Vol. XXIV. No. lo.] 
POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS. 
151 
The rope was cast oft", the engineer moved a lever, 
and the stern-wheel began to whirl in the foaming 
water, driving the boat rapidly away from shore. 
Lake Qiiinsigamond is about six miles long, and 
shaped something like the figure 8. The shores 
approach so near together in the middle that a 
connection is made bv a causeway and bridge. 
Passing under this bridge, between high walls 
of solid masonry, you come out into the upper lake,- 
and leave behind you all the sights which suggest 
the nineteenth century. Railways and houses are 
lost to view, and on all sides there is nothing to be 
seen but water, and woods, and sky. Pretty soon 
the boat turns and makes a charge upon the oppo- 
site, or eastern coast, where white tents gleam 
through the foliage, and where a little wharf appears. 
A group of merry girls is standing on this wharf, 
and here and there among the tents and trees 
others appear like veritable naiads or dryads of the 
wood. 
THE GtRLs' CAMP. 
"What have we here.'" 
"This is our girls' camp, — an experiment as yet, 
but, as you see, destined to be successful." 
" How many are there.'" 
" What.' — girls or camps.'" 
"Girls." 
" We have forty. This is the first year. We have 
more than a hundred boys in the camp over there 
on the other side, and shall probably have as many 
girls here next summer." 
By this time the party on the wharf had skipped 
on board, and the boat was headed for the other 
shore. 
"This is our opening day, and these girls are 
going over to attend the exercises." 
" Can they keep comfortable here in case of a 
storm } " 
"Oh, yes. You see we have a 'fly' over every 
tent, and a dry raised floor. It can't rain hard 
enough to wet through." 
" What's that square tent with a glass window?" 
"That is something new, — a canvas house, — that 
is absolutely luxurious." 
• THE boys' camp. 
" Here we are ! " and the boat grazed the side of a 
commodious wharf, and was secured by the hawser. 
" We have half an hour before dinner; would you 
like to look around.'" 
"Certainly; I want to see everything." 
"This is the work-shop. Here, you sec, are 
plenty of tools, all of the best grade. They can be 
drawn, something as books are drawn from a 
library. On this wall are the nails and hooks on 
which they are kept. You see under each hook is a 
picture of the tool that belongs on it, 'life-size,' 
so that a glance shows where each belongs." 
' Thai's a good scheme." , 
"Yes; and here is the work-room, bench, and 
everything handy. This boat is about half finished. 
It will easily carry half a dozen persons. We build 
one boat every year. We have one of the most 
expert boat-builders in the country come here and 
make it. He does a little every day, and explains 
everything to the boys, who help as they may be 
able." 
Several boys were busy in this room. 
"This next room is devoted to photography. 
Here are the chemicals; this is the dark-room. 
There is an instructor in attendance every day, so 
that all who wish can learn the art." 
"All who wish.' Is everything here voluntary .'" 
"Everything except the military drill and the 
swimming lesson." 
" Can you give me an idea ot a day in camp?" 
THE PROGRAMME OF A DAY IN CAMP. 
The day's exercises vary enough to avoid monot- 
ony, but are about like this : 
At reveille the boys all rise, dress, and put their 
tents in perfect order. As soon as this is done, each 
one turns out of his tent and stands "on attention" 
until the inspector makes his rounds. Breakfast 
and a light drill fill up the time until nine o'clock. 
Then comes the swimming lesson. Those who are 
already swimmers are excused from this if they 
desire, but the attractions of a plunge into the cool 
water make it very unusual for anyone to get 
excused. 
After the swimming is over, there are usually 
three "outings," under the lead of competent 
instructors, among which the boys may choose. 
One teacher will lead a party in search of birds, 
another will go after insects, and a third will hunt 
for flowers or minerals. The boys are not required 
to go on any of these excursions, but may row, fish, 
sleep in their' hammocks, or what they will. They 
are here lor a good time. Yet there are always 
quite as many begging to go as the leader can 
possibly get along with. He explains in a familiar 
manner whatever specimens are taken. 
IN THE AFTERNOON. 
The campers are summoned to dinner by the roll 
of the drutns, and march to the dining tents in 
divisions of about twenty, under their officers, who 
are appointed as a reward for exceptional merit. 
On the day of our visit the dinner was sumptuous 
for a camp — or for any other place, for that matter. 
Beef steak, boiled ham, new potatoes, peas, excellent 
bread and butter, choice milk by the gallon, and 
watermelons ! 
After dinner there are exercises in the preserva- 
tion and classification of the specimens obtained in 
the morning — all voluntary, and all under compe- 
tent instruction. The laboratory, with its aquarium 
and its apparatus for practical work, is very popular, 
and is under the direction of Prof. E. F. Ilitchings, 
long President of Chapter 894 of the Agassiz Asso- 
ciation. Besides this work in natural history there 
is a room devoted to art study. Here the boys are 
taught to draw and to model in clay. After all these 
exercises there is a fencing lesson, an evening drill, 
and supper. 
