New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-08
MOUNTAIN MANNERS
Spirit Of Democracy PerUddes
the Everlasting Hills.

A mountain is no respecter Of persons. II
gives the views from its summit and the
bumps from its rocks with lordly indiffer-
ence bvh to prince and to peasant, and II
lessons its majesty not a whit, though
hotels multiply at its base and all the
fashions Of the earth struggle there togeth-
err Into the hotels, It must be confessed,
the influence Of the mountain does not seem
10 penetrate 10 any extent; the dowager
gossips and the flirtatious youths ply their
arts on the plazzas as confidently as they
would IN the city itself, and man is meas
ured by the cut Of his clothes and the price
OF his room-unless he is a mountain climb
err which changes all things ano insures
him the centre of the stage
Once away from the hotel. on the steep
trail UP the mountain, man is measured
only by his physical endurance and his
ability TO keep still and admire the scenery
in silence. These things account for the
democracy which pervades human inter
course on the mountain side. Novices may
adore but they dare address the expert
enced climber, and the veriest amateur,
painting before she Is halfway up the first
foothill, receives a laughing nod OF encour-
agement from the men who go striding past
her There is good stuff In any one who
attempts a climb, and 1t must be encour-
aged.
Such were the philosophical utterances
Of the woman who had Just returned from
a tramp in the White Mountains. The Trib-
une reporter requested that she come down
to earth, and relate in simple words some
OF the adventures which had brought her
to this state Of mind.
Well" said the traveller, "the first thing
I noticed was that everybody in the noun
tains has the utmost respect for those who
climb. When we started out in the morn
ing. an admiring group would see US Off.
and when we returned fat women We never
saw before would stop US in the hall TO ask
IL we were not tired 70 death on the
highways. when We met parties I'm gorgeous
automobiles, they would laugh and wave 10
US ike long lost friends. Ever have a
stranger smile at you from an automobile
on Riverside Drive? No, 7 thought not.
In the city pedestrians are despised as be
ing poor, IN the mountains they are re-
spected as trampers.
"On the trail the utmost goodfellowship
prevails. Quarter-way up our arst noun
tam We met IO4E slIls, anu We loOh IL Loi
granted that We should hold them up 90
ask about the path. They told us all their
adventures. warned us about a blind turn
and compared our climbing time with
theirs. We had come faster, SO We felt
very proud. soon We met a lonely young
man. and as We We're frightfully thirsty
by this time We held him up to ask II
there were any springs on the path. He
was as good-natured as the girls and very
encouraging, as he said the spring was
Just a few minutes further on IL was.
and there We found more evidences OF
fellowship OF the trail The spring was
cleaned out and built IN with rocks. A
cup was sitting by It's side. and we forgot
all about the evils Of the public drinking
cup. YOU may be sure. The path on and
I'D from here was over smooth rocks and
marked with arrows Of whitewash-more
Evidences OF some party's thoughtfulness
for those who came later. There are many