Leralara

An excerpt from the mysterious 1928 journal which inspired the book “A Daughter Named Cyril” by Lara Beebe

Did you ever hear of a

car of steel-

A camp that can run

but cannot feel?

I camp that travels near

+ far ?

Why that’s Camp Funston

Our Pullman car (?2/3

/2 -?)

She left Chicago one

Sunday morn,

And on the city turned

With scorn ,

She was bound for the

State of Sun –

Where the very streets

Are paved with neon.

She carried her burden

Over valley and woods

For they were “Burlington

Escorted tours”

————-pg

Now for Camp Funston’s

personnel

And after that, you’ll Know

them well.

Let anyone try to steal

our Porter

You bet they better hadn’t

order

For of camp Funston Al

Is part

He’s been with us from

The very start.

Dear (Mr., for gray?) from

The city of smoke

Is always ready with a

Laugh + joke-

She has lots of pep + is

Full of fun ,

We’ll miss her when our

Trip is done

—————pg

Preacher Griffen lives

In lower four,

Sleeps there only , nothing

More

For to camp Funston he’s

Not so loyal

But he has a case in the

car Port Royal .

—————

Mr. Wheeler From the

Buckeye State

Is always on time + is

Never late ,

He lives in the preachers

Second floor

And both of them are

Said to snore-

—————

The Bluegrass state is

Represented well

By two ladies, whose names

I needn’t tell,

They live in sections, 1+2

—————pg

And you all know

They are true blue –

—————

The girl whose hair ex-

Plains her name

Also, from the smoky

Fame

Takes up her abode in

Lower three

Where from her cares

She seems quite free .

—————

Camp Funston has

A doctor too

But his patients have

Been very few ,

He sleeps quite well

In upper five .

For High altitude

Seems to make him thrive

—————pg

Mrs. Bielfeld + daughter

May,

Has been far from home, but

Not to stay ,

They like camp Funston

Good + well.

_ – But give their Chicago

As a place to dwell –

—————-

Miss Rudolph in lower

Nine –

Made a bad start, but now

Is fine

It looked as though shed

Need a crutch

But she said “no, indeed

not much”

—————-

Wisconsin we have in

Section 10 .

They’re quiet girls not

Now + then

—————pg

They like Camp Funston

+ like to be free

But now it’s back to

Milwaukee –

—————-

Miss (Rotter?) is from

Chicago too

She likes it’s (h___?) but

Not its (hew?)

She lost her lap and she

Forgot her hat ,

But she found them

Both , so what of that,

—————

Mr. and Miss Ross can say

That they have traveled

Far away

Farther than any of camp

Funston’s crowd

The fact of which they

May be proud-

—————pg

We must not forget

Compartment three

For the folks in there we

Don’t often see,

But there is Mr. and Mrs. Clark

Who aren’t out simply for

A lark

Mr. and Ms. Kelly in drawing-

-room A-

Who have won our hearts

In a quiet way-

And Mr. and Miss Gray in C.

From the city of brotherly

Love, I see-

—————

Now this is Camp Funston’s

Contented Crew,

Their joys have been many

Their sorrows few

I dread to leave this

Funston Bunch ,

And think they all have

The same old hunch .