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H Y D E    B A Y
CAMP FOR BOYS

COOPERSTOWN, N. Y.

HYDE BAY HOMELETTER. VOL. II. NUMBER 4.[1932]

History.   Happy is the country which has no history. This has been an uneventful week.

Weather. Just now, ( seven A.M. Saturday) the porch thermometer registered fifty-seven degrees. It was observed at eighty-four one afternoon. We have had thunder storms , one or two heavy rains, strong winds from the lake, one warm night, a one blanket night

Golf and Tennis.  Mr. Marrian and Mr. Dresser have taken boys over to the club almost every day this week. When they arrived there it is rumored that the boys took them over.

Sailboat.  For two weeks the camp has been asking for the health of an old friend. The sailboat , out of the water for two weeks was launched on Friday. (We are not superstitious.) She has taken such a new lease on life that we hope to popularize the name Phoenix for her.

Sailing Canoe.  Those of us who have sufficient compactness of build to be able to sit on the gunwale have developed marvelous skill with the little craft.

Tennis court.  Thanks to much hard work by many people , the tennis court will be in full blast this coming week. Supplementing the courts at the club this will be especially good for the small boys in the morning periods.

Slide.  We have under construction a slide down which a small car rushes out on to the lake. In its experimental stage it floated down the lake a mile or so and defied discovery for almost a day. We plan to make it twice as long.

Wrestling mat.  Eight old mattresses with a strong cover of brown cloth have developed into a wrestling mat out in front of the dining hall As these mattresses have all been used in our tents it will be no new experience for them to be wrestled on.

Arrivals.  Up to Saturday morning Joe Matthews and Dicky Hynson , both of last year's fame , have arrived. Four or five more will be in this next week and will duly appear in this sheet.

Sports and Whims.  We have yet to play another baseball game. The ping pong table, busy all the time last year has not been used, the new pits for horse shoes are one tenth as busy as last year. Bridge and checkers, golf and tennis, these are the current rage. Thus it goes when a community is not dragooned into its pleasures.

Wharf.  The wharf which has fallen below the level of the lake has been raised on high in beautiful regularity and a pleasing dryness.

Birds.  No new birds have joined the camp since last writing , but the old ones are quite happy, especially the ducks.

Movies.  Older boys Saturday last took their usual dose of the pictures and seemed to do well.

If interested turn the page.

Dinner Trip.  The small boys took a dinner trip down the lake which seemd to go over well. Mr. Wise and crew had the misfortune to fall out of their canoe or it might have been a row boat. They were nearly all rescued.

Overnight Hike  These same small boys saw fit to rise from our 1197 above sea-level to a height of 2000 on Strawberry Mountain where they spent a glo#riously cold clear night? It has rained on these trips as will be recalled by the campers of last year

Garden.  The horses have had corn from our garden. We have had chard,beans, and beets. Twice we have had black-caps enough for supper from the bushes about camp. The picking price is five cents per basket. The camp eats only seven quarts for its desert. Fifty quarts of milk seems enough. The ticker is two days behind tabulating the ginger snaps and fignewtons not to mention crackers.

Fish.  Raymond Roberts, two pickerell, moter by Machen. In#other words Ray did the heavy holding of the line while Tom idled away his time at the oars.

Broke.  Herbert Smelser hit an Otsego Rock with his propeller and had to be towed home from the Golf Club.

Aqua plane  Abandoned by Bobby Pickett in the interests of safety, the plane dove into the mud at the lake bottom. Divers divers soon located and brought it up. Carpenter Young had it repaiered as good as new in no time.

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