The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-20
4 FRESH AIR SOCIETY.
The Tramp-Tramp Club
and It's Interesting His
tory-Where the Boys
and Girls Go.
PASTOR LlTTLE'S SCHEME.
Now They Are a Hundred Strong
Notes From the Field of
Church. Workers.

Church. Workers.
Several months ago. before the Sunday
schools were fairly in working order after
the long vacation in 1892, the history OF
the TRAMP, Tramp Club" was told in
The JERSEY CITY NEWS. Then there was
very little history to tell, mainly that the
pastor of the Lafayette NJ. Z. Church, the
Rev. Charles E. Little. made up his mind
that the boys of his Sunday school needed
excursions-pedestrian sexcursions-Into
the country, at a cost small enough TO
tax no one; that he called together a
number of the younger boys of the school
aud some of the older Cnes. and broached
the subject to them, that an organic alton
was at once effected, and the club. with
its highly expressive name. came into be-
ing then and there. Since then the num-
bers of the club have so wonderfully In
creased tha nearly ten Times as many as
in those days enjoy the semi-monthly
outings of the society.
The plan was TO take ferry or cars to
some place where the party could start
for y walK through the country, the ques-
GlOu OIL cOSt Ol FduSpOESdtiOu OSAua SoiC-
fully considered in advance. Staten
Island, where Mr.. Little mas lived and
preached, was a favorite locality. several
excursions having gone over its fields In
search of flowers, or Its woods In search
of nuts. Through the Kindness of officials
connected with the ferry. the club has
secured specialrates of transportation.
Eow THEY STARTED.
1t was a custom TO choose q leader on
starting. from among the boys. THIS Of
fetal was to superintend the days jour-
neying, and to MIN all the rest were ex-
pected to defer. The Rev. Mr.. Little
was always the vital spirit of the excur-
sion. pointing out objects OF interest
along the wav. showing the little fellows
short cuts and telling funny stories that
frightened everything. As mas been said.
the enterprise was started for the boys;
in fact. the o~riginators did not have
much OF an idea that the girls would care
for long pedestrian tours. out ii soon be-
came evident that this was exactly what
they did care for. and thas they didn't
propose to stay at home aud let the boys
nave all The good times. So the limits of
membership were changed to admit
girls. Then the older members OF the
families heard so much about the excur-
sions that were going on. Iaat the glow
lug accounts made many OF them anxious
to go aloggt too. Some OF them did, and
CfClI "A CRtkl OtAA 4SSSt AZ ~
only to go again, bat 10 tell somebody
else about IT. so It comes abon5 that
when the next excursion takes place,
next Saturday, there will be about
hundred in the party.
One may form au idea OF the Interest
thai the young people take in the excur-
siou by hearing the story of last weeks
what sort Of a day it was just one week
ago. When Rev. Mr.. Little arose that
Saturday morning. and psered out of his
window trough a dense mist upon tue.
street swimming in mud. he said TO him
self mo Staten Island today" Hs,was
scarcely thrcngh his breakfast before he
began to change his mind. The door
bell quivered beneath the energetic pulls
OF some ten consecutive squads of small
boys. Then the girls came, and huaily
the ladies, wearing mackintoshes and
their s~econd-best hats, and perfectly
sure that it was going TO clear ap before
room. So Rev. MIR. Little ordered the
church bell rung. aud on this p~rearraaged
kigaal the rest OF ne party came together,
until just as the threatening clouds began
to send dowa the first drops OF rain, fifty
five men. women aud children set out Tor
the Staten Island ferry.
FUN IN THE RAIN.
They took the electric cars as tar as
Prohibition Park, arriving there just
6OOub Iuu 1cOn LlnSs II ibtOS
opened the auditoriu II for them, SO they
could have a good place 10 eat the
luncheons that they had brought from
houe. Then they set out Will no liked
point in view, simply to see what Was TO
De seen, and wander wherever they saw
fit to go. Toward night the mist, Which
had shown great consideration IN keeping
aloof, began 10 shut In. and, just as They
had reached home. the rain set in again.
The club will have a grand time a week
from today, May "a, when it proposes to
visit Eagle Rock. By the side of LEVEL
Iyn Park are avenues OF rhododendfons.
planted many years ago, some OF them
twenty feet in height. At this season OF
the year they are masses of delicate
bloom. and the sight of long pathways
lined on either side with the great beauti-
full trees is we'll worth going miles to see.
be club will pass along by these, aud
admire the beauties Of nature TO its hearts
content. There are as many going TO see
the rDodo dendrons in bloom as there are
Co visit Eagle Rock, which, apart from It's
gre : historic and legendary Interest,
affords a fine view of the country tor miles
aroand, from its lofty summit.
NO SUMMER CLOSING
In answer to the query whether the
club, ike so many church societles. would
disband for the Summer, the Rev. Mr..
Lii tie said this was far from its fnten-
llOus tudb tue SuIiHutr was Juoo thS III
for such excut Sions. and that many
young people who were unable to get
away for any length or time would be
greatly Benefited by a day III the country.
The pastor hopes TO be able to conduct
his flock to Glen Island aud similar sea-
side resorts, II he can arrange suitable
terms of transportation. These expenses
are always kept down to the lowest possj-
BILE point. n the boys are not encopr-
aged 10 bring much spending money for
similar reasons. 1t Is the Intention of
The originator to havs these trips within
the means of anycnfld or man IN the con-
gregation and at the same time interest
ing enough to satisfy anyone
AN IDEAL COUNTRY CLUB.
, 1t is a club wlGnout q treasury, without
permanent officials, without rules otIer
than the everyday laws oil good be-
bayior, Perhaps hat Is why the mem
beers like it so wsfl-som etimes clubs are
SO carefully organized that the life 10 All
organized out of them. No Que could
say this about the Tramp. Tramp