The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-06-13
Talk of the T0,vt1
Editor Missoullan:

o~s'''" oSeT Tue UIScOVefy that II IL
no longer possible to classify noun.
tain climbers in the traditional man.
ner. have always been interested In
this vice, so common In Montana, and
others Will no doubt be Interested BY
the news that 4 fourth kind OF noun
tain-cltmber is now being developed
here. The three old classes. az Is
well known, are as follows:
First-the speedometer type. flan.
nei-shirted. hob nailed and oppres-
sively red bIooded:" can't tell you
anything about the scenery. but know.
precisely how many miles away every
mountain IL and how rapidly the trip
can be made:
Second--Thc outing variety which,
equipped with Alpine impedimenta.
climbs after "vistas." the queer pleas.
nre OF dining with bugs and visible
confederation Of the copy book belief
that plodding will triumph over any
circumstances: a variety less pitlable
than the first. but more common:
Third--The vicarious climber who IL
passionately enthusiastic over these
superb monntains" and the. delights Of
outdoor living Especially in letters),
but never sets foot upon anything
larger than a foothill.
To these fourth class must now
be added to contain tho new noun
tain climber who practices the habit
In order to play a brobdingnag ian
Hide the Thimble" The habitat OF
this new class is the Missoula Coun-
try club. stroke OF good fortune
enabled me to study the new climber
yesterday. =
Now. belong to the third class of
climbers. admire mountains as
horizon material. without noun.
talns to look ut I should be lonesome.
But have no desire to bestride them.
My legs were devised for exercise on
level ground. And had I known that
the game is merely another name for
climbing should never have accepted
an invitation to play golf yesterday.
I had an idea that golf was something
like croquet. an excellent pastime.
But when I reached the country
club I was given Il little ball and a
walking stick and told to hit one with
the other In the direction Of flag
halfway across the Missoula valley.
I could have jumped as far as that
ball went, but they ordered me to hit
It again, this time with another stick.
CA rigid etiquette, devised no doubt
by manufacturers. governs the use Of
sticks, it seems).
Thus we marched over miles of
prairie to the flag. which stood In a
little hole In the middle Of flat earth
floor. When finally induced the
ball to drop into that hole thought
the game was over. But nothing Of
the kind. Another flag was pointed
out. barely visible on the high slope
Of Mount Sentinel.
II golf was intended by its inventor
to develop patience 1t Is sad failure.
Perhaps it would be proper exer-
else for the temper Of one who had
graduated from the toothache to
Journalism to fighting the high cost Of
living for four. but no man with an
ordinary. undeveloped control OF him.
self Is fit to hunt golf balls on a
mountain side. Luckily the caddies.
who. being young. might go to the
devil in trying to keep calm, are wise
enough to pay no attention whatever
to the bail. Upon the player Ia the
burden. and It Is so annoying that one
forgets to use the long periods of
searching in recuperatins from the
climb.
Up and down the mountain we went.
finding the bail, then batting 1t out
OF sight and YEARLY hunting for It
once more. A pcdometer, am sure.
would have registered more miles of
walking than most people think
Mount Sentinel contains. A weary
afternoon, II was.
Nevertheless a great many people
seem to be acquiring the baneful
mountain climbing habit through this
game. 1t is very unfortunate. II
they must be mountain climbers. why
can't they be sensible enough to adopt
the vicarious methods? And II 1t In
the tedious process OF the game that
interests them. they might save them-
selves much walking by letting the
caddy hide the ball In the backyard.
1t is an unfortunate fact, but a dis
tinct fourth class Of climbers Is surely
developing. And all because OF a
silly game. Too bad!
wonder when I can play again.