The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-01-08
BRAVES COLD TO TAKE HIS
DAILY PLUNGE IN SOUND
THOMAS b. M'MAHON
DOESN'T MIND THE
WEATHER.
Cavorts About in Icy Wa.
ters With Abandon of
Summer Bather.
Who wouldn't be
With q mermaid fair
Singing alone,
comblng her hair
w Seattle scar
- hofnas 50. MueMahan.

W |AahAfN NHHf
Thomas s.. Muesfahan.
with the thermometer stuck
some 10 degrees below the freez-
ing point. with winfefy blasts
blowing across the waters. snow
flakes swirling around ga the most
diaagreeablc manner Thomas r..
MacMahon. lawyer natures pal
aud demon cold weather swimmer,
plunged into Puget Sound of West
Seattle yesterday afternoon and
for fifteen minutes sported around
in the briny deep. caring nanght
for The elements that made mere
men ashore chatieringiy wish for
a warmer cline
Not satisfied with taking a swim
In The icy waters. this Major ozone
% Seattle stepped from the waters
into snow. ankle deep. aud without
q quaycr oF Hhiger stood for a
time exposure that the photog-
rapher insisted was necessary on
account OF the lowering gloom u
The late afternoon Then he piung.
I'D again into the waves 10 swim
ont under the bridge. to dictate an
Interview promised the watching
newspaperman.
Floating and Enjoying u.
Lying flat on bis back with the
sind whipping lcy spray into his
eyes and with the snowfiakes fall
nag with spat on that part Of
his anatomy which Insisted on pro-
truding above the surface Of The
waters when the rest 81 him WAS
near the surface this friend Of
nature indited as his Interview sew
efal apt remarks and the above
verse The verse - printed above
with apologies 10 20 one. not even
the mermaid The other things he
said were:
Water Is a gratuiuous offering
Of nature"
The sea 81 not diminished by
use. and the Interview ended with.
Yours In a swimming posture
Made Good to His Friend.
The repoFioriai and Photographic
stunt an grew out OF he fact that
Mr. MacMahon really believes in
playing tag with nature and insists
on telling his friends what a good
thing q IS for mankind When the
summer days were here one time
be gave q dissertation upon this
pattlng nature on the back and
tickling her under the chin AT all
seasons Of the year. and the friend.
although having the highest regard
for Mr MBcMahon's reputation for
sanity. sobnety and iFnthfulneEs,
doubted the statement that he
plunged into the waters Of the
sound The year round regardless
Of the elements or other conditions
that would hinder the ordinary
swimmer.
Yesterday morning when the
snow was flying the thickest, when
the wind was blowing its worst
and the thermometer was down TO
It's lowest. McMahon called the said
friend up over the phone and sug-
gested n little swim IN The sound
of the MacMahon camp over in
West Seattle.
Substituted a Scribe.
The friend was too busy" to get
away himself. but he found time
70 get a newRpaperman and a
photographer vino would risk be-
Ing frozen stiff to record the stunt.
so az $3.50 O'Clock yesterday after
noon Mr.. Mcmahon took the news.
paperman. photographer and an
other friend across the bay and
over TO the MacMahon camp Just
beyond Luna park
Upon arriving there Foley" and
Jack produced the bathing suit
and Mr. MacMahon promptly don.
ned the same. and with bare arms
and bare legs protrudine from the
usual abbreviated summer swim
ming costume. waded through the
snow from the camp door 20 the
waters edge. walked down through
the icy surf 10 swimming deem
water and plunged out for the
bridge 10 frolic about an the same
as il the thermometer stood at 80
degrees fahrenheit
The friend, /" Foley" and Jack"
soon found the air far too chill for
them and hustled back into the
camuhouse 20 hover about the stove
while the newspapcrman and the
photographer between watching
and photogFaphing. ran races with
each other to keep warm.
About MaeMahon.
When Mr. MacMahon had emery
cd from the water and had d0nned
his street clothing he explained
that he was 80 years old. that he
had been going Ia swimming The
year around all his life aud be-
lloved that this was the most
healthful. and. when one got used
60 e. the most agreeable manner
of living lie talked an HE way
back 10 town about getting back
90 nature and on similar topics,
convincing his shiverlng compan.
ions that he was right because MIR.
Mcmahon did not shiver then. he
had not shiyered in the water nor
when emerging from the same
never a shiyer shiyered he during
the whole performance
Mr., MacMahon has been in the
city a number OF years He Is one
OF the most prominent lawyers at
the local bar and last spring was
prominent as the candidate for the
office OF corporation counsel on the