PRESIDENT AT GOLF
last bivouac of their lost associates. Wooley
succeeded in scaling the fateful summit. Il
wPs In 1SS9 nnd 1S00 that Slgnor Sella made
his visits, combining, like Deehy, photography
wiih exploration, yet amending more peaks
and securing that superb collection of views
liter used In collaboration with Mr. Freshfield
Doubtless the moat Impressive of nil the
Caucasian giants iu Its aspiring grandeur it
the double-towered rshbn, bo stationed on the
watershed of two continent that one of Its
peaks is in Europe and the other In Asia. The
former was climbed In 1S88 by Mr. Cockln
(A. C), who that same year vanquished
Shkaia and .langa, and later, In 1S90. Adal
Khokh and two other high peaks, In 1893 yet
others, but in 1S05 was foiled In his attempt
HOOK AN IIC
exploration
hits proved
fa sclnating
during the
last halt
e e n t u r y .
Lofty mountains in the
various quarters of our
globe present a great
Held. Modern inouii
tnliicciing dates from
the (list ascent of
Mont Nunc, in 17SG
and for more than
half n century asecnla
of importance were
confined almost, exclu
sively to the Alps. Another epoch
making dale was 18.17, in which year
wan founded the Knglish Alpine club,
destined to become the prototype of
tnore than eight score similar organ
izations, represented in nearly every
civilized land, societies whose lead
ers generally turned to "the play
ground of Europe" for the enjoyment
of their (hot-en recreation. Hence it is not
strange that in the next rpiarter of a century
Switzerland and Tyrol had become hack
neyed, with scarcely an Important peak left
unclimhcd.
In 18(18 Messrs. Freshfield, Tucker and
Moore, of the English Alpine club, visited the
Cnucnsiu and made the first ascent of Elbruz
(18.317) at the westerly and of Kasbek
(li,54r.) at the easterly end of the great cen
tral chain. They may perhaps be regarded
as the pioneers of a different type of moun
tain exploration and certainly as the reveal
ers, if not discoverers, of a new "playground"
ion the confines of Europe and Asia, destined
to witness in the last two decades of the cen
tury the coming of experts of different na
tionalities, who soon would leave, as In the
Alps, n.i remote valley unvlalted nnd no proud
summit unvnuqui.shcd.
A glance at the map of the world shows
upon the several continents vast systems of
mountain ranges or striking Instances of iso
lated peaks. To nolo only the principal ones,
vo have here upon our western hemisphere
that belt of varying width which, rising to
markedly different altitudes, extends from the
Arctic ocean to Cape Horn a distance of
liardly less than lO.miO miles. In Alaska It
attains 1 S.I oh feet in Mount St. Klins. about
19,00(1 in Mount T.ogan. a comparatively near
neighbor, and over I'o.diio In Mount McKlnley,
pome degrees nearer the Arctic circle. In
South Americn, from the equator southward,
it soars yet higher in such giants as Chlnibo
ra.o,. Huascaran, Sorata and Aconcagua. It
la here that the western continent reaches its
culminating altitudes.
In Asia a similarly Irregular and much In
terrupted chain runs In a general southeast
oily direction from near the black sea. He
Kinning with the Caucasus and passing by
way of the Klhurz mountains, several minor
rangts and the Hindu Kush to the mighty
Himalayas, which lor a distance of over
1.200 miles form the frontier of India, it ex
tends to the sources of the Brahmaputra and
the Irawadl; great spurs like the Kuen Lun
mountains nnd the trans-Himalayan range,
lately explored by Svcn Hedln, strike cast
ward from It. This system has a reneh of
perhaps 4.utm miles and In It (is it in Mount
Everest, 29,002 feet, or some loftier peak, pos
sibly caught sight of once or twice by men of
the Occident?) we have the crown of the
world. Yet farther north, iu central Asia, an
other notable range, very recently explored,
must nlso be mentioned, for In It rise peaks
of truly Himalayan proportions the Tlnn
Shan mountains, with Khan Tengrl, some 23,
S0O feet in altitude
Compared with these great systems "such
limited region as the F.uropean Alps sink
Into insignificance, and yet for inspiring gran
deur and varictj and beauty of form, also as
u school for the art of climbing on crag and
snows, these readily accessible peaks will
Always retain their prestige.
The vast continent of Africa presents no
corresponding mountain system. The Atlas
range in the north Is -of minor importance;
for, while its summits surpass 13,000 feet. they
lire devoid of alpine features. Yet almost
upon the equator, east of the median line f
the continent and In the neighborhood of the
t-Teat lakes at the sources of the Nile, a com
plex of snowy peaks. Kuwenzori, and yet far
ther east and south isolated giants like Kenia
and Kilimanjaro rise to nltitudes far surpass
ing Europe's long-boasted "monarch of moun
tains." Mont lllanc measures 1 ."..7S 1 feet
nbove the sea. Kenla is IS. OHO feet; Kiliman
jaro 19.00, while nine of the chief summits
of Riiwen.oii measure between 15,800 and
30,815 feet.
