SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS OF CAMP LIFE. 



HERBERT PEARSALL. 



The location chosen for our camp was 

 a beautiful spot on the shores of Lake 

 Hopatcong, high up among the mountains 

 of Northern New Jersey, where malaria 

 and mosquitoes are unknown. Indeed, this 

 glorious sheet of water has been aptly 

 termed the " Lake George of New Jersey." 



We had camped in the same place for 

 several years and were therefore familiar 

 with all the vagaries of camp life; from 

 hunting up a breakfast in the rain, to wash- 

 ing greasy dishes with a lamp mop and 

 cold water, and any housewife knows what 

 that means. 



We often used to grumble that our 

 amateur cook required enough wood in 

 his camp stove to run a Southern locomo- 

 tive. He was especially prodigal of fuel 

 after a rainy night, when every stick was 

 soaked through and the trees dripped in a 

 dismal patter that effectually choked off all 

 attempts at gayety and made one feel most 

 miserable for the time being. 



We tried the scheme of having an oil 

 stove in the tent, but found the remedy 

 worse than the disease. It emitted such 

 an overpowering odor, that one after an- 

 other of us deserted our" cook and went 

 sneaking out under the dripping trees, for 

 all the world like wet hens in a barnyard. 



But all this was only the rainy day side 

 of camp life. We had bright sunshine 

 most of the time, with spirits correspond- 

 ingly light. Then the bracing air, the free 

 and easy life, the shady hammocks and de- 

 lightful swims effectually erased from the 

 memory all trifling drawbacks and put 

 fresh vigor into each man. 



It mattered not that we sometimes found 

 the nights so cold as to necessitate our re- 

 tiring beneath the blankets fully dressed, 

 including hats and shoes; nor that the 

 yellow jackets were so thick at meal times 

 as to keep us in constant dread of swallow- 

 ing one with our food. These little in- 

 cidents but added spice and variety to 

 - camp life and were never looked on as an- 

 noyances. 



Stiff collars, boiled shirts and other acces- 

 sories of fashion, were tabooed in camp. 

 Style was sacrificed for comfort. 

 t There were 5 of us in the party, just 

 enough to comfortably fill the 14 x 14 wall 

 tent which sheltered us during our trip. 

 Smith and Lockwood took turns at cook- 

 ing. It must be confessed that some of 

 their efforts at fancy dishes would hardly 

 have passed muster at home, but they 

 " went " in the woods. 



We ate flapjacks that were hard as sole 



leather, tainted with smoke and flavored 

 occasionally with kerosene, but for all that, 

 seemed to beat anything our mothers had 

 ever attempted. There was only one ob- 

 jection to those flapjacks. The chap who 

 ate many of them for dinner had to forego 

 his afternoon swim, or else buoy himself up 

 with a life preserver. 



I recall a big pudding we had one day. 

 It was the result of much hot, smoky work 

 over the rebellious camp stove, and deep 

 study of an old cook book which Lockwood 

 had borrowed at home. According to the 

 recipe it was a chocolate pudding, but the 

 finished product, as I remember it, was 

 chocolate only in color. The various in- 

 gredients introduced during its manufact- 

 ure, at the suggestion of various members 

 of the camp, gave forth a grand result that 

 might have been called most anything. 

 There was absolutely nothing in the taste 

 of that pudding to even suggest its name. 

 but we ate it with a relish and voted it good. 



The effect of a few weeks in the woods, 

 on a man's appetite, is little short of marvel- 

 lous, particularly if he does his own cook- 

 ing. 



I shall never forget our first supper 

 in camp. After raising the heavy tent, 

 str^^-^ning out our belongings and get- 

 tin s everything shipshape, we were raven- 

 ously hungry. Smith volunteered to get 

 together a little " snack," as he termed it. 

 After delving in every package of grub we 

 had, he really produced a royal feast; which 

 we ate off the top of a big rock, just at 

 sunset. 



There were sardines and canned salmon, 

 cheese and crackers, lemon jelly, milk, 

 pickles, lobster, coffee and sliced ham. We 

 demolished the spread in about 10 minutes. 

 I did not begin to realize the combative 

 properties embodied in these articles until 

 next day, but the other fellows were less 

 fortunate. They suffered all the horrors of 

 the black plague, throughout the night, and 

 the morning sun, peeping over the hilltops, 

 smiled on 5 white faced young men leaning 

 for support against as many trees, totally 

 disinterested in everything earthly but the 

 Jamaica ginger bottle, which was going the 

 rounds. It took us 2 days to fully recover 

 from that meal and then we got even with 

 Smith. He never had the same reputation 

 after that episode. 



We found the fishing at Hopatcong ex- 

 cellent. Bass weighing 2 and 3 pounds 

 were frequently caught in front of camp; 

 while pickerel of the same size and even 

 larger, often rewarded the early riser. 



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