The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-09


 cut way give you the general impress sion made by the camp.
 Tt was all to the good"
 But Hawkeye says that is good as far as it goes, but does not go far enough.
 Well, a fellow who has never been to camp before and doesn't know the ropes is called tenderfoot. The fel- low who has been through one camp or more is called a vet" If you are will ing to learn and keep your eyes and ears open you don't stay long in the tenderfoot class.
 You can generally tell veteran by the general appearance of his tent and personal belongings. Everything is in ship shape" and when the storm blows up-I mean when Hawkeye, our gem eral, comes around on an inspection tour, looking for black marks, the vet" is as cool as a cucumber and usually the tenderfoot is fussing and stewing about in a big hurry to cover up his bum housekeeping.
 Once in while you find veteran only so-called but in truth a tender foot who hasn't benefited by former camps
 One way I can now size up camp guy is to ask him for his knife; if he says he hasn't one, or coughs up measly little thing which once on a time belonged to a girl, you know, why take 1t from me, he is still In the ten derfoot class. Who ever heard of real veteran going to camp without a big, sharp toad tabber? My mother had to enlarge one of my brooches pockets on purpose for mine. Why, you never go on a hike but what yof want to cut a "she- -layly." Any old time you're liable to want to take a fling at rabbit or who can tell when 8 big old snake needs a Diff on the head? They say fools names appear in public places. Well I'm foolish then, because when- ever I hike I like to leave my card for good, and so again my good old toad stabber Is turned to cutting yours truly's initials.
 Now, don't forget always carry a big toad-stabber. Hawkeye has a big old thing that he has carried through several camps-it's old, but she sure can cut
 Well, now about that camp. Let's see, where will l start? Guess maybe l had better start off like the Bible
 
 us. gathered at the Young Mems Chris tian association and after a farewell p,unge in the pool hilsed down to the terminal station and scrambled aboard our special car for Valley Head. 103 miles north on the Alabama Great Southern.
 Midst cheers, team yells and bugle calls we said goodby to good old Bir- mingham. First shot out of the box big Wendell Cox let the window bang down on his arm and Doc Key, our camp physician, was called for The busted arm got well before we got to Valley Head.
 At Springville we picked up what was left of Jones and Barker who, with Captain Blackburn and Holly Chi chester, started sout to ride their bicy- cles to camp
 Holly and Burr were game as far as Attalla but rain and mud stopped them and all together side by each we went the rest of the way.
 The old darkey cook who gets on with chicken lunches at Collinsville thought cyclone struck him. He did not even get a chance to climb on
 card Law, how that friend chicken did fly.
 And all this time 1t was raining to beatVhe cars, so when we got to Val ley Head at TAO that night-O you mud Our baggage was turned over to Davey Jones and up the mountain through the mud we hilled.
 Now, if you want to see what you're good for, just tackle that mountain road on a dark and stormy night Yes, the smooth sidewalks and electric lights made it delightful-I mean would make it a delightful walk if they were there, but, alas, we left them behind. l vowed that 1 would Immediately on he tn a roads committee and the Birmin gham commission to see if matters couldn't be improved I was sure that l would die before that three-mile climb was over with. l felt sorry for the fellow who hadn't been doing regular gym work all year The training sure is | mighty handy NWhen you are just all in down and | out the light at the Burgess store surel looks good. Society at the store want | ed to know if all Birmingham was with | us. Judging from the noice l could l hardly blame the farmer for asking the question. l expected to get a | country deal when I ordered my choc- | olate milk shake, but, man, that was | the best ever I swallowed That little old store has a rep" for good milk | shakes.
 The cafnp grounds, about one mile beyond, were soon reached and here | we found that Captain Dick Kelly and | MT. Farnham had everything ready | for us.
 The six different tents were assigned | to leaders and on the train were Mir | Cribbon divided the bunch up into five | tribes.
 Tent No l, the Cherokees was in | charge of Captain Blackburn, and with | him snored Barker, Jones, Cobb, Gill | more, White, Vance, Nelson and Bow ron.
 Tent No. 2, the Amazons Captain | Mimmert, Long, Nelson, Chichester, | Downey. Bowers, Burbage, Worthing- ton, McCrossin, Whatley and Stiles.
 Tent No 3, the Pathfiinders, Captain Berrin Goodall, Prince. Robinson. Irhornton Dixon. Bishop and Wood. v Tent No. 1.-The Lookouts; Capt. Dick Kelly, Cosby, Eusts, Harrison, Latimer, Badham and Dr. Key.
 Tent No 5--The Sioux: Captain Will Hams, Cox, Bowron, Bethea, Mobey, liar rison. Thornton, Worthington and K. E. Bowling.
 Tent No. 6-Hawkeye; General Cubbon and guests.
 After that long, hard hike we soon crawled in and were dreaming, except those of us who had too few blankets for covering. My feet were so cold that I almost expected to find snow on the ground. Well, I was mighty thankful, "you bet," that it was cold rather than heat that woke me up. I live out on the High lands, where 1t is supposed to be some cool nights, but nothing like Mentone nights.
 | Being rather anxious to see what kind of a country l had climbed into I was one of the first to come to, and as I