The isles of the sea are not without their
claimants for honor. If, In our extreme def
erence for crowns of snow, we pass by the
Hawaiian Volcano Manna Ken (13,95;t, pri
mate of the peaks of the Pacific, and Fuji San
(12.3Mi, the sacred mountain of Japan, and
its compeers, wo shall find on the southern
island of New Zealand, at a latitude of its
hemisphere about that of our White Moun-
Jg li-PlM M Ilk) ll IJrMcL
Ill ' H(toKs Hitfri
HY-'? ,jir Hnj VJutt VS " 'dg of the world's mys-
'V "efr-'fllW 1' teriou.-. heights, we must
tUi-YyiX L IKWIAWtVJi IV consider not only the in-
J Vt''& - 1 1 1 llnWJW lff I herein difllculties offered
lX W$&vm4K w "X xWMiLMw r hy ,hP ,yp" nf mm,ntain
, 5 jfoWW- Mm I,m WWZfrWrs. ascended, but ita remote-
t jP i e - WP'f jl .h character of the com,.
'i! A ! ''''' 'V.JbVa w M il l ry to be traversed In
'A'm'mW , ,A r- &k ' Wmm fe reaching its base, the
'SMyfiMbW jf & W l Sll. M M of snow line, the
ithmiy , f V .. 'AliW fc .'lunate, whether temper-
WmmS'J ' r , ' &4 V' VA' If lM te or affording such
htfti . f ; iAA V ,.' TUMI
W las, half 1 V. I I iV 'Hi I SMt:tilso
mV'-fl lil Wmmmmm
JW0 W r-rv- MU'-"-
tains of
New Eng
land, a
a p 1 e ml id
range of
g I a e I e r
b e a r I n g
peaks, the
Sunt h em
Alps, cul
minating in
M o u n t
Cook or
Aora ngl
(12,349), a
mighty pin
nacle of
rook and
lee. On
the Island
of New Guinea also there are mountains of
even greater height, a peak of the Charles
I.ou!b range, In the Dutch dominions, being
credited with an elevation of 16,730 feet. In
the Atlantic the Pico de Teyde, on the Island
of Tonerifle, lifts the summit of its graceful
volcanic cone 12,182 feet. Spitsbergen, in the
Arctic, with its peaks rising 3,000 to 4.000
feet, one of which was climbed by Scoresby
in 181 S, has invited several able climbers
since 1.89(1..
Hut most recent geographical news presents
the polar regions themselves as a field for
alpinism. Peary, iu his last expedition ( 1905).
ascended a low peak (2.050) and now among
the interesting details of Lieut. Shnckleton's
remarknble explorations in the Antarctic we
hear of the discovery, in near proximity to
the pole, of n lofty plateau upon which his
party attained an altitude of 10,500 and in
ferred that the southern end of the axis of
our planet Is in this table land.
To tho average reader, unfamiliar with the
climber's craft, mere altitude is likely to bo
the impressive fact in a comparative appreci
ation of the difficulty nnd danger of mountain
nscents; yet n table of heights by no means
conveys adequate Information upon these
points. Aside from the serious hardship oc
casioned to nearly all persons at great alti
tudes, apparently by the diminished quantity
of oxygen, even the loftiest summits might
prove of comparatively easy access, once the
base were reached. Judging from Its outline
and snows, as shown In Signer Sella's tele
photographic view of the peak from the Chun
jerma pass. Mount Everest Itself would be set
down as an easy mountain; that Is. as offer
ing no serious technical difllculties to the
skilled climber. Mont lllanc was first climbed
by nn untrained Cbamonlx peasant, alone, in
a two days' trip. For difficulty and danger,
this monarch of the Alps is far surpassed by
many lesser peaks nay, by several of the
"aiguilles" (needles) of its own neighborhood
the Hlaitiere, Crands Chnrmoz, Dm, Grepon
and Dames Anglaises; yet these crags are
only from 11,300 to 12,300 feet high, with their
bases high up on the outrenching spurs of the
great white mountain.
It was as late as 1901, seven years after his
remarkable campaign In which he had accom
plished in one month eight of the most ditll
cult climbing feats of the Alps, four years
after his conquest of Mount St. Kilns, nnd the
year following his notable success In securing
the "farthest north" for his polar expedition,
that Prince Luigl of Savoy made the llrst as
cent of the second In height of tho Dames
Anglaises and christened it "Yolnudu Peak."
