The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-16
FUN AND WORK AT BOYS CAMP
GOOD RESULTS SECURED BY TUr
EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE.
Marlborough Contests at Baseball. F,.,,
Games and Odd Stunts--And the Ivo,s
Walt on Table. wash the Dishes ma
Clean l'p Grounds BOD Boys Take Pos,

Barely fifty-fve miles from New yorL
city, at Surprise Lake, is the summer camn
for boys of the Educational Alliance Tho
site comprises two hundred acres of ground
mostly wooded and the nine tents in which
the campers live are on hill overlooking
the sheet Of water, which is half mile Ion,
and about quarter of mile wide.
The lake is like those of the Adirondacks
region. as the Fishkill mountains sIone
down precipitously to its very shore Ontbe
northwest there are dense woods abound.
ing in foxes, rabbits, gray squirrels and
grouse,
On the other side of the lake. where tha
tents are, are also found cottage, a ping
pong and bathing house. an open pavilion a
kitchen, barn and a chicken house There
are also an excellent tennis court and a pass
ably good baseball diamond, which has
already been the scene Of many hard
fought and exciting contests. In addition
there is a commodious clubhouse on the
lake and a number Of springs furnish cool
and pure water for drinking and washing
purposes.
After three years Of experiment il was
decided this year to open the camp to young
boys only. These have shown the keenest
appreciation Of the things that the camp
offers and have built up fine spirit OF con-
tentment and cooperation which Is en-
tirely wanting In the senior boys club on
the East Side. At the camp modicum OF
work Is expected from each boy and In the
case OF the junior campers this Is readily
given.
For instance, the boys are divided into
relays to walt on the table, to wash the
dishes, to clean up the camp grounds to
bring water, to take charge OF the camp
lanterns and the like. A later innovation
will be a squad to look after the vegetable
garden and the potato and cornfields. which
have been planted and up to the present
time taken care Of by farmer.
The boy who puts in an hour OF good
manual labor will enjoy tho succeeding
hours all the more and il the Alliance camp
can only teach the value and efficacy Of
work, and that wholly within the bounds
of reason, it will have served q decidedly
useful purpose.
All the food is OF the simplest kind and
wholesome The breakfast menu, for In
stance, is as follows: A cereal Of soma
kind, boiled eggs, bread. butter and coffee,
with occasional vegetables OF the radish
type and berries and fruit, which the boys
gather themselves. Meat is provided once
q day, with soup and potatoes and some
kind of nutritious pudding or dessert.
When the garden furnishes its products
fresh vegetables are dished out with
sparing hand. Strangely enough, many
OF these are allowed to go to waste, as the
bows seem to abhor those vegetables which
they are not accustomed to. Lettuce 10
called grass and thrown aside; boiled
string beans are styled food for cattle,
and caulifower, rhubarb and turnips are
left in stacks on the plates after meals.
The camp endeavors to teach the value
of the simple and vegetable diet that makes
the big and muscular man, instead OF the
peculiar dishes that merely crafty tho
stomach by their richness or variety and
leave little muscle or fibre behind. Here
also the institution has to combat Gust on
and the tradition Of years Of foreig,l
There Ia often objection to. tho bill Of
fare and to the quantity served at dinerens
times, but the doctrine OF moderate, AL
though sufficient. eating is gradually be-
coming triumphant.
Three BOYS in particular this year have
been amazed to And out that they have
gained from six to nine pounds in two
weeks, when they assert unequivocally
that they never ate SO little In quantity IN
their lives before.
A typical day at the camp may be pic.
tured somewhat az follows: The hour OF
rising is between $3.50 and 2 In the morning.
The boys wash in ice-cold water from
natural spring coming from mass OK
rocks. Breakfast comes at 7.s0 While
the waite rs are cleaning up the long table
the other boys are sweeping out their tants
and putting out their bedclothes to air.
One party then strolls OF to gather ber-
ries; another interested IN natural history
sharing butterflies, beetles and bugs in
nets; other boys are rowing or catching
frogs and turtles; fourth battalion is fish
ing for perch, bass or catfish from the
clubhouse; still others play ping-pong or
tennis and the remaining few read or write
letters until about 10 o'clock, when there -
a gathering at the baseball field for the
daily game between clubs or sides. Just
before the dinner hour the whole camp
goes rto the lake for the morning bath.
There is a raft for diving, and ropes are
stretched for the benefit Of the smaller boys
who cannot swim.
After the midday meal II the sun Is MOI
too hot the boys take long walks or climb
the hills for views. The Hudson River,
two and half miles away, is sought OUT
by many tramping parties. who go 70 tho
foot Of the well-known Storm hlng Noun,
tain and gaze with wonder up its rugged
TANKS.
After another baseball game and perhaps
a second bath, depending upon the tempera-
ture and conditions, track and field games
are generally in order until time for supper.
These games consist of high and broad
jumping, running and standing, the hop,
step and jump, competitions in starting,
short distance running, putting the stone
and odd stunts of all kinds.
The evening hours furnish amusement OF
various kinds When the weather is fair
a large campfire is built In front of the ping
pong room on the shore OF the lake and IN
impromptu programme of singing, story
telling and recitation is gone through
Some boys indulge In mimicry, while
others who have brought musical instru-
merits with them entertain the crowd,
which ia stretched out on the grass, win
selections or accompaniment. Moonlight
rowing on the lake and walks over ne
country roads beneath full moon are en-
joyed. The party can be heard singing
for miles in the still air. The glees ara
the whole-souled variety, and the camp Las
anumber of songs Of its OWL, handed down
from year to year, and cry or yell difierent
even from the ear-splitting salute of the
colleges.
At 10 o'clock the order to put ight7 ont
is passed around the tents, but at tnles
il is considerably later before the last round
Ia heard. And even then who knows bNo
that at the dead hour of the night som"
exuberant youth is prowling about in 'el,c
other than his own with blaCkrn'd cH's