University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-05-30

peared to be on the verge Of STOP
ping, then changed its mind and ran
on down the rusty rails for three
quarters of mile or SO. But this time
it really made the decision, and
stopped. Today the occasion stands
out in the history of that section OF
the Ozarks. A previous historical date
was that when this same
train stopped for the same purpose
to unload forestry students for a
summer camp.
The first memorial date is the dis
covery of the country by students from
Yale University, the last is the land
ing of students from the University
of Missouri.
The landscape gave the appearance
Of having been chopped out with dull
hatchet. II was very hilly and rocky,
covered with trees and brush TO great
extent. Gullies ran between the
ridges, while here and there were pools
or shallow streams. 1t was not al
Turing.
| The stopping of the train was the
signal for all hands, the brakeman,
the conductor and freman-or engi-
neer if you prefer ito begin throw
out tenting, boxes and camping ma
terial of all descriptions. \ half
dozen young fellows who looked
strangely out of place in such a coun-
try watched the proceedings, looked
about for suitable place to pitch their
tents for the night and wondered very
strongly if the forestry camp life was
to be as rosy as they had painted IL
in their imaginings.
With the aid of the train crew the
tents were put up and things made
in shipshape. The crew had so en-
joycd the all-day trip with the boys
over the jolly thirty miles that they
decided TO have pipe with them
college boys" and TO talk with them
about the world beyond the range OF
those Ozark mountains. 1t was nearly
dark when they decided that they
best be Gcttin' on
But camp life TO the forestry STU
dents was not so bad after the first !
day. Things began to take on an air |
of business, routine work was mapped |,
out and the study of the trees be- |
gun.
About 6 or IN the morning the |
camp would be awakened by the beat !
ing Of tin pans. a plunge in the near |
by lake and breakfast would be mur- !
derously attacked. At s all hands as |
sembled in the large classroom tent /,
for lecture, or for instructions in |
the work to be done for the day. By !
8 they would be i'm the field. One |
party would be telling trees, another |
would be estimating the lumber in a |
tract. while others would be gauging !
the age of the trees and doing many !
other jobs of the practical lumber
man.
At II the crew would return with |
their axes and a second attack upon /
the table d'hote" ensued. Much good |
humor was shown about these festive |
boards. Each article upon the menu
had its own name, peculiar TO the !
camp. And the names were not usual
ly complimentary TO the one whose
turn it was to do the cooking. But /
what's i'm a name when things taste !
good. True. the cooking was done by
amateur cooks, but it was eaten by |!
anything but amateur appetites.
Then came the disagreeable part
the dishes. In this everyone
took his turn also. Toward the last
Of the summer it was suggested that
each one wash his own dishes, but this
plan failed because several would
merely mark their initials on the plate
in the grease. But this. like many 9TH
er stories of the camp, is looked upon
quite doubtfully.
Two o'clock again found the forest
ers in the field. The work was about 4
the same as that OF the morning. At |
; they returned to camp and the lake
Instantly became popular. With water
warm and clear and seven or eight .
athletes with a great desire for it,
the two were nearly inseparable all
summer. There is no doubt that this
part of the summer was the most
enjoyed.
One day native came up to
camp "to see how things were get
ting along. and just what kind of
people these folks were, anyway" II
happened that it was ''pool-time.'
This farmer had never ridden on a
train and had not seen any save the
go-when-it-pleased affair.
He had been born "over-the-r ridge
thar" as had his father and his grand