Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-26
WANDERER RODE ON
\ RAFT ACROSS THE
\ COLORADORIVER'
Bachelor Of Arts Prefers Life
in the Open, Free from
Care and Far from Civili-
cation.

Gallup. NJ NJ, Fee 2e.--H s.
smith. poet ana Philosopher. music
cian and mathematician, with pert
paictic propensitlea. arrived IN Gallup
from Prescott sccoutig He did not,
However. come all the way by rail,
having walked from Prescott 10 Hol-
brook, distance approximately q
$50 miles. This Is but one 81 the long
SAINTS that Mr. Smith frequently
takes. he preferring a life that takes
him away from the haunta % men
and the marts Of trade. loving nature
and communion with her visible
forms. with this love there IL also
the love OF adventures In his make
up. a desire for the separated and Ee-
questered places, the unfrequented
rceesses and solitudes Of the earth.
On these Journeys. made without an
rounoement or oatentatlon. many %
them fraught with dlacomfort ann
danger, he Is unattended, makes no
provisions for his bodily wants. has
no protection against any possible foo,
carrying only a few books. usuaii5i
texts on higher mathematics, which
he studies by day and sleeps with w
night with no covering other than
the heavens biue canopy. He not
llnfrequentiy travels two or three days
without food. enduring hardships ard
suffering from which the ordinary
person would shrink but which he en-
dures with the fortitude and lndif-
ference OF stole.
Mr.. smith comes Of distinguished
Kentucky family. and 70 a university
.Issaa - Il. f.F IA
Is following his mode OF life purely
from choice. Judged by his standard
and according 60 hls ewn vieWpolnt
he Is making I Q surcess Certain y
IL BY his great musical ability he has
given pleasure and inspiration TO hum
dreds and thousands, and his depart
ure from any community where he
long remains and becomes known oe-
casions regret.
To DO astride a raft on the Colo
RADIO river, It's edges fringed with ice
on a November day. Is an experience
not especially 10 be coveted. Yet this
IL the experience OF Mr.. Smith IN the
month named In the year past. Set
ting out afoot from Whitehills, Ariz.
the very outpost OF civilization, II
northern Mohave county, with Ne
vada az his objective point, ne reach
! ed the Colorado river at Bernilfs fer.
~, now abandoned. Having crossed
the river before on q raft and think
ing Go do Il again. by the aid Of som'
strips Of ducking In which he nes
his books tied up, a raft trlangulai
IN shape was made Divesting him
self - his clothing and tying Il q
his raft. he pushed out Into tn
stream. Reaching mid-stream h
found the current too strong FOR hl
frail craft and was forced 20 drif
with the current He plunged INT
the Icy water and BY sheer strength
tried 10 push to the other side, bu
his exettion was in vain. BY I'M
time, after a half hour IN the water
chilled through and through, n
crawled back on his raft and drifte'
with the iahospitable current, resolv
J ed 20 take a chance with fate.
dreary, desoiate hour or more passe'
with no prospect Of deliverance, whei
al last he discovered In the currcnt
roasstless sweep a boulder projecting
J above the waters surface. Reachin
Il. he abandoned his makeshilt an
made q plunge for the bank, landin
on the same side from which he start
Z ed. with some matches which y
. had kept dry he made a fire an
, warmed his almost frozen body. II
returned 70 Whitehills, where he par
took OF the first food since leavin
! there--two days.
The writer. having crossed the Co
1 orado some distance below at %
mouth Of Eldorado canyon but nS
IN the same spectacular way KNOW
something OF the peril OF Mr. smith
, undertaking. II was after a walk
e fifty miles from Las Vegas. New. tina
= reaching the river az the mouth
the canyon unaccOmpanled, he cross
ed the river 20 the Arizona side
, a small Indian canoe, but without th
I narrowing experience OF Mr. Smith.