the Brooklyn Eagle staffer even visited Coney Island here; he or she spends the article making puns and deriding the Advertiser.

How did Coney Island get its name, again?

City News & Gossip

Our trip to Coney Island.

Through the kindness of a friend, we were treated, yesterday afternoon, to a delightful ride to Coney Island, the same being our first advent from the bricks and mortar of Brooklyn to any of the adjacent localities of Long Island. We were delighted with the excursion, and took mental notes by the way, from which we shall probably, at no distant day, concoct a sentimental description immeasurably surpassing any of the Advertiser's vivid descriptions of "Journeys to Fort Greene."

Coney Island is so named from the immense quantities of " Old Cogniac" consumed within its borders during the summer months. Its chief productions appear to be clams and bricks--the latter article being generally carried in the hats of the visitors. It is bounded on one side by a toll gate, and on the other by the " Oceanic House." The inhabitants are generally of a sandy complexion, particularly during the prevalence of high winds. The visiters (sic) appear to get along swimmingly, a surf-it of salt water being always at command. The sea, during the bathing seas-on, keeps herself very tide-y, though occasionally indulging in a little "heavy wet. The outlines of Sandy hook loom up in the blue distance, apparently rejoicing in the embrace of that paragon of States, gigantic little "Jarsey," and waving her green palms in a joyous welcome to the "Homeward bound."

But we are waxing sentimental, a luxury of feeling not to be indulged during our sanguinary warfare with the allied army of the Brooklyn Star. Tears are unseemly in the eye of the mailed warrior, and hastily dashing the truant drop from our war embrowned visage, we shout, "Ho ! Eagle to the resuce ! and poise our lance once more for a tilt at the coonskin shield of our wrathful adversary.

--Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Friday, June 28, 1850

I couldn't find much reason for the enmity between the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and the Brooklyn Advertiser. The Eagle appeared to be a Democrat newspaper (Walt Whitman, Democrat, was editor a couple years prior) while a few sites say the Advertiser was a Whig publication? It appears neither the Whigs nor the Brooklyn Advertiser really exist in America anymore...