If there be such a thing as “making the welkin ring,” the Woodmen of the World certainly did it on Saturday and Sunday. . . . the wielders of the ax marked a triumphal march to the summit of Mount Lowe and return by yells like those . . . and others regarding the “allrightness” of their officers and camps.
. . . they were breaking the Pacific Electric company’s record for one day’s traffic on Mount Lowe. On Saturday there were 964 visitors to the mountain resort, and of these 523 were Woodmen.
. . . 163 candidates were admitted to the mysteries of Woodcraft . . . in response to a request by Head Consul F.A. Falkenburg that 100 candidates be secured.
The 600 men at the summit occupied every available rock and level space which was suitable for seating or standing room, and so great was the crowd . . . that the original plan of building one gigantic camp fire had to be abandoned, and many smaller and more sociable fires were started. . . .
When it was learned that there would be over 600 visitors in addition to the regular Mount Lowe traffic, there were numerous predictions that the incline [railway] [pictured at right] and narrow-gauge roads would be unable to handle the crowd. . . . This was so far from being the case that by 8 o’clock nearly everyone had reached Alpine Tavern [pictured below] without any great congestion of the traffic.
The day was almost perfect for the enjoyment of the scenic beauties of the trip, and . . . the expressions of delighted admiration as the coast line and inland valleys were unfolded in an ever-changing panorama — a giant checkerboard in green and gray — were most enthusiastic.
At Alpine Tavern, . . . lunches and similar accessories to bodily comfort were secured. Then began the tramp up the trail. . . .
By the time the gathering on the summit had reached large proportions, the sun had turned the distant ocean into a sea of fire, and preparations for the cool night were begun. . . . the axmen from all over Southern California fraternized after the true fashion of forest dwellers.
Half a dozen or more camp fires were lighted, and around these gathered sociable crowds. . . . The flames from the brush fires, the camp gongs, the many uniformed men and the permanent appearance of the entire camp gave it a strong resemblance to a bivouac of a small guerrilla army.
Los Angeles Camp No. 402 was very much in evidence. The members of this lodge . . . had a big fire on the east side of the summit. . . . old-time songs and newer stories enlivened the hours of waiting for the more serious business of the night.
Shortly before midnight the Woodmen’s band arrived and immediately became the center of interest until . . . Head Consul Falkenburg mounted an improvised platform and called for order. . . . [A three-hour meeting and initiation was then held.]
The surprise of the evening then followed. Only Neighbor Uber of Eastlake Camp knew that it was coming, and his act was dramatic and will never be forgotten by those who stood beside him. He advanced to the stand . . . and spoke somewhat as follows:
“Neighbor Head Consul Falkenburg. . . . I would like to present you with this little scarf pin. The gold button which forms its head came into my possession while I was an officer on the [battleship] Oregon in the Spanish war. I found it on the vest of the commanding officer of the [Spanish naval cruiser] Colon, which he had left behind in escaping from his sinking ship [off Santiago de Cuba].”
At this point the young man’s feelings overcame him, and as he looked up and handed the pin to the chief officer of his order, big tears streamed down his cheeks.
The head consul was also visibly affected. “My boy,” he said, “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this. I had a nephew whom I had raised, and tonight he sleeps in a grave at Manila, and I know how precious are all the little tokens of that war.”
Then as the band struck up “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” the young man and his chief grasped hands while the great assembly cheered until the echoes were sent back again and again from the surrounding valleys.
This was the conclusion of the official ceremonies. . . . When Easter morning was finally ushered in with a gorgeous display of purple and gray, the Woodmen of the World descended from the peak, feeling that they had been well repaid for their long night’s vigil. Breakfast was provided in front of the Alpine Tavern, after which the campers dispersed.
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