New-York tribune., 1903-07-19

With more leisure and a better appreciation of
the fact that a man works best who doesn't
work all the time, the New-Yorker, like the
Londoner now looks for recreation grounds
where he may rid his mind of business cares for
weeks together
The Pacific Coast has had for some years
mountain climbing societies, and recently these
organizations have been recruiting more and
more members from Eastern cities. On the top
of Mount Hood which towers above the sea-
shore of Oregon 10000 feet, 1856 persons organ
lied themselves a few years ago as the Maza-
mas Each year they climb some mountain COW
cred by perpetual snow, and although many
times the party has scaled almost precpitOus
glaciers not life has been lost. Both men and
women are members, some of whom bCa t tf hav-
ing scaled Mount Shasta, 1850 feet Mount
Tyndall. 143S6 feet Mount Whitney 14,S9S feet
and Mount Rainier, 14,500 feet The clubs
membership has now increased to three hun
dred persons
Both recreation and exploration are the pur-
poses of the Sierra Club, of California. For the
last ten years its members have sought to pene-
trate some mountain fastness formerly regarded
by average mortaIs as inaccessible These noun
tain climbers have not only trod these virgin
soils themselves, but have also obtained their
preservation as government parks
AS the result Of their work they secured the
incorporation of the General Grant National
Park and the Sequoia National Park, both Of
which embrace some four million acres. Some
times their explorations have been so extended
that they were accompanied by train of pack
animals carrying some ten tons Of food, in addi-
lion to other supplies. John Muir, the author, is
the president of the Sierra Club.
Among the Fasteners who have taken it into
their heads to scale peaks are some Bostonians,
Cd no luh
haustipg the White Mountains they have made
the mountains of the Northwest their climbing
ground, but their purposes have often been
garded with suspicion. 1t does not seem possible
that these Bostonians would risk their necks
just for sport, that the element of danger
for Boston man would add any zest to recrea-
tion.
It is believed that they are trying to figure
out the height Of these mountains in fractions of
inches or otherwise turn the achievement into
Vne of mathematics, They have, at any rate.
come to the conclusion that the Rocky Noun
sains have in their park range twenty six peaks
which over 14,O00 feet in height, and that In
Colorado alone there are forty mountains of tbs
altitude. 1t is said that the Boston mountain
climbers satisfied that there are enough
SUBMITS to climb in the United States to give
them a new 14O00-foot one for every remaining
year of their natural lives
The dangers of mountain climbing were shown
only last week by the terrible experience of
Mrs A L. Johns. Of this city. In walking from
4 hotel in the Yosemite Valley of California to
the Fissures, two miles away, she fell three
hundred feet from the edge of a crevasse, and
lay narrow shelf of rock on the brink of
another precipice fifteen hours before she was
rescued The woman escaped death because of
juniper bushes and scrub trees through which
she had plunged in her fall.