The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1923-08-03
BOYSCOUTSCLASHW WITH
CAMDEN MOONSHINERS
Failing To Dope Boys With Drink, Distillers
Try to Brighten Them With Night Noises

NdIlluCll SOullly lllOollSiiiil
ers don't like Elizabeth City
Boy Scouts. The Scouts in
camp on Arneuse Creek i'll
Camden County last week came
perilously near discovering a
moonshine still and actually
conversed with the moonshin-
ers who offered them corn
whiskey to drink.
Failing to get the boys drunk and
thereby put scoutcraft into disrep-
ute, the moonshiners tried to terro-
ize the scouts at night by coming
near the camp and making all man
ner of hideous noises. But the boys
wouldn't scare worth a cent.
A Boy Scout wouldn't be real
scout il he didn't 60 in for wood
craft, and woddcraft calls for explor-
ing the woods. II was while prowl-
ing in the woods near Arneuse Creek
that certain scouts apprehended The
moonshiners in the act of making
liquor. They did not see the still it.
self. The moonshiners are said TO
have been most insistent in trying to
persuade the boys to drink.
The scouts are not afraid Of the
moonshiners and have come out of
their experience on Arneusc Greek
with stronger love for the invigor-
ating life in the open, and they want
a bunkhouse on the creek and have
launched drive for funds 10 erect ii.
The drive of the Boy Scouts has
every appearance Of being one of the
most worthy movements Of the kind
to start in town in sometime. Rotary
and Kiwanis are back of the scouts,
and finance committee Of members
from the two clubs has been named
to assist the boys. The men from
Rotary are w. c. Gather and W. A.
Worth, and from Kiwanis, n. w. Daily
and Geo. e. Culpepper.
The Life Worth While.
Any person with the boy life Of
the town at heart would have felt
better at seeing the scouts in camp
during the two weeks past. Down mt
the mouth of Arnuse Greek, where
good breeze was going, the Soys pitch
ed their tents and stuck out the days
and nights for two weeks. There they
cooked over an open fire, bathcd and
fished to their hearts content, and
under the direction of the scoutmaSt-
err, learned lessons in wOOdcraft. and
athletics that will make an impress on
the life and conduct of the youth of
Elizabeth City for years to come.
Scoutmaster Frank III. Scattcrgood
to all appearances has won the hearts
of the boys. There are about q,
boys in the troop, most of whom have
spent some time at Camp Robert j..
Lee on Arnuse Greek during the past
two weeks. and who express them
selves as being delighted beyond
measure with the trip.
Scoutmaster Scattergood is plaSed
with the success he has had with the
scout troop from Elizabeth City.
Tho only few weeks old. it is well
organized and well supported. The
morale of the troop is good. Each
member assumes his proper share of
the responsibilities of camp life, and
there is no grumbling.
The boys haven't had all quiet sail
ing while at camp. Altho the prop
erty on which they stopped was donat-
ed to their use by the Flora estate,
some of the residents in that see
tion of Camden opposed the coming
of the scouts. The Boy Scouts arc
rangers of the streams and forests
and somewhere in a swamp in tha
section some liquor stills are said to
be located. The Scouts got too near
. the still, and in the night time. strange
persons came near the scout camp
and made noises to worry the boys.
The boys carried lumber fror
Elizabeth City and repaired Il
bridges on the road to Arnuse Cree
Someone took away some of the lun
Der that night. The taking Of Il
! lumber from the camp of the Scou
displayed spirit that will somcd;
turn against the people in the neIg
borhood of Arnuse Creek. The pc
pie of Arnuse Creek have notbi
to fear from the scouts if they tr,
them right. The scouts want to
friendly and will be good friends
their neighbors. But those nei
! bors will profit most who treat
scouts best. for they are dealing "
the future men and women. and fut