AROUND THE EVENING CAMP-FIRE. 
There is greater variety in the evening programme 
than in any other part of the day. One evening 
each week is devoted to a play or a concert, managed 
by the boys themselves. One evening is filled by 
an entertainment provided by volunteer ladies and 
gentlemen of Worcester. On one evening a great 
camp-fire is built, and grouped about it the boys 
listen to tales of hunting, fishing, and camping life 
as told by men whose gift at story-telling is only 
equalled by their skill with gun and rod. A lecture, 
usually illustrated with the stereopticon, is arranged 
for another night, and the rest are left open for 
whatever may "turnup." 
On Sunday morning the bath is taken as usual, 
after which there is an opportunity for the boys to 
go in to Worcester to church. In the afternoon 
there is a service in camp, conducted by prominent 
clergymen of different denominations in turn. 
A physician inspects the camp every morning, 
but thus far his 8er\>ices have been limited to pre- 
scribing simple remedies from such pains as result 
from an over-consumption of watermelon. On the 
whole it would be hard to find a healthier or happier 
set of fellows anywhere; — and the total expense for 
use of tent, board, and instruction is only seven 
dollars per week. 
All of which reminds us first of all that there are 
other lakes in the world besides Quinsigamond 1 
THE ROMANCE OF CHAPTER 187. 
Mr. Gosse has written a clever book en- 
titled, " The Romance of Natural History ;" 
but there is nothing in it which at all com- 
pares with the pretty little romances which 
now and then find place among the routine 
study of our Chapters, as may be seen in the 
following extract from a letter written by the 
most active member of Chapter 187 : 
You know that our Chapter, during the years 
from 1883 to 1887 or '88, was composed chiefly 
of students in the High School. We kept it up 
pretty actively for a year or two after I left school in 
i8S6, but the disintegration was too rapid for us. 
Several — I had almost said most — of the members 
went to college. Half a dozen were graduated this 
spring, and have gone forth to the four quarters 
of the earth to carve out fortunes for themselves. 
There isn't a corporal's guard left in the city. In 
brief, and to come to the point, I think you may 
safely understand that tiie Chapter, so far as its 
High School constituency is concerned, has passed 
into "innocuous desuetude." I/ic jacet, requiescat 
in pace, mortuvs est, et cetera. Now for the phcenix. 
I don't want you to understand Chapter 187 as 
dead, by any means. I have treasured among mj' 
letters a commission from you instituting me as 
Chapter 187 — a sort of skeleton in perpetuo, around 
and upon which a Chapter may be built upon no 
notice. This letter is largely to tell you that the' 
skeleton still does business at the old stand, and 
v^ishes to be recognized as Chapter 187. I wear my 
gold cross all but constantly, and am nearly or quite 
as deeply — if not so actively — interested in ento- 
mology as ever. 
And I have a fellow-member! You will guess 
what I mean when you remember cards that you 
received some three months ago from the Rev. and 
Mrs. Thomas L . I think your official records 
of Chapter 187 will furnish you with a basis for 
recognizing the new Mrs. G , who, as Miss Lucy 
L , was the first young lady member and the 
first young lady president of the Chapter, and, 
generally speaking, one of the mo^t conscientious 
and enthusiastic members we ever had. Please 
consider us, from now out, as Chapter 187. 
Yours as always, 
J. P. G. 
»♦> 
CHAPTER ADDRESSES, NEW AND 
REVISED. 
No. of 
Members 
8 
No. Name. 
3£) CnttaraugUH. N. Y. A 
CliiroMce B. Furrar, A. A. Bdx 214. 
330 Brooklyn, N.Y. 1 4 
Freil J WUilhiK, I'arkville, L. 1. {at. Johns 
Chapter.) 
*;i IlanislmDr, I'a. B 
Geo. Moftitt, Coriior Tine an(l-2il yt«. (Harris 
Chapter.) 
fi21 North .Salem, N. Y. A 13 
II. W. Clai k, Cr..ton Falls, N. Y. 
.W8 l.akevvood, N..). A 8 
Mrs. (j. L. llovcy. 
<♦> 
ORIGINAL OBSERVATIONS BY MEMBERS 
OF THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION. 
265. Different Names FOR THE Peanut. [See 
Note 264] — In addition to the vulgar local names 
for Arachys hypogaa quoted by your correspondent, 
C. W., in the August number of Popular Science 
News, I would state that in my boyhood, in South- 
ern Alabama, I have frequently heard Arachys called 
"ground-peas," "ground-nuts," and "goober-peas." 
The names "pindar" and "goober" are pure Afri- 
can, and belong to two diiferent West-Coast dialects, 
though just which ones I am unable to say. Forty 
years ago there were plenty of imported African 
slaves in that portion of the South, and these, in 
