The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-15
HERBERT HOOVER.

vacations He worked every summer gain
ing practical knowledge of his future pro
should help to carry him through anothei
year in the university. He went way bacs
to Arkansas the first two mme an
plodded all over that State helping to max,
a fine profile map that attracted consider
able notice at the Worlds Fair at Chicago
| He was no more afraid of hard manua
I labor and tedious tramping than he was o
| long hours at his study table at night.
The writer happened to be one Of Il party
OF five, along with Hoover, that visited
the Yosemite Valley in the summer OF 1881
1t was Hoover's last vacation. and he ex-
pected to spend part of it in recreation. One
night in June there was IL college Reunion
there in the grand old valley. something
ever thirty different colleges being repre-
scented by nearly seventy men and women
and the lovable old Professor Joseph lie
Conte. University of Georgia. ISL. was the
finally wound up the evenings singing and
storytelling and instrumental music with a
sort OF hilarious war dance around the
giant bonfire built in an amphitheater of
powders and pines close TO the Royal
Arches.
1t CHANGED that members of the California
Glee Club. out on a roughins trip with a
burro train, were present for that reunion.
They sang gleefuI airs with true college
zest. And after each favorable impression
from C~alifornia's representative some Of
the strange men from out of the East would
call from the Pickering circle, "Now. for a
Stanford song. But the Stanford men We're
truly "a stupid lot" as a school teacher in
formed them the next evening, when they
stopped for an unconventional call at one of
the numerous camps and joked for a half
hour with the fair gathering, and then, with
into the darkness with a convincing Stan
ford yell that echoed from both sides of the
mighty walled valley.
Walked One Hundred Miles.
That visit to the Yosemite was during the
great railroad strike. A telegram came one
day informing Hoover that his application
for a position with the State geological sur
veying party had been granted. Train and
nearly 100 miles to Stockton. where Hoover
could take the boat to San Francisco. He
said nothing. but cooked himself some lap
o 5asks som os' co OH a fuok his is t SaeS cum m s smail
fry pan, o pair Of blankets and said good
by to his camp companions. 1t was hot
weather in midsummer. and three days OF
mountain roads. But Hoover went at it
without a word and never mentioned it
afterward.
When Herbert Hoover received his uni
versity degree he came to San Francisco.
practically without a dollar, and secured a
place in the Office OF Louis Janin. the mining
reports on Colorado mines that he had been
sent out to examine had attracted special
attention from English investors. Hoover's
agents seeking Western mining
Investments. So Hoover opened an office
on his own account in the Mills building
and seemed to be kept very busy. Within
two years after his graduation he was Of
fered the position Of expert in charge OF ex-
tensve gold-mining districts. Then 1t be-
came known that Hoover mad gone to Cool.
gardie, In West Australia. at a salary or
1000 . year. though he was but "a years
Of age. There, in that dreary, swelterinS
part Of the lone continent, Hoover gathers5
about him as assistants several other CaN
fornia boys who had received their geologic
al training at Stanford
Chosen by ndo
A year later HOovers name had become so
well known to London mining concerns that
another big syndicate chose him to go to
China at the head Of a party to make ex-
tenstve explorations of China's gold possi-
And his salary was increased to
q year. with hopes of a better en-
vironment than that Of cherries Coolgardie.
Hoover went to China by way OF London
and San Francisco. and while in this city
stayed at the Palace Hotel and entertained
some OF his old college associates to ffne
dinners and expensive cisars-the same
Hoover who had complained that he could
not AFFORD to pay 80 cents for q country
hotel meal during the trip to the Yosemite
years before. In China. as In Aus
Eralia, Hoover remembered and favored the
men who had studied geology with him IN
he university and had several California
soys on his stan.