Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-12-05
RAY BAIRD WRITES
FROM HONOLULU
Left Webster City in July Last to
Act as Physical Director in
Y. N. G. A.


Baird, former clerk in the Farmers
National Bank, who left this city
last July to take a few weeks of in
struction in a Colorado Y. M. c. A.
school preparatory to the accept
ance of a two years contract as
physical director in the Y. M. c. A.
of Honolulu. Mr.. Baird has large
circle of friends in this community
and elsewhere who will be glad to
have the chance to read a letter
from him. In a personal note, Mr..
Baird mentions another 1owan in
that city, Prof. Bryan, a former
Montezuma boy, who occupies the
chair of Biology in the College Of
Hawaii and is a recognized author
ity on birds of the South Sea Islands.
Prof. Bryan has written several
books upon his work which he be-
gan as government taxidermist at
Honolulu. The Iowan is a cousin of
Mrs. A. D. McKinlay Of this city.
Mr.. Baird's letter will be followed
in time by other communications.
Eds. Freeman-Tribune: You will
undoubtedly be surprised upon the
receipt of this from the Paradise
of the Mid-Pacific" Should the con-
tents meet with the standards of
your publication and should you
have available space in the same,
feel at liberty to revise and use that
which you see fit. At least note in
your next issue that Baird extends
aloha De" to all of his Webster
City friends and that he wouldn't
mind the least bit to hear from them
and that in return perhaps he might
comply to a request similar to one
which Dutch" Krieg, an old college
friend, made in a recent letter.
while you sun yourself in a suit
of pajamas let me hear from YOU"
With your permission will en-
sequence of time and order with
deavor to build this narrative on a
additions here and there.
In passing will mention that I
left that grand old Hawkeye state,
which looks bigger and better the
farther 1 get away from it, on the
25th of last July. Hot and dusty
was the trip that day but in anoth-
er Sc hours, I was enjoying the
cool inviting atmosphere Of the Col
orado Rockies at the Y. M. c. A..
Camp, Estes Park, 1900 feet above
the sea level.
During my very pleasant sojourn
at this place I was very delightfully."-
surprised one night, upon returning
from a 20 mile hike to Lake Odessa,
to find an old college friend and
right-end comrade of many a grid
iron contest, Bill" Krieg, peaceful
ly reading by the dim light of a
smoky kerosene lamp in Pine Cabin.
College friendship is magnified un-
der such circumstances or at least
it's presence is made more real. We
had a pleasant visit. In the morn
ing Bill" thought he must return
to business so I reluctantly babe him
goodbye. AS he hit the trail down
the Canon, stood for a moment,
and watched him out of sight. In
those few moments l lived over a
lot of college days. Wished I were
again in the canvassing game, pre-
pairing for another year at the old
school. thought, there goes the last
personal college friend I'll see for
several years. However, fortune
turned a trick and I had the pleas
ure of meeting an old acquaintance
at California University.
The Y. M. C. A. conference closed
with a bang. Exams on Wednesday
and on Thursday a party of us boys
gave vent to our pent up physical
stamina by hitting the trail. 4:3O a.
m, up Wind River Canyon. over
Battle Mountain, across the Boulder
Field and up Longs Peak-captivat
ing that old Monarch Of the ranges
after a nine and half hour strug-
gle which taxed ones endurance to
the utmost, for two hours. You may
question whether the price was
worth the view. Never have I look
ed upon a picture or read a descrip-
ton which could compare with the
vast vista that extended away into
the sky in the distance.
From our point of view we could
see-see-and see 100 miles in any
five states-crags by
the hundreds and their
pools-streamS that ap
peared like threads of silver over the
side-range backing
range, each with a cohort of peaks
in mighty array Oh. it
is beyond description. When the
opportunity comes, see it with your
own eyes.
Twas a weary lad that started