The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-11-08
OCTOBER CAMPING OUT
A Party From Hoboken Had
a Nice Time on the
Upper Passaic.
LOCATION OF THEIR CAMP
John Merry, the Eccentric Fidd.
ler--He Claims to Have Abra-
ham Llncoln's Violin.

out yesterday. say thsre Is no better sea-
son for the sport rs the present. These
young men, Messrs. w. Eckstein. G.
Stevers. w. JasKei. R. Hinchiit aud C.
Mcguire, pitched their tent Oh the Morris
county ban k of the Passaic, River, half
way between Swineisld Bridge and
Cooks Bridge at Hanover.
THE CAMP.
The location chosen was admirable. A
huge inc gnarled apple tree shaded the
tent, while only a few feet away a big
spring of cool aud clear water weiled up
beneath the shade of an old oak. under
whose branches the young men took their
meals upon a rough table. The trunk of
this oak tree is Que OF the pictures que
features of this camp. Upon IL were ali OF
the toilet articles OF the camp, and the
wire-ribbou fence which hugs IL formed
a most convenient towel>rack. A sardine,
box mailed to the trunk made a soap re
ceptacle. and a c~igar-box above 1t cou =
tanned the hair brushes and combs and
the tooth brushes. Above these was q
hinged double mirror, and over the mir
ror a number OF photographs. A whisk
broom was thrust between the fences strip
and the bark, and hatchets aud knjve s
were jabbed INTO the tree here aud there,
S46ta1 - h&
a campaign torch n on the other q
bamboo fishing rod.
To the left OF the table was a cruds
Ere place built up of stone, across which
was laid q heavy sewer grating of one-
inch iron bars. To the left OF this was a
camp fire. over which an iron pot was
suspended from a crowbar, held In place
by Two forked sticks thrust into The
ground. The kitchen utensils depended
10 orderly array from the fence near tue
fire, and q huge pile of driftwood was
neatly piled up between the fence and
the tents. 20
The tenters report they had an excel
lent time. aud look brown and hearty.
Their friends believe there was a hotel
near by and that there the boys spout the
greater part OF their time, or, at least.
slept there.
Their stories OF fishing .nd hu nting are
decidedly picturesque, but as they
brought home no veuison, they are not
believed.
OLD JOHN MERRY.
They have an interesting story to tell
OF an old farmer uamed Jonn Merry and
his fiddle. Merry ia one OF the institu-
tions OF that section of Norris County,
and no festive gathering Is eomplets
without him. he is y famous violin vir-
songs TO the accompaniment Of his violin.
which in itself Is a wonderful aud his
torical Instrument.
1t is delightful TO have Merry around
when threatened VITA q lit OF the blues.
The boys had him around every day, sud
his rendition of "OId Bob Riley, Oh
gave them spasms Of delight He Wis tied
the camp every day and rsfnsed sew eral
engagements because he thought the
boys would be mad IL he left til M Hs
told them stories. sapg ongs to them
and improvised upon his fiddle for their
entertain ent, aud nevsr allied to re-
spond when called upon.
His playing WAS y revelation to visitors.
He played with his eyes shut and with
the fiddle on his knee, aud could play
Ieft>handed just as well as he CO uld
right-hauded. Aud Ihsn his staying
qualities surprised every stranger. He
would keep right on playing for hours,
when verybody around aim Was talking
and the big Mound wa bowling an ac-
| compartment. Nntafa : seemed to dis
turb him except tie lag Y AT his listen
ers occasionally st3la pyIv a endeav-
ored 10 suppress their teiRht by s.nm u g
hankercniefs into their mouths or pun CHI.
ing themselves,
john is a kindly old man, however, aud
| sacrifices himself for che benefit of others.
When not playing or singing. he tells
most amusing stories Of hts life. They
show the simplicity of mis- rugged nature
better than any historian could portray
"Johu d. Merryis my NAME" said the
v~irtuoso. II was bora right nj here
| nigh onto slxty-seven years ago. The u
iu my name stands for Darcy. I was
| named for old Dr.. Darcy.Twho used to
live In Newark. He was q great friend
| of my father. It was DIR. Darcy VIII got
me a ioo IN the navy yard over forty
years ago.
1T was like this: III went up to MI
father and says !, Father, there's nc
money in farmtu', l want TO get a Gov
ernment job whore YOU don't have to xii,
| yourself worktn' and you get your pay in
mouey.' SO father he says ali right; you
20 down to Dr.. Darcy aud tell him whal
you want. So | went to DR.. Darcy and
he jest took me to a lawyer FREUD OF MS
ana he writ his name TO a piece OF paper
and told me to take it to The Brooklyn
| Navy Yard. and / did. One of Them
bookkeeping felters jest looked nc the
paper ana give me the job.
''TnaL's wnen [ learned to play the
fiddle. You see, workiu' for che Govern
ment amt like workta' on u farm; you
have lots of time, aud SO when 1 dtdn't
nave much to do l learned to play the
fiddle.
ION. / had lots. of fun them days.
useter go over to New York nearly every
week aud ssee Mr.. Batnum's museum
Mr.. Barnum and me was great friends
aud Jest time before last lie came to New.
ark ne invited me TO play the fade. ant
I played before more than fourteen tnous
and people"
This seems to have been the grea,
event. whether IL was real Or imaginary
of the old man's life. for he me ltionsi II
with great citation and repeated IL will
increasing emphasis several times.
HOW HE NEAR CAME MARRYING.
John. tell the gentlemsu now yor
came near being married nnce," said
local wag to Johu ons night III the camp.
The old m3n smiied. showing his oae re-
naming tooth, n with simple earnest
ness said:
"Oh, it's about forty years age thi,
happened. We usetef 60 down Co Mr.
1 Slocum's feed store on Washington
ST. Get, in Newark, and trade off cntckeu s
and eggs tor feed. One day Mr.. Slocuu
said:-tJohu, wouldn,l.yo like TO marry
uice grip aud / said l didu't mind
Then ne said:-.What'll you give me fol-
my daughter And / was athinkiua
what kind of an offer to mako, for you
see / never thought about buytn' u wife,
and l didu't exactly know what wouit
BE- q fair offer; so he ups aud says:-tWiI
you give ME seven or eight ROSTERS?
don't exactly remember which &c was
seven or eight, but / says yes, for / wcuit
have made a better offer thar that my
self, but it was his daughter aud hi
offer, and / accepted ii. l went hom,
and | selected seven or eight Of the nicey
roosters, then l slicked up d bit and wen
to Mr.. SIoeum's, and be said he guessed
he wouldn't make u trade. I~thougnt il
was ~tarnatlon mean, but l didn't sa,