Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-01-20
WAS HE ECCENTRIC?.
FIRST CONSIDER THIS MANS
POINT OF VIEW.
soes to Greenland In tho Winter and
to Ecuador In the Summer-Local
Color His Aim and He Got II
In That Way.

I'm always very careful about call
Ing a man eccentric or perverse," re-
marked the amateur philosopher, "un.
til find out just what idea he has in
his noddle. Some fellows who do
queer things have very plausible rea,
sons to offer.
There's an artist who eats his
luncheon whenever he is in town at
the same little restaurant on the east
side that l have frequented for years.
Yesterday he paused over a glass of
italian red ink and looked up at me
as solemn as you please.
cit will be long time before we
sit at the same table again., he said
I'm going down to Ecuador right
away
1.-THE thermometer on the wall said
80 degrees, and 1t must have been
close to 100 in the sun. 1t was the
warmest day of the summer, SO far,
and his reference to country that lie
called after the equator wasn't exact
ly soothing.
""Ain't 1t hot enough for you here?'
l asked him, pulling out my handker.
chief. If you take my advice you'll
put off your trip for few months
"'Wouldn't think of doing that he
answered. OF course, it will be hot
in Ecuador, but huh! that's what I'm
looking for. ! suppose you'd prefer
Greenland, but what will you say when
tell you that Greenland was the coun.
try where l put in mighty interest.
ing winter three years ago?'
Most people would have at once
put him down as a crank, but took
the trouble to get at his motives. My
friend is an artist, and he was going
in search Of local color, or atmos.
phere, to use the patter of his trade.
He did not think that the tropics are
at their best In winter. There are apt
to be tourists around, and other in.
truders who strike Earring note. Be
sides that, the landscape itself is less
characteristic. The foliage is not SO
dense, and there are fewer flowers
and fruit. Similar objections can be
made to Greenland In the summer. If
one wishes to visit the far north why
not go when the aurora borealis Is at
its best, the snow Is deepest, and the
long arctic night makes it possible for
one to enjoy really novel expert
ence? 1t was to this effect that he ex,
planned himself, and his arguments
seemed mighty good to me.
ut was the same point of view that
led this artist to fight shy Of Niagara
Falls on a public holiday because he
didn't want to be mixed up with the
sightseers, but to visit Coney Island
on a crowded excursion steamer and
join a personally conducted tour
through Chinatown.
when l accused him of being In.
consistent, he pointed out that when
one visits the Falls 1t is for the pur.
pose of admiring the solemn beauty
Of the scenery. and the fewer distrac,
lions from outside sources the better,
Coney Island, on the other hand, is
the greatest amusement resort in the
world, and exists because of the
crowds that go there. To get the true
with the pleasure seekers, who are in
reality more interesting than any side
show AS for Chinatown, surely it is
a study in human nature to be with a
party of Summers that can be fooled
by the exhibition that the willy Orien
tai prepares nightly for their benefit!
Now, I put 1t to you, was my
friend, the artist, so very eccentric
after all7"