Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-28
BOY SCOUTS WORK
, At TRAIL BUILDING
Gaining Health and Experience
in Trip to the White
Mountains.
REAL MILITARY RULE
PREVAILS IN THE CAMP
Good Fishing and Swimming Are
Afforded in the Hours of
Leisure,

Afforded in the Hours of
Leisure.
The following letter has been received
By The Star from Scoutmaster Henry
irving Bowles. in charge of the party OF
Boy Scouts engaged in building trails
under The supervision of the bureau OF
forestry in the White mountains:
wild River Camp. N. H.. June %
Any suggestions that the Washington Boy
Scouts. now building trails through the
mountains here for the government. would
not make good has been dispelled. The
youngsters have received their first real
lesson IN what famous old hunter and
g,1tde of Maine called grief and have
proved their metal. With axes and mat
tooks in hand. these frst-class scouts had
toiled up the steep slopes of the hills
lust west of Bull brook, building mar
row tread for pack horses and clearing
the branches for width of six feet But
when the second night of their camp
before their tents arrived and they were
sleeping out the rain came down in tor
rents and they were compelled to pick up
their beds to seek what shelter they could
from the storm. they showed they were
real scouts knew what 1t meant not to
complain and that they knew what 10 90
when grief comes.
Twelve Miles From Station.
People from every car in the long train
of the Grand Trunk, which reached Gill
cad. Maine, last Monday noon, gathered
on the platform to watch thirty Boy
cyf,y1
was waiting to carry dunnage. and within
half an hour the march was taken up to
the west. 1t is almost exactly twelve
miles from the railroad station at Gllead
TO the forestry station on Wild river. The
Boy Scout camp is placed on the embank-
ment of an old logging railroad about one
and half miles east of the station. The
boys are happy. are working hard and are
learning rapidly what it means to be in
what they term real woods
Breakfast is served at o'clock every
morning and the hike" to work is
miles up along an old trail through the
mountains. First portion of the new
road takes zigzag course up steep
slope before plunging through the
Washington All around is virgin
spruce timber; the odor of baslam is
in the air. Various peaks of the Carter
Moriah mountain range are in plain
view. South Carter. Carter Dome and
other prominent features of the PreSi-
Dental range may be seen by the boys.
The days are warm. but the nights are
cool and the boys sleep we'll
Good Water Supply.
An important item in the days ra-
lions is the water, and this is supplied
from a boiling spring near the camp.
The waters of the roaring. dashing
Bull brook are clear and cold. Swim
ming is an important feature of the
playtime of the boys. There Is great
natural bath tub in the rocks near the
scene of work and several excellent
pools near camp. Fishing fills many
hours of time off. Already messes Of
spotted beauties have been had. Frogs
legs are a common addition to the Dill
of fare, and a woodchuck, run down
and killed by the two handsome collies
of Forest Guard Kezer. during an in
spection trip with one OF the young
sters, made excellent eating. For the
most part, however, ham and eggs.
bacon and eggs. pork and beans. bread
and cocoa constitute "rations!"
The country is wild. Rufhed grouse
start up almost from under ones feet;
deer have been seen, foxes are COM
mon: porcupines come sneaking around
the camp at night; owls sit near the
camp site and screech their weird call.
and one snarling bob cat has created
a sensation among the boys here:
Shifts of two days work with one
a muscle and what the natives here
call starch" Generally the playing Is
harder than the work: Practice FOL
lowing real trails cooking their own
meals. stalking real game, going
through the .hardships of real camp
ing in real woods is making raw city
men out of these somewhat raw city
fellows. When they come out they
will be scouts in reality as well as
Boy Scouts in name
Washington Scouts There.
Scoutmaster H I. Bowles of Troop
No. 5 is in charge of the entire party.
The other Washingtonians are Arnell
Carpenter and William Thomasson Of
Troop 10. Robert Gard. Edward Pardos
and Robert Young of Troop 81, Raymond
6caggs of Troop AS and Charles Thurtell
Of Troop 81 There is one boy. William
Lavarre of New York. IN the patrol with
the Washington boys. These fellows are
under direct responsibility Of Scoutmas-
ter Charles D. F1agle of Baltimore. The
regular Baltimore contingent of eight boys
is In charge OF Scoutmaster F. A. Green
hawk Sccutmaster Mason Of Boston has
charge Of the Boston boys.
The Washington boys who left Saturday
morning more than a week ago were
3oined at Baltimore by the party from
there, stayed for a short time at New
York, where they were entertained by Of
nc4als of the national council, and took
the big steamer for Portland via the out
eideToute No one was sick although sew
eral felt the effect Of the heavy swell
when blue water was reached.
At Portland. Me-. the boys were roy
ally entertained by E. T. Burroughs and
Tom Pratt famous hunter and guide.
In the evening at the Brunswick Hotel.
Tom" was the center of an interested
Group Of listeners always. The Boston
boys Joined the others at Portland Mon
day morning. Scoutmaster Mason and
the cook had gone on ahead to prepare
camp and were waiting for the newcom-
ers on their arrival at Gilead. The camp
10 run according to military routine and
discipline Is strict Proper liberty il al
lowed, and thus far there has been no dis
position to take advantage Of It Tho boys
appear to realize what they are here for
and are exerting themselves to get all
they can out Of this wonderful expert
ence.
Uniform System for Electric Roads.
Beginning next Wednesday. the electric
railways Of the country doing an inter