Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1921-06-18
$3.50 Club
Go on a Hike

dozen boys of Palisade, members of
the $3.50 Club, met at the Union
church to prepare their packs for an
overnight hike The provisions, which
consisted mainly of bread, beans, ba-
con, frankfurters, coffee, butter and
sugar, were equally divided. Besides
his share of grub, each hiker carried
couple of blankets and some toilet
articles.
1t was a jolly crowd that took the
trolley to Coytesvile and started on
foot from there for some point up the
Hudson. They whistled their way
along whether the road was rough or
smooth. When finally the steep bank
of the river was reached and the party
descended to the shore after travelling
for time on the Henry Hudson drive,
the trail led directly along the course
of the river and almost on a level with
It, Here with faces turned northward
and favored by cooling breeze the
boys though not of fatigue nor Of the
increasing weight of what they car
ried, but, cheerily still, walked on in
single file. The objective was a point
| opposite two high smoke stacks in
Observation-Disclosures which were seen
| long before reached 1t was nearing
O'Clock when the spot was reached.
Tlen everyone threw off his bundles
and began to think of something to
eat The prearranged menu was bread
| and butter, beans and coffee. A con-
struction camp was near and by the
use of various hieroglyphics the Italian
| workmen were made to understand
that the boys needed pot to boil wa
| ter in. They gladly offered one after
giving it thorough rinsing
| Soon the pot was suspended over a
| fire and when the water began to boil
coffee was made and after that the
beans were cooked by placing the cans
in the pot.
Who shall say that the boys did not
enjoy the meal? Some lads used the
same spoon, one taking a mouthful Of
| beans out of his dish and then handing
the spoon to another. This was truly
| $780,
After the savory meal dishes were
washed, water bottles filled and wood
gathered for keeping up the fire. Then
the party sat around the fire, told
stories and sang songs, the river beat
| ing time against the rocks and the
leaves dancing merry Jig overhead.
But sleep soon called to tired bodies,
and two by two the mixers prepared
| their beds under the clear sky.
But it was difficult to sleep. The
| bed was hard, to begin with. The
walls of the room were SO far away
that the bedchamber had a sense Of
vastness. Then the river kept up a
constant bubble, while occasional
crafts greeted each other in passing
| The novelty of it all, together with the
| feeling Of kinship with the whole
scene, visible and audible, opened ra-
| Their than closed the eyes. Laughter
rang out often and between the back
of the camp and the river, which form
ed light background, heads and necks
would occasionally appear. Two bed
fellows feared to trust the earth for
mattress and opened their blankets on
the table, only to become restless again
and finally to seek new bed on the
ground. But these preiminaries soon
led everybody into the land of dream
less sleep, to end only when the sing
ing of birds began in early morning.
A cold wash, breakfast of bread,
bacon and coffee, put everybody in the
best of cheer All too reluctantly did
the party turn homeward at 10 O'Clock.
A pause was made at noon for the
last meal of the trip-a repast of
bread and frankfurters fried on the
ends of sticks over a fire on the shore.
A final swim at Dyckman ferry pre-
coded the definite turning homeward,
and the boys went their way not less
cheerily than they came.
No trolley was used on the return
trip, but each walked the full distance,
arriving in Palisade just twenty-four
hours after departure. Another and
longer hike was planned on the last
mile. G.. G.. MCKENZIE