New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1921-09-14

TO eSCaDllSn caInpS WueIeIll eouIlo " SoAi
spend the night, or longer, in comfort
Those of our citizens who made long
auto trips this summer, came back
filled with enthusiasm over the con-
veniences they found in such municipal
camps and since then they have talked
steadily of the need of esta bllshlng q
similar camp here.
New Ulm lies on one OF the most
travelled trans-continental highways
the Black and yellow Trail, ane
thousands of tourists would stop here
annually, if camp site with con
viences were provided for them. mo-
only do the tourists camp over mgh'
but they visit the hospitable town
buy their travelling necessities and IN
dulge in many Injuries that they
woul d not think of buying here II there
were no inducement for them to speno
several hours in the vicinity.
Strictly speaking, it is policy o.
self-interest to establish such camps
but Intelligent selfshness' always
reacts to the good of all, and municipal
camps are one striking example OF such
intelligence.
The city council was scheduled to
make tour, yesterday afternoon WIN
the object of choosing a site Tor such
camp near New Ulm. At the Time
of going to press the tour had not ye1
been made so the Review cannon give
any definite results in the local sltua-
ton. The American Legion poys
have promised their cooperation and
this is very proper field OF activity 1or
their organization. In other places,
Camp Fire Girls and Boy Scouts
sometimes take charge. The follow
ing account of such camp IN Nebraska
will be interesting reading at this time
and will offer valuable suggestions to
be considered here. The account OF
Lafayette Park Camp is taken from
every Girls Magazine" and is en-
titled Real Citizenship for Girls. .
We quote verbatim:
"There are few of us who, when
on a cross country hike or an automo-
bile trip, have not met the discourage
ing ''No Trespassing" and Private
Property" signs in our search for a
camping site. Many of us have even
had the humiliating experience OF being
told to move on after the fire was made
and the bacon frying. We can ap-
preciate, then, what it means to tourists
when they reach Lafayette Park on the
Lincoln Highway-far away in the
heart of Nebraska, and read the "Wel.
come" which is written in rustic letters
over the gate. A beautiful little park
with convenience for campers is, Of
course, not an unusual thing. Lafa-
yette Park is as beautiful as any little
park of it's size,-but that is not the
usual thing about it. 1t is the way II
came to be that makes it unique ano
interesting.
"Gothenburg is small town In
central Nebraska. AS the name sug.
gests, it's inhabitants are Of German
descent. The record of Gothenbure
during the war proves that persons Of
German extraction can make excellent
American citizens. Here is the story
of what the girls and boys of Gothen-
burg did to show their qualifications
for citizenship:
"On the day that Liege fell, the
Camp Fire Girls in Gothenburg de-
cided to prove their Americanism in
every possible way. They did their
part in every relief work which was
going on in the town; each girl earned
money regularly which she gave to war
charitiesS by working in the homes
where the mothers we're busy doing
war work. But the Camp Fire Girls
had another dream They had heard
much Of Patriotic Play and the conser-
walton Of health. Not far from their
town was a beautiful little lake where
they had often camped, Here, they
dreamed, on the shores OF this lake,
they would make playground for the
children of the city, and a National rest
camp for the tourists who passed
through Gothenburg on their way to
the west coast. And because these
girls were imbued with the ideal Of
giving service and because they were
fortunate in having a woman as their
guardian who was really leader and
an executive, their dream became a
reality. ae
Tt was not difficult to get the owner
of the property, Mr.. W. P. Byron,
Superintendent Of the Platt Valley
Power and Cattle Company, to consent
ito the Transformation Of his ground
fSBut even after the right to use the
property was obtained, there were
Herculean tasks to be performed, be.
fore Lafayette Park could become a
reality. Camp Fire Girls, however
with leader like Mrs. w. j. Birkofer
are not bafied by difficulties such as
. heavy cactus growth and fallen trees
Immediately, fourteen girls and five
young men set to work saving huge
tree which had recently fallen. There