The Lincoln Star from Lincoln, Nebraska • Page 13

I features i editorial THE SUNIMV" STAR THEATRES AXD MOVIES KlEMBa. NATfVt Of SVTTZEG A MtAOLY lost HP 5 OVN TpYifoG TO VAiUE Ff30M 04 Of L0N05 peak Every one somethlnfr of the Ijong'n which occurred last January- when ValUe, prominent died from and exposure a short time after the feat which had become almost an obsession with her to reach the summit of Peak in winter Every one will remember snatches of the press notices which ed Walter Kiener, Swiss mountain cJlmber who was with Miss VaiUe at the time of trartnSy, a hero. That has been eight months ago. In eight months much can be forgot ths public. But Walter climb in but she was In- evening.

THE Alps HA5 CUK8E0 HAWY UXXOUT ON TWIN THE Kiener, who has left his bcioved mountains to attend the University of Nebraska this year, will nhver forget. With but one of his fingers left, the others are for the most part completely off, one or two of them were amputated to the second knuckle; with all of his toes and the greater portion of one foot gone, and with the memory of Agnes Vaills and her valiant death always In his mind he can never forget. Not a Hare, Says He. A serol The public told Mr. Kiener that he was one.

but he scoffs at the idea One is not a hero merely for trying to save a friend In distress, he thinks. He did what his mountains have taught him to do. he was what his mountains had taught him to Walter Kiener was bom la Berne, gwitxerland. He was one of eight children, six and two girls. Always.

from tlis time ho was old enough to hang to a crag, hs has dimed mountains. His mother, he said, often hiked with her boys on a Sunday', going as far as they could go and return In a half day or little more. He i Inherited his love for the mountains from her, and that love was made by his close aseuciation with them during all of his life. In Swilierland there is nr indus- so Mr. KJcner says.

There is no money but the little that is made guiding tourists through the Alps, selling the small trinkets for souvenirs, and the trifle more that Is msde at the small inns. There was never a great deal of money and after the great conditions worse, so this yviung mountain decided to leave his homeland and go seeking adventure. One of his brothers had located In Mexico City, another was in Africa, and a third had gone to India Walter Kiener came to America. sistent and I accompanied her. climb began from Chasm lake mhere Miss Vaille with her car on Saturday started from there and then started for r-eak was bad.

It cimbed to Ixing-s Peak Inn. which tVe Tor is at an elevation of H.D 60 l-tne at our progress. about in the evening, and about 9 was cold, and there I she began, and the fight against weather in winter It should viud which hindered, the wind, ther with ths ciimb- than or eigi.t hcum Miss Vaille. too. was Ing exhausted her In the sum- Left on the climb, i met tmis tbs climb bs It took us pve-tv-four ------tired physically lefcrs made In four hours and in ordinary hours to reai the tnr.

possible, and then I had to go I I 1 Tn naa gk 1 a We rested fhf The first ten months he stayed In New York At the end of th. time he Wsan to miss his moui talna. He had been satisfied wiTk New Tork. its huge buildings, traffic 4 ts amusements, ss iHjeuiible. The cJty had begun pail.

Believeing that the Rockies would satisfy him hat, he came west and In His compsinionship with began In rather a. way. One of the first Kiener did upon was to join the Mountain club. He had Swiss-Alpine club land And thought he great deal of pleasu Jar organisation in iss Vaille a He belonged to tK before he met wh. was alec a memb 11 member of in baltser- get a a stml- that at the top of club name when her has been No matter where he found that there interested )n i to hav tion for the and there were ado.

who did. "At the time Mr Kiener Freni at-renL English sinew "she had the her mind Southern them three or four It in the first ter on h's or that iwHhed bj them Mr Kiener went Miss had him. He was is iavt that the at much adora- bntalns as he had, few, even in Color- I met Miss Valile." in his ahghtly for he has learned came the Peak dim in gd itmbed many of I'waks by heraelf, ere a diatance of undiwd miles from not her intention climb in the that fa at every other an at tempt to ro summer prior bad la tl. I uree, no oppi tie then we tried Siverai sto times the weaih jiusiilfade. and sc within feet of lt .1 turn hack bee inter, but it was against her me she had msde ich the peaA The her death she east sad had of rtuBity to make JVom October on timee but always us.

Many did rr.vke it time we were top but had was With US thar. 1 adnaed bov a little start on the way I have since been told by that there was an eighty mlk- gale that morning and I can well be- It. The cold was lerriffio. Vaille went as far as she couid, and finally had to fall exhausted, 1 had wanted to turn back on the climb for fear that she would hut she would no heirr of it. Once at the top thfre was nothing to do but come down.

When she could go no far- not ither I pi. ked her up and put her In a little in the mountainside so she would have a.s much pro- Uition from the wind and snow cabin after blank ets, something warm fur her to dr.nk, and leave a note fur help. There were twxo men at the cabin who started up me bid one of them had to turn back. He was lost in the storm on the way and died of exposure. The other man.

Jack Christian, did not know the way, and 1 had to practically lead him up the mountain. When they reached Miss Vaille she was dead. Mr. Kiener said thet someone told him afterward that she had probably died he left her, but he know. Cora ng dow the mountain again Mr, Kiener made his great Ra.crifice.

He froxe his his face and his feet. snowblind. He could ncthinp and Mr. Christian did not know the way down. How they ever reached Timbertine cabin again was a mystery to both of them but more of one to Mr.

Christian. "It sitmed as though we lead to safety by some unseen jhand," Mr. Kiener said. I And then came long days of suf- for him. There was not a of him that did not ache with The frozen ngers and toes were amputated and then the pfein was double.

I houra in the hospital. where and were kind to him. he had but one me thought and that was another he had learned from his mountains' I "I shall lift up jT'ine eyes uni a I the hills, from whence comet! I my help Still Tnaa to Climb. Fur a time it as If Walt Kiener would not pull through, but he dui. He evtn Peak again after he had recovered.

although he did It much more slowly than Nfore. It is h.iid to climb without the US' of the front of one's i feet, says this veteran climber, and I there were times when he had to stop and rest from sheer exhaustion There was but one little bih A he ati.jirssd for a moment In t-Uem prayer to "a friend by Las summer Mr. Kimer kept th lookout station on Twin BisterJi He was there by hlmaelf. there, arce.rding to him, he how to live without hit had everx-t hlng to do fur himself cookmg cleaning and hundreds other cummon place things that b-i came gr.at tasks, Ha lesmed all of hia buttons with a bu ton hook, how fasten hia eoM ind put on without a gre di-aj cf effort. And now he to the Unlveraity of K'POlogy un i i 2 loss hi.

w.rd.-o raL.t uss. ix-lt mind ewn more, Mr. poopiv ask mounta.n remun no rt. ward materially thers 1. much In a spiritual mouni.lna tv me are mo 7 huge are Who love, tlorn a.

1 do. The Ja ain. Toaoh to and to be Not UOUiUa! wak rr olr tenatica. hs ran not cllorib mountains su lie anow t.hat von not r't-h p. first and n- 'J-mh an rsnsVtn (And wr.at tujt arn to di, i.jt In wny you a 0 't exjM'ot a J- can ohstaciei- the firwTn.eV'rtrT iTm rwach the i Mr Khisfr 4 1 are 5 il 1 u- tr.al ih.

uker. A fchauld ftatsgu "Jn PwniL, ad aa Itr-'k; tff.