The Ocala banner., 1922-12-29
DESTROYING THEIR OWN VEL.
COME

|
regret that auto camping parties are
no longer received with open arms
everywhere. There was a time when
Ianywhere from Florida to Maine and
from Florida to California they were
given the welcome of heartiest ap.
proval, and many provisions were
made for their comfort, all of which
were free for their use.
Today hundreds of places, especial
/ ly near the average sized rural city
or town, not only do not welcome
them, but actually warn them away
There is reason: and that reason is
the thoughtless carelessness of some
of the campers themselves, who fail
to recognize that the next party likes
a clean place as well as it does.
! In one of the summer numbers OF
Outdoor Life there appeared this
statement:
Last summer l. saw a beauty spot
that was polluted almost beyond re-
pair for all the remainder of the sea
SON. This was the result of improper
camp sanitation, the lack of burying
or burning camp refuse, and just Ordi
nary care. No matter il you intend
never to camp in this particular site
again, remember that auto campers
represent huge fraternity, that you
owe the other brothers of the craft a
great deal of care. Negligence of a
few auto campers can bring state and
municipal restrictions within very
short time. Leave clean camp"
Can it be imagined that the resi-
dents of that locality will encourage
other camping parties after that ex-
perience with the one to blame for the
condition reported?
The Michigan portsman says that
camping space and camp privileges
are extended as courtesy and not as
a thing due:" yet only those auto
campers who have received the prop
er home training appear to realize
that the ethics of good breeding de-
mands that the camp place be left
clean and sanitary.
Then the. Sportsman sets down a
/ few of the common requirements of
decency, health and pleasure to be
observed by camping parties, as fol-
lows:
Rubbish and garbage should be
buried, as all Stops should be, and this
includes greasy dishwater. The camp
ling place should be neither defiled nor
injured, otherwise the goodwill of. the
individual, municipality or common
wealth so freely extended at present
to auto campers will be withdrawn.
and withdrawal of privileges will be
because auto campers transgressed
the conventions of proper conduct.
1t is admitted reluctantly that auto
campers are prone to bathe nude in
waters adjacent to the highway;
often very often, fail to include a
portable toilet stool in the camping
equipment; sometimes even steal from
farms or gardens and frequently fail
to show appreciation of the goodwill
extended by the agency that offers
hospitality.
Auto campers should be clean, be
sanitary, make as little noise as pos
sible and neither kill game nor catch
fish without q proper license for the
locality where fishing or hunting is
done, and, above all, never, never
steal.
Such admonitions should not be
necessary but are needed because
very many auto campers live in an
exceedingly primitive manner: about
on an equality with the ignorant
blacks OF the African or Australian
BUSH"
Tampa maintains an auto camping
park and, of course, Tampa is always
holding out welcoming hand TO
travelling tourists; but even Tampa
with the high class of auto camping
parties it has, found it necessary,
both for the health and pleasure Of
the campers and of its own resident
citizens, to provide restrictive con-
ditions and to have an overseer con-
stantly on hand because there are
always some few in every gathering
of people who will not observe the
ethics of good breeding and who, if
not made to keep clean and sanitary,
would jeopaTdize the health and de-
stroy the pleasure of those about
them.
The Tampa auto camping park is
one of the finest and largest in the
South. 1t is occupied by some five
hundred parties every winter, and the
health and sanitation of the place is
perfect. Tampa invites good, clean,
careful parties of campers to come
and take advantage of the fine eli
mate, good people and beautiful seen
cry OF this section, and make them