The New York herald., 1921-07-28
BIG BILL FOUNDERS
CANOE OFBOY SCOUT
~
Interstate Park Lake Gives
Impression of Old Faith
full Geyser.
RESCUED FROM PERIL
His Cane a Feature of In
spection Tour of Palisades
Encampment.
'TWAS ONLY A PROMISE
Party Finds 18 Camps Caring
for Recreation of 2,10O
Lads at a Time.
'TWAS ONLY A PROMISE

The biggest splash in the inland
waters of New York State was made
yesterday afternoon. 1t was prob
ably the biggest in any State. orAin all
the seven seas. big Bill" Edwards
overturned a canoe in the lake at the
Boy Scout camp in Palisades Inter-
state Park, and for a moment COM
pleteiy altered the neighboring topog-
raphy. Seafaring men have recorded
something similar when the tops of
4cebergs have tumbled into the At
lantic.
OF the Boy Scout camps, to which
forty well known New York men were
invited by the Greater New York coun-
ell. They were the guests of Baron
Collier on his yacht the Pocantico on
the trip up to Bear Mountain, back OF
which the camps are located.
Rescued oy scouts.
The tour Of inspection included a trip
round the lake by motor boat. Big
Bills" boat was nearing the landing.
with heavy list to starboard. when
two scouts padded up in a canoe and
invited him aboard. Big Bill likes the
kids and they like him.
'sFine.' he said and somehow or other
got over the side. But in seating HIM
self the overhang was too much and for
the next minute or two that part of the
lake looked much like the pictures of Old
Faithful. the Yellowstone Park geyser.
Two scouts on the dock dived to the
rescue. More followed them. They
clustered about Big Bill somewhat like
the tugs bringing in the Leviathan.
Gradually the angry waters subsidized and
Big Bill was brought to dock.
Franklin D. Roosevelt member OF
the party. sighed regretfully afterward
and expressed the wish that there had
been time to determine how many scouts
could stand upon the floating form Of
the ex-Coliector without completely sub
merging the graceful contour.
The party left the landi:,g Of the CO.
lumbia Yacht Club at the foot OF Eighty
sixth street little after 2 o'clock yes
to-day afternoon. Big Bill Edwards
came aboard carrying a cane OF vast
dimensions and promising appearance.
The Pocantico had hardly passed Yon-
kers when there was commotion In the
stern. II developed that Police Com
missioner Enright. now in posse ession Of
the cane. was under arrest charged with
violation of the Volstead act.
Outside Three Mile Limit.
The court was speedily called. with
Judge Frederic Kernochan sitting on the
after hatch. franklin Roosevelt ap-
peared as prosecuting attorney. with
William NJ. Chadbourne counsel for the
defendant.
The first witness called for the de-
fence was the captain OF the Pocantico.
who testified his vessel was outside the
three mile limit. Then the cane was
PRODUCED In evidence. Mr.. Roosevelt un-
screwed the head. Loud calls from the
bench--that is, the after hatch-before
he could proceed further.
Let's see that cane" cried Judge
Kernochan.
It was passed up. and the court drew
out tube at least three feet in length.
filled with an amber liquid. The court
tasted So did Judge James c. Cropsey.
at his side So did Mr.. Roosevelt and
the defendant counsel and Big Bill. the
arresting officer. There was less than a
foot Of the liquid remaining. There was
an appeal from the prisoner. and nine
inches trickled down the throat of the
Police Commissioner. The remainder
was turned over to the. arresting officer.
May 1t please the court" said Mr..
Roosevelt. smacking his lips, II find that
the liquid in this container Is nothing
more than vanilla extract. and I move
that the case be dismissed
II was.
But the tour of inspection really did
have a serious side to X. II was ar
ranged with view TO making known
the sort of work the Boy Scouts of
America are doing at the camps back of
Boar Mountain and in other parts OF
the country. Ten thousand boys. most
of them from New York city, will pass
two weeks at least. and many of them
longer, at the camps in Palisades Inter-
state Park. Throughout the country
10000 boys are to be cared for.
Back of Bear Mountain there are
eighteen separate camps. holding about
2,100 boys. The Jewish boys have their
kosher cooking; masses are held for the
Catholics the Protestant boys have
their services.
After the inspection the party had
supper in one OF the big mess tents.
There Justice James G. Cropsey told
them that one-third of the criminal
offences In New York city was COM
mitted by boys under 21. and made a
plea for more "formatories" like those
back OF Bear Mountain and fewer re-
forma tories. Mr.. Roosevelt. as toast
master. introduced also James f. West.
chief scout executive of the United
States, tho Rev. John +. White of the
Catholic Welfare Council. and Police
Commissioner Enright.
Others in the party were George Creel.
Byron r. Newton. Carl F. Schurz, w.
s. Richardson Of the Rockefeller Foun-
dation. b. l.. Atwater. vice-president of
the William Wrigley. Jr.. Co, Clinton
Elliott. Shepard Homans Of the Equi-
table Life, and L. L. Mcdonald, national
camp director Of the Boy Scouts.