Later he made the first ascent of the Aiguille
Sans Nom., It was with climbs of this type
in mind that tho historiographer of the Alas
kan expedition could say concerning this as
cent of Mount St. Ellas, whose conquest re
quired nearly 40 days' Journey over glaciers
nnd neve nearly the entire distance from tho
shore of an Inhospitable sea to the altitude of
18,100 feet, that "if the winning of St. Ellas
only meant the uscent of the terminal cone
. . . It might be compared with many of
the easier climbs in our own Alps."
In determining, then, from a consideration
of the hardship and sacrifice, what compara
t '
WW
y A.
1 't
PSJW TTERMQBtl
cd by Pr. nnd Mrs. Workman on the occasion
of their recent climbing (I90fi) in the Nun
Knn Himalayas, where, at an altitude of over
21,300 feet, the mercury In the tube of the
solar thermometer fell from 193 F. to 4 de
grees below zero within 15 hours, or amid
such comfortless surroundings as those of Dr.
Cook and his single companion, passing tho
last night of their four days' ascent of Mount
McKinley In n cavity stamped out In the deep
snow slope, with a therniometric reading of
11 degrees below zero. Then there are such
dangers as the risks from savage or ill-disposed
natives, as in some of the valleys of
the Caucasus and beyond the Kngllsh sphere
of Influence In the Himalayas, or Insidious
fever and the deadly "sleeping sickness" of
the forests of equatorial Africa, to say noth
ing ot the vexatious problems arising front
the necessities of transportation of supplies
by undisciplined porters.
Some of the names of the victors recur sev
eral times In the annnls of conquest. Wo have
named the pioneers of 1SHS, members of the
Alpine club. Moore, of that party, returned
with F. C. Grove and others of the club In
1874 and scaled with them the western, slight
ly higher, of the twin domes of Klbruz
(18,470), like its fellow nn easy mountain.
Dechy, a Hungarian alpinist and expert pho
tographer, enine first In 1SS4, then In tho
three following years, devoting his efforts ra
ther to thn glaciers and passes than to the
high summits nhd procuring the remarkable
views that adorn his recently published vol
umes. Dent came again with Monkln In 1SS0
nnd climbed Gestola (15,932). They both re
turned in with Fox added to their party.
A fortunate Indisposition detained Dent,
while Fox nnd Don kin went on to climb Don
gosorun (14.517) and (hen to attack tho
stronghold of Ko: htntitnu. Here they and their
guide perished Just how we shall never know.
To Folve Ibe sad mystery Dent returned a
year later with Freshfield. H. Wooley, tho
present president of the Alpine club, and oth
ers, and found high up on the grand peak the
on the southern tower of Ushba. This
was secured in 1903, after a repula
that nearly cost him his life, by Hen
A. Schul.e with others.
Germany was also represented as
early as 1891 -by llerren Purtschellei
and Merzbacher, of whom the formet
had climbed Kilimanjaro in 1SS7 anc
the latter was to distinguish hlnisel!
as a pioneer in the Tian-Shan moun
tains.
If the keen interest that had attend
ed the continued revelations from this
semi-adjacent region to the Caucasiif
waj beginning to wane at the end ol
the eighties, new matter came pouring
In from various quarters to whet the
appetite for alpine grandeurs. Th
Rev. W. S. Green (A. C.) had visited
New Zealand in 1882 and ascended
Mount Cook (Aorangil, which attain
an altitude of 12.349 feet. A pioneei
there at the antipodes, stimulating the
mnbltion of the young men of fhat
new country snd exciting other emu
latlon nearer home, he shortly direct
ed his steps to the freshly opened
mountain region of British Columbia
nnd here, too, became the forerunnei
of a new generation of alpinists, bring
ing out the first mountaineering book
for this new Switzerland.
A New Zealand Alpine club was
formed in 1R91. nnd not only Its owe
peilodical but also the pages of the
Alpine Journal have since brought out
numerous articles descriptive of the
noble scenery and stirring adventures
among those Southern Alps. Of Itf.
members one of the most active has
been Mr. G. K. Mannerlng, author ol
"With Axe and Hope In the New Zen
land Alps" (Longmans, 1891). Doubt
less the most exciting of the works
that deal with this region is that of
Mr. K.A.Fitzgerald, who in 1S95 made
several brilliant ascents, Including tho Silver
horn. Sefton and Cook. Among the episodes
the story of his slip on Sefton nnd hanging
in mid air supported only by the rope In the
hands of Zurbriggen, himself hut Insecurely
placed. Is one of the sort calculated to mnkc
the heart even of the experienced climber
stand still.
Iletuining now to the western continent, It
may bo In order to say a few words concern
ing the development of mountaineering as a
sport tin 'his aide of the Atlantic.
