The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-12-03
TRAMP, TRAMP, BOYS
Titles Bright Idea
for %Augmenting His
Sunday School.
TRIPS TO FIELD AND FORT.
Cut-Rates and Pedestrianism-How
the Boys Study Natural His
tory and Grow Strong.

Perhaps the lone traveller on the Court
House car has Doticed a crowd of boys OF
assorted ages and sizes surrounding the
door of the parsonage of the Lafayette
M. E. Church. on Pacific avenue, and
perhaps he has wondered who these
might be. 1t is the meet" of what Is
called the Tramp, Tramp Club" for
short. When the members have more than
enough time and dignity. they give it Its
full title of Lafayette Methodist Episco-
pal Sunday School Tramp Tramp Club"
When the initials of this multifarious
name are strung out in q line. and closed
with "Tigar-r-r!" it makes a highly i'm
p~ressive yell.
The club was i~naugurated by the Rev.
G. E, Little, pastor of the church. who
believes in boys and knows just how to
keep on good terms with them. His Sum
day school is his joy and pride, and when
he found, some months ago, that there
were three girls to every boy. he cast
about for a way to bring in the missing
members.
THE SCHEME BEGUN.
1t was no use to offer books or presents
the boys had those at home; nor yet
CdtlOg lOT LuSy Cdu ulspOSo VI tHoo III
short order. and candy out of sight meant
Sunday School out of mind. Then it
occurred to Rev. Mr.. Little that boys like
tramps into the country, that climbing
trees is second only to going fishing, in
the youthful masculine mind, and that
from these joys the greater number OF
mis- boys were debhrred. So he made ar
rangements to take them off on a tramp,
every other Saturday, to places OF interest
in the vicinity.
The first was to Staten Island, chestnut
ting. There were thirteen boys who as
semoled at the parsonage that morning
and chose Isaac Wood rs their CAPTAIN.
This official has despotic power. He ar
range the boys in pairs according to size.
be directs what to do and how to do 1t,
and from his decision there is no appeal.
The route was over the Bergen Point
ferry to Port Richmond, aud the General
Superintendent impressed with the ap-
pearance of the company, gave them re-
duced rates. So the boys med up in
front of his office, pronounced his name
and saluted him with their veil. The
official seemed highly pleased. and showed
it by subsequently forwarding to Pastor
Little passes good one way across the
ferry.
The route on Staten Island was about
foul miles in a straight line. but under
the Zig-Zag system in vogue in boys's X
cursions. it heightened out to nearly ten.
The number of chestnuts obtained was
nothing wonderful, but the boys had an
opportunity of finding that these vege-
tables grew on trees, instead OF being
Indigenous to fruit stands L Italian
roasting machines.
THEY E THE ELEPHANT.
The next week they went to Central
Park under the lead of Captain Dwyer.
The boys went uptown on q Fifth avenu
stage, charming the driver into telling
them all the points of interest on the
way. Then they wandered all over the
great playground, visiting the arsenal.
menagerie, mail. museums and finally
being removed with difficulty from a bo9t
race on the lake in time to catch the train
home.
Fort Wadsworth was the next objective
point, with Captain Stiles leading By
special arrangement with the General
Superintendent the boys went for nalf
fare. Here they ate their lunch on a
knoll beautifully adapted for rolling down
hill, and by courtesy of the commandant
were shown over the Notifications by an
orderly who told them all about field
guns and heavy ordinance, and the rest
of the warlike equipments in which their
souls delight. There were several dis
mounted 15-inch Columbia lying around
and every boy thought it his duty &c
wriggle through them, so that, as Pastor
| Little remarks, "Ihe authorities can say
that those guns lave been loaded anc
discharged with Sunday School boys"
HOW NOT 10 DO 1T.
The boys were TO nave visited Black
wells Island today by special permit. but
rain prevented. Next Saturday they will