Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-06-14
BONUS CAMP LIFE
THRILLS CHILDREN
Youngsters Find Plenty of
Dirt to Play in, but
Keep Healthy.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

There is one growing element of
Washington's army of occupation that
has no desire to go home.
The children at Camp Marks are
having the time of their young lives in
this muddy junk pile jungle where
there are no school bells, where the
best of everything is reserved for them
and where they are welcome in any
hovel.
A survey this morning showed IA
youngsters from l to ID years old IN
five families, which. having no homes
elsewhere, have settled down here to
stay indefinitely. An effort has been
made to group the children IN one
corner Of the camp in the best tents
available.
Three-year old Hobo"
Perhaps the greatest adventure OF all
has come to 3-year-old James Bresna-
han, ir., a black-headed, mlschlevous,
polite little fellow who came in Sunday
night with his father and mother after
three months on the road. They started
out from California with nowhere In
particular to go. One night little Jim
mie spent in his fathers arms in drlV-
ing rain on top of freight train. An
other time the best accommodations tne
wandering family could get were al
forded by refrigerator car, where,
however, they could get plenty OF milk
for the baby.
But the little boy had plenty OF good
times on the road His presence aroused
sympathy for the parents and, as the
father says. 1.-The railroad guys was GOOD
to US" They would be taken of and
fed every few days. Sometimes they
would stop for week or more IN a
town. Then the railroad men them
selves would often smuggle the wander
ing family into an empty box car.
Now they are lodged in a tent just
under the big city sewer pipe that runs
beside Camp Marks. and black-headed
Jimmie is enjoying real thrill Camp
headquarters obtained some milk for the
little boy this morning. He has been
washed, Is neatly dressed in blue over
alls and is rapidly getting himself as
dirty as possible in the camp mud.
Finds Playmates Here.
Best of all, for Jimmie, are the play
mates. In the next tent are Mr.. and
Mrs. Earl Wright of Los Angeles, Calf,
clyde, g. and Lola, 2. The family left
the California city with SITS and hitch
hiked across the country. These chill
dren have been in camp longer than
any of the others. Clyde was the little
boy who marched with a dog in the
parade last Tuesday night and attract
ed so much sympathy from Washing
tonians.
The children are getting the best
care now, the father says bitterly, than
at any time for the past four years
They are getting plenty to eat ano
plenty Of milk. Camp headquarters
has seen to that. Many times during
the past year they have gone hungry
The Wrights have kept Clyde in camp
all the time. He is delicate child
There are great ugly welts around both
his arms from burns he received from
falling in tub of boiling water. He
has had pneumonia twice, the father
says. Once the child was taken down
with this dreaded disease while the
parents were on the road
But Washington families have kept
Viola and Lola most of the time, for
day at time. Nobody can get them
for more than a day. the father says
because there are thirds on both OF
them now" He has waiting list OF
sympathetic camp visitors who ask for
give them baths, and provide them with
plenty to eat.
But probably the,boy who is having
the best time Of all Is Alfred Bernie7,