Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1916-04-01
Tue Day Battle On
Brink Of Palisades
By Rival Boy Scouts

by HlUdi boy OcOuIS
The trenches of Ypres and Verdun
have nothing on the spirit of young
America as it exists in Edgewater
and Grantwood. During Tuesday
and Wednesday of this week such a
hot engagement occurred between the
youngsters of the two villages, that
people who were unfortunate enough
to own houses within the line of
battle, finally, in fear of total de-
molition of their property, were
forced to call upon the police to ar
bitrate matters between the warning
factions late Wednesday afternoon.
Since then the custodians of the
peace have been most vigilant in
their endeavors to preserve order,
and have been somewhat successful,
too, for up to the present writing
there has been no recurrence of hos
tilities on a large scale, although sew
eral scouting parties have clashed
upon the rocky slopes of the Pail
sades with no fatalities on either
side.
Don't Know How it Started
No one knows exactly how it all
started, and least Of all the forces
engaged, for each side blames the
other for having fired the first mis-
sile. However, it is generally con-
coded in the neighborhood that it
must have had beginning somehow,
but just what caused the declaration
of war is at present difficult of So
luton.
Boys Had Strained Relations
Nevertheless the relations between
the youngsters of Grantwood and
Edgewater became so strained for
some mysterious reason, that the
kiddies of Grantwood succumbing to
the wave of preparedness which is
sweeping the country, erected a
series of strong Notifications along
the ridge of the Palisades, just
about one hundred feet south of the
horseshoe curve. The Edgewater
boys were totally unaware of what
was going on, SO that on Tuesday
afternoon when a scouting party
from Edgewater attempted to
reconnoiter the enemy's country, they
were taken wholly by surprise, when
several stones whizzed by their ears
from what appeared to be harm
less wall of rock. Then a flag was
hoisted and the lads from the river
edge town knew that their deadly
enemy was sheltered behind those
formidable battlements. They re-
treated in good order and brought up
re-enforcements. Charge after
charge was made during the after
noon with much display of individual
bravery, but to no avail. The posi-
ton of the Grantwood boys seemed
Z lmpregnable. At last the shades of
evening put an end to the fray and
cheer went up from the fort as the
attacking forces withdrew to get
their dinners, to which impatient
mothers had been calling them for
half an hour.
School Attendance Slim
The next day, Wednesday, the
discipline of the Edgewater educa-
tlonal system was disrupted. Teach
ers could not get their boys to con-
centrate on their work All the eyes
OF those who had been engaged in the
previous days ARRAY, looked visit
fully out of the windows and wond-
cred how in the world they could
capture that fort upon the hill. After
an interminable day, three O'Clock
came, and with shout of iov the
boys congregated outside Immediate
~ to discuss ways and means. They
were not long about it, and almost
IN less time than it takes to tell,
they had divided into two attacking
parties and proceeded to the assault.
Nothing Restrained the Warriors
Everything was forgotten in the
eXhlleration and excitement of the
moment. Yards, lawns, fences, moth
ing could restrain them in CARRYING
out the one object uppermost in their
minds. Properties, the neutrality of
which would have been respected at
other times, were disregarded.
Belligerants Ruin Garden
Edwin Greer, who was coming from
the bank, arrived home just in time
to see practically a whole regiment
OF tots tramp over his lawn, soft
with the spring thaw. He remon
strated, but they literally swarmed
over and past him, leaving the gar
den hopeless wreck. He was also
shocked to see his seven-year old
brother, Gerald, with grim look of
determination on his face, wholly dis
regard the ancestral portals, and go
marching on with the mob. He called
to him, but the little chap heard not.
Edwin started to follow, but thought
better of it after glance up the
rugged cliff, and adjourned to his
house to await developments, which
were not long in coming. Scarcely
had he seated himself than a perfect
hail of stones struck the sides and