Evening star., 1925-10-11

- OF the land from
Ely 49,. their chos n
Save ~ answered
the call and are
Essss \ =%.1 better equipped
{S because Of their
k.....s.a sAsl1 camping expert
encc. For there
oaN. SSO!Ms,OoN.they S!s, learn d
something tha I
cannot be taught in school-that the
ability to create with their own hands
Is not q lost art. They learned that
the great outdoors" would make them
physically strong. mentally awake
and morally straight II they would
but heed the advice Of instructors and
those who had gone before.
Camp Wilson. one OF the District OF
Columbia Boy Scout camps. at Burnt
Mills. Md, was the last to close, haV'
ing had the largest and most success
full season since its beginning. The
camp, which but few weeks ago was
filled with rollicking Washington
boys. is now deserted. All that re-
mains Of the many tents that once
OF it's wooded hill Is the platforms.
Barren as these might seem. they
bring some cheer to the boys. because
they foretell that another splendid
camp will rise upon this site with the
coming Of Summer.
Tho old swimming hole was the
last to be deserted. Unlike q hard
pressed army which retreats from the
plain to the hilltop to mako its last
desperate stand, the boys on the last
night OF tho camping season. in den.
ance Of cald Autumn breeze. went
into the valley for final plunge.
Long into the night they sat on tho
towering rocks which lined the banks
OF the pool, thinking no doubt Of the
approaching school year and OF the
tales they would tell their comrades
of their exploits during the Summer.
That one of them was thinking Of
| school, the writer Is certain, for on
approaching one small youngster who
was busily engaged In gazing across
the pool at the shoot-the-chute, he
said, "School will soon begin" and
the quick reply of those around him
| was. Gosh! Amt 1t terrible?"
Had this young American also been
| thinking of Deputy Commissioner
| Marsh's first and only trip down this
chute. The story. as told by the boys
and by Marsh himself, ts that he had
; discovered a new and better way to
make fire by friction. He claims that that
| there Is also an added advantage. The
| hve-foot drop into the pool auto.
matically extinguishes the blaze, and
on regaining the surface. one at once
| feels the need Of artificial respiration.
| Mr.. Marsh. on regaining the crest
| Of the hill and endeavoring to make
| himself comfortable In an easy chair,
| promptly challenged Deputy Commits
sioner Mattice to take journey down
the chute-"misery likes company" At
! this stage of the discussion. the camp
director threw out a lifeline by an
nouncing that swimming period was
over. Deputy Commissioner Mattice
| promised to accept the challenge on
his next visit to camp.
Perhaps. the lad had been endeavor.
| ing to frame a picture in his MIND OF
| skipper" Holbrook making a rapid
descent. For had not the Skipper
been challenged by youngster I'M
| mediately upon his arrival to take q
slide down? skipper" having just re-
| turned from his vacation and being
trifle overweight. deliberated the ques.
| ton, but finally accepted. He trimmed
| his sails and prepared for q trip down.
At this stage, the telephone rang and
| Skipper" was forced to cancel the
trip because of an urgent business call
| It Is reported that he 1s still away
on business. skipper" Is thoroughly
| convinced that a telephone ID an ao
| solute necessity in any camp. Tne
| camp director Is inclined to agree Win
him-that Is. II the telephone Is IT
some other tent than headquarters
| Those who have experienced the Joys
| Of a country telephone with 50 on the
| line can readily understand.
| There is quite difference OF opinion
| in regard to the chute. The dare
devil' scout thinks that 20 feet should
be added, with another dizzy angle
| The more conservative think that 9
| 24-foot section should he taken on and
| the drop into the pool should be not
| 50 high. Mr.. Marsh Is willing to line
up with the conservative group, while
| Col. Mattice-not having had Mr.
Marsh's experience with chutes-wtl
rally to the support of the dare
| devils" Page them both. scouts, they
| are on the camping committee.
| Another Of that silent group wal
| perhaps thinking of an amusing an6
embarrassing incident which occurred
during one Of the weekly trips Of
! group Of the Wilson boys to For,
| Maj. Glassford, the boys were invited
to take weekly trips to the fort on thu
General Rucker. During one OF the
| early trips every one, including thu
camp director, was attempting to Rc'
| on his best behavior, as 1t was report
ed that there was a general on board
It was four bells and all was we'll or
the oflicers' deck. Twenty five silent
Scouts werc quietly sitting along thu
port rail, gazing at lazy sailing ship
Back Of this group sat a party Of ON
GERS with their families, enjoying 9
chicken luncheon. One OF the party
was dressed in ''civies," the two othel
men In uniforms, with chicken" OF
each shoulder and with drum sticka'
In their hands.
The camp director decided that this
offered an opportunity to mess the
BOYS with the least amount of commo
tion-something that always precedes
q mess at a boys camp. Armed with
q large box Of sandwiches, he wal
| gliding along the hne. endeavoring II
serve each boy without letting thu
next boy know until he was reaches
that mess was in progress. He fallet
| to take Just ono thing into account
that Cousin" Of Troop IL was IN th'
group. The odor Of fried chicken from
the officers party had attracted hh
keen sense Of smell. and upon turn,nt 1
to locate the source he discovered tha
Scout mess was in progress. AS wa
his custom In camp. with the first not
OF the bugle he promptly broadcas
"Mess!" The man in ''civies." not be
ing accustomed to such loud explo
sions, dropped his drumstick en- rout.
to its destination. The man In "civias'
was the general.
On their return to camp q kan9aro<
court was held, With Cousin" the de
fendant. Without counsel. he wa
tried. Tho camp director was unablt
to discover the nature OF the sentence
Ask Cousin.
Scouts who did not have an oppor
4 tunity to attend Camp Wilson. by al
means get the cook. Sergt- Lape o
the United States Marine Corps. t
t>n S,o,, hon, oPlpckIAn NJ TrO0N al