The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-09-15
CLOSE OF CAMP ENDEAvoR
a PLEASANT OUTING FOR Mn HIN.
DRIED POOR BOYS.

They Behaved Well and Enjoyed
Themselves 4 N'frtSOrtnMs Charity |
rRni WIS We'll Bcrlnw FareM eli /!
so tho Boys and Their Goat.
The camp OF Fresh Air Boys, or, us it is better |
known. Camp EnGraror," came 10 close on
Saturday, after having been in existence Is
days.
The movement was an outgrowth of the idea
which found its birth nine years ago that it |
would he good thing to allow Il breath of |
fresh air to the poor children, who, coope: up
IN the narrow tenement houses of city, had
never bcheld nature in her beauty. And it is
worth while 10 mention at this point, that the
first children sent out hy the aid of the Fresh
Air Fund came not only 20 Hartford county but
to near Bel Air 1t was under the control OF II
committee of nifty men. selected principally
from the Christian Endeavor Societies OF tie
city. The movement wa purely undenomi ina
tional, and Mr.. Harry Nelson Hanna, of Pel
Air, was the controlling spirit. The intention
was to give ten days. vacation to 600 boys In
reality there were 5S7 who were entertained ut
the camp.
Camp Endeavor," which, as far as the season
of 1899 is concerned, is at an end was located
about two miles south of Bel Air, on the bank
OF Winters Run, upon the property of Mr.. John
H. Reckord. A better site could hardly ha We
been selected. With splendid drainage ii free
access to every wind that blows" grassy and
Well-shaded, it was an ideal place for camp.
There were fifteen living tents, each 10 by IL
feet, with walls and wooden floors, being the
same which were usad by the Massachus, it's
volunteers during the war with Spain. In adj
dition to these was an assembly tent, 60 by 80
1eet- storage tent and II tent for HEADQUARTERS.
MI james ii. Currcy, of Baltimore, had charge
as Commandant, with Messrs. BENJAMIN and
Watts as his aids. The Brothers Case, who
arrived later, were of much use i'll aiding in the
government of the boys
The boys. who were from various parts of
Baltimore city, We're mainly selected on ac-
count OF the inability of their parents to afford
them an outing, and the unrequcsted testi-
monial which they gave of their life at the
| camp is fully explained in the fact of 5S7 only
IL attempted to run away, and only one really
succeeded.
Various means of enjoyment were provided
the chief one being that ideal of the American
boys heart-baseball. Swimming, bathing,
wading. rowing and sailing On Lake Fanny, an
extensive sheet of water near the CAMP and
long walks over the fields and through the
woods were frequent. Kite flying balloons
and almost anything which experience cDns;d-
cred essential to Il boys enjoyment was pro-
duced at the proper time. at eventide the
ladies OF Bel Air Joined with those in the vicini-
ty OF Camp Endeavor in reading. reciting and
telling the boys those weird stories which SO
often form the wool upon which the cross
threads oil lie are woven. A sense, and in
reality only sense, of military government
f1s,If 81 ls.ls.
NJ. and retired at P. NJ unless something I'M
foreseen happened. When church festival or
lawn fete occurred, it did not seem just right
to close it without the Endeavor Boys, and when
the Circus came to town, why, talk wouldn't
do any good, and so purse was made up in
Bel Air, and, weil-the boys saw the circus.
camp Endeavor was an experiment. Was it
success? That query does not have to wait
for futurity to answer it. Its reputation while
in progress, was widespread, and it was visited
by philanthropists who were drawn from a
distance 10 watch its progress, and views of the
camp in its different phases were taken, by re-
quest of the United States Government, and
will be placed in the Social Department of the
U. s. Government exhibition at the Paris Ex-
position of 1900. as an evidence OF what may
be done with Our Boys"
Religious services were held regularly at the
camp, Rev. BE ssrs. X. A, Castleman rector of
Emmanuel p. L. Church, Bel Air. and Rev.
herby S. Miller, pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian
Church, taking an active part. An organ had
been placed at the pleasure of the authorities
ut an early date, by Mr.. w. G Jeffrey, and was
much appreciated. The neighbors, to whom
the management wish to tXpres! their gratitude
for their noble assistance, not only IN things i'm
material, hut in ihcgs substantial, are so well
satisfied with the conduct of the boys, while
under such wholesome restraint" that they
are willing, if such phrase be pardonable for
an encore camp. The boys all seemed to enjoy
it, and even if the goat did get mad and lose
horn in a wild endeavor to butt tree down, he
left Hartford wiser and fatter goat.
1t would be impossible TO more than briefly
describe the features Of the camp. OF nearly
600 boys there were many notable ones
Gathered from the newsbOys and gamins of
Baltimore, it was so managed that the CLARITY |
of the undertaking was the least manifest. anI |
those who would be noticed anywhere easily
forged to the front. "Toothless," mick My |
ers, ""Lawrence Myers" "Schnitzer the Jew" |
Germany" and a boy whose skill in the use of |
the pencil will make a future for him, will be 1
remembered.
The management beg, through this medium |
TO express their heartfelt thanks to the citizens
generally, and to the neIghbors particularly, |
for their very valuable assistance both in the |
sustenance and government of the camp. To /
Messrs. Hmoss, Forwood, Van Bibber, Earhart, |
II. Charles Lee and others, the ladies of whose |
households went to great pains 10 amuse and |
entertain the youngsters, they feel unusually |
obligated.
Mr.. john W. Anderson, of Bel Air, rendered |
valuable services as COmmissary, and will be |
well retneu bercd by the boys for his genial |
manners and faithful attendance.
The threatened disasters aad damage to crops
and farms, which were so freely predicted, fell |
riiioulousiy short OF the predictions, and few |
dollars will readily foot the bill. The manage |
ment suggest, in conclusion, that if any of our |
landed proprietors are burdened with too much |
land, that a farm can readily be used as a |
Vacation Farm" for girls, next year, and |
would be highly appreciated. ANY message or |
communication addressed to Mr.. K. Stanley |
Carswell. Secretary of the Baltimore Fresh |
Air Society, will meet with prompt attention.
The camp was sustained by voluntary con-
tributlons. Its total cost was about 81 300, of |
which 81, 1CO was contributed by the different |
Chris ian Endeavor Societies. The food sup
plies as general thing were supplied by the |
Hartford farmers, and the mattresses, blankets,
&C., a'e the property of the camp and have
been reserved for future use. The camp was
provided fully with telephone communication
and fully lighted by electricity, and all COM
munication with Bel Air was by means of horse
and wagon, and that reminds us that the only
material damage done by the boys, was when, |
on one occasion, they turned out all of the |
wafer from Lake Fanny and left tho neOnIe Of