Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-15
LONG BEACH.
A Ramble and Rambling Reporter S
i. Letter.

LeICeIs
An old conundrum propounds the
query: "Why is boy like piece OF
hannel?" No one has yet found fault
with the answer: because it shrinks
from washing" But. if boys and wash
basins are natural enemies, yet from the
time they are promoted from dresses to
knickerbockers, boys, like young ducks,
| 6nd their principal enjoyment in bodies
of water large enough to wade, swim or
navigate raft or boat in.
The HERALD school reporter, feeling
tired from weeks watching the hard
work of the school teachers, yesterday
sought chance to rest at Long Beach,
which, like the store that don't adver-
tise, he thought would be quiet and de-
serted. At the Arcade depot, however,
he encountered anumber of school boys I;
affectionate little chaps who had be-
come acquainted with the reporter in
his rounds, and who, as soon as they
learned of his proposed visit to the city
of camp meetings and no hotel, promptly
altered their own plan and determined
to go along.
The bour's ride was shortened down
to fifteen minutes by series of anec-
dotes and jokes ON the train boy, who
bore up under them with difficulty,
stimulated by the reckless purchases of
peanuts and popcorn, which, like the
dressing of turkey, is an essential fea-
ture of school boys excursion.
Arrived at the beach, the desire for
lunch struggled heroically with the de-
sire for swim. Finally the boys phil
osophically concluded that the lunch
basket would be lighter to carry if they
had lunch first, so they all took seats in
one of the numerous summer houses
which crown the bluff, and gaily at
tackled the eatables.
With the edge taken off their appe-
tites, the boys set off, with piece of
pie or cooky in either hand, for Ger
ritos inlet. Arrived there, they were
soon divested OF clothing and swimming
and diving in the perfect freedom SO
dear to the hearts of boys out of sight
of houses and persons OF mature age.
The prospective delights of the beach
finally brought the boys out of the
water and into their clothes. Then
down to the broad, brown belt of lloist,
hard sand. left bare by the tide, now at
the lowest ebb, went the boys. A little
time was spent in picking up the pearly
treasures SO grudgingly surrendered by
old ocean; then one little chap pumped
himself down in the sand and began to
tug at shoe-buttons, which yielded all
too slowly to his impatient fingers. The
others followed his example, and in a
few moments a little heap of coats,
shoes and stockings lay on the sand in
the shade of an upturned boat, and six
boys were busily engaged in construct
ing some kind of a structure of drift
wood and rocks just beyond the line
where the last ripples of the spent
breakers sank into the greedy sands.
It is one of the beauties of Long Beach
that children can there be left largely
to themselves, without fear that they
will come to grief. They may return at
night wet and hungry, but they will
not return as subjects for either the
coroner or family physician, and the
parents heart is peaceful and mind
easy when the little ones are at Long
Beach.
Today will be day Of excitement for
Long Beach, for the two steamers loaded
with ties for the Terminal railroad COM
pany are expected to arrive and anchor
outside, and as it has been long time
since vessels have anchored there, the
scene of unloading will be a novel one.
Last years visitors to Long Beach
will remember seeing skeleton OF a
sloop which stood upon stocks decorated
with sign which read:
This is q boat ut is to sail on the sea.
Anything else you'd like to know.
.................. ,...-.....,...,
They will be glad to know that the
boat was duly completed and launched
last winter, and is engaged in capturing
| fish at the present time.
Interest in Long Beach centers among
church people in the series Of conven'