The fame of this lakeside metropolis had not penetrated to surging Bridgeboro.

At least it had' not penetrated to the surging mind of Scout Harris.

He tried to recall West Ketchem on the map of New Jersey in his school geography.
But evidently West Ketchem had scorned the geography.

Or else the geography had scorned West Ketchem.
Undecided what to do, Pee-wee lingered a few moments among the mass of charred timbers, and desks ruined and laid, low, and broken blackboards, all in an indiscriminate heap.
"I bet the fellers that live here are glad," he said to himself.

"That isn't saying they have to believe in fires, except camp-fires, but anyway after it's all over they've got a right to be glad." The situation of the school seemed to have been a sort of compromise between the claims of the lake and the claims of the town.