Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-14

around New York. The tents follow both
branches Of the Shrewsbury. north ana
south. far inland, and the tradespeopie
make a practice Of sending ooys amon =
them to secure the daily e ososrs .r ., NV hv
wagon, foot and "put-put," as the ntlie
naphtha launch is called. The more re.
mote OF the tents are accessible by ooa.
only.
Immediately under the great electric pen
ell that fllumines the sea by night from
the apex Of Navesink Highlands take tneir
meals In the numerous small noteis, poaIu
ing houses and restaurants that cluster
near the mouth of the Shrewsbury. Indeed
some Of the boarding houses ana restaur.
ants depend for support In large par VI.
the campers. Elsewhere In this region as
well as under the palisades. the meals are
cooked in camp stoves ana by the various
other ways known to campers Of more or
less extended experience.
Maids Of All Work.
Most of the campers do their own laun-
dry work. Saturday is the favorite wash
day; then tents are often hidden by gar
ments hung before or spread on them to
dry. Men who would not think OF wash
ing out pair of socks at home are 10
be seen cheerfully bending over wash TUBS
raised on empty boxes. In many OF tne
tents the men are the cooks of the Sun
day dinners. Some are fine cooks, too, the
art having been learned by them long be-
fore they took to city life.
Along the Shrewsbury and under the two
highlands is to be found a nondescript col
lection of households and what may De
called water houses-cabinlike structures
placed on stills driven In shallow water.
Boats and cabins are occupied by families
of financial standing similar TO that of the
tent dwellers. Many of the households are
homemade from bottom to top; others are
made-over canal boats and the huiis or
few old sailing vessels smaii schooner SIZE
also do duty as summer habitations. The
families living in these boats and cabins
are veritable water rats, from the young
est to the Oldest Bathing and fishing are
INDUCED in by all. and some supplement.
these pleasures with that of sailing small
boats, either owned or hired for the sum-
mer.
For the most part the metropolitan camp
ers, wherever found. are content to pass
the summer with the simplest of tent para
phernalia about them. The staple decora-
ton is small stars and stripes. But there
are campers. here and there, who go In Tor
luxurious surroundings. A club Of young
people camping under the palisades have
the latest kinks in folding equipment; sofa
pillows and other flat-house knicknacks are
much in evidence. and a very rare thing,
indeed-the tents are fioored.
Long Island Tent Cities.
The joys-and sorrows-of camping are
experienced. in a way. by the hundreds OF
persons who spend the summer, or a part
of it, in the tent cities on Long Island, in
and beyond the city's boundaries The tents
are let for so much a week, or by the
summer, and can be had either furnished
or unfinished. The price per week runs
from 50 up to s. and ST. according to size.
location and equipment of tent. Meals may
be prepared individually, or be had at
club tent. or secured at some near by board
ing house or hotel. While some Of the in
conveniences attendant on camping. pure
and simple, are not experienced in tent
city there are certain necessary restrictions
to be observed, and these make impossible
the free open life that is led by the camp
ers under the palisades, along the Shrews-
burys. back of Coney Island and in the
woods skrting the north shore of Long
Island.
Each year sees the tent cities more nu-
merous and larger. Quite number of men
make comfortable incomes out of running
them 1t is very small tent city that
does not turn in an income of $50 a. week
net and once it is well started it gives little
trouble to the owner. Several men have
grown independent in a few years by rum
ming tent cities.