The far west, and especially the Pacific
slope of our continent, offers a much better
held; yet even here, at least in the I'nlted
States proper, distinctly alpine features are
for the greater part absent. That vigorous
societies have arisen here is not strange: the
Sierra club in San Fram isco (1892) and the
Maamns (1894) in Portland, Ore. The for
mer finds n grand field for rock climbing in
the high Sierra, the latter makes exhilarating
and Inspiring snow excursions to the summits
of t'ie extinct volcanoes of the Cascade range
These beautiful snow-covered domes, Shasta
(14.410). Hood ( 1 1.225). St. Helena (10,000)
Adams ( 12.470) nnd Rainier (14,394), present
no serious technical difllculties, as may be
Judge.l from the fact that large parties of
30 to 40 of both sexes not Infrequently make
their summits This is not true of Mount
Maker (I0.S27), which a selected party of Ma
zamas found almost beyond their powers In
1907.
Mount Hitter 1 1 3,1 5H) was ascended by John
.Mt.tr In the early seventies; .Mount Whitney
( 1 1,499). the highest summit In the I'nlted
States proper, by Itciigole, Lucas and Johnson
In 1873, nnd Mount Abbott ( 13.7m)) . whoso
"forbidding summit ... Is one of the only
(wo great Sierra peaks which has not been
ascended" (so wrote Prof. J. N. LeConte in
1907), was conquered In 1908 by that leading
authority on the Sierra Nevada, to whose
camera we owe our picture of Its precipitous
upper slopes.
Mr. Taft's Style Is Most Earnest
When He Plays.
His Drive la a Strenuous Performance
A Laugh Invariable at the End
of Each Stroke Hia Put
ting Impressive.
Washington. When President Taft
playB golf his style is most earnest
when making the play and most non
chalant nnd deliberate between
strokes. He walks from one drive to
tho other as though he was on a saun
tering tour. When the president is to
drive off he makes his wn tee of sand
He does not use the patent little rub
ber tee, nor does he have a caddy build
the little mound for him.
Mr. Taft's theory on this subject is
that it is good for the general exercise
of his body and specifically good for
what might be termed his mlddlo west
to stoop down. So he does it.
Hut the president stoops down In a
way that never will reduce the waiat
line. He stands on one foot and ele
vates the other in the attitude of n
man stretching across a billiard table
for a long shot. Having placed the
ball on the tee, the president takes a
long, hard look at the course ahead.
If there is conversation behind him he
turns around and shouts "Fore!" in a
tone that cannot be mistaken.
The president's swing at the ball on
a drive, with a brassle on the fair
green, is a strenuous performance.
All of thu Taft smile disappears, and
the stern look he assumes would be a
shock to the public that has an impres
sion only of the "jolly" Taft. He sets
his jaw as though about to veto a tariff
A
AJki t Sir
Ft r
11 t
rty-,
ft
President Taft as a Golfer.
bill or defy Aldrich, nnd swings with
all the force of something more than
300 pounds of active muscle and bono
Immediately the stroke is made tho
president nssumes invariably one atti
tudethat of anxious expectancy. He
always "follows through" on drives
and brassle or iron shots so his club
comes up over the left shoulder. It
remains there while he watches the
course of the ball, his lips slightly
apart and his body bent forward.
When the ball has settled ho straight
ens up and laughs.
No one who ever played with tho
president missed that laugh at the end
of his stroke. If the play Id a good one
the president's laugh is a shout; but
even if it is a drive Into a bunker or
off the course, ho laughs. Senator
Hourne, Gen. Edwards, Vice-President
Sherman and others who play often
with Mr. Taft have remarked on the
fact that he refuses to lose his temper.
It makes it hard for a man who does
get angry and swear, and these threo
feel that they have a grievance. No
one of them hesitates to express his
opinion of a ball that does not go
where he Intended to drive It, except
when ho Is playing with the president.
Mr. Taft probably Is most impres
sive in his golf game when putting.
His putter Is a massive piece of wood,
iron snd lead. The face that strikes
the ball Is broad, corrugated and with
weight behind It. The president does
not smooth tho turf In front of tho ball
before putting. He squares himself,
carefully shifting ills feet until he is
directly In line with the hole. Then he
putts with care, and watches, again,
anxiously the course of the ball. If it
goes around the cup, Instead of Into It,
the president says "Pshaw." Then he
laughs, and tries again. That laugh is
the most trying part of being a pat titer
or opponent of the president at goir.
It gets on the nerves of a ninn who
wants to swear.
young
A Handy Man.
'Why so sad?" queried the
man, looking at her fondly.
"Oh, nothing special; only I have
troubles of ,my own," said the frail
young thing, sighing.
"1 Insist on taking a hand In them,"
he said, seizing a dainty palm that woo
wasting Its time ia Iter lap. Uoston
Herald.
