Adventure Magazine Cover — page 188: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

178 revolution in 1910, but prefer not to refer to actions there, as I may again want to go to Mexico. Have traveled and hunted over a lot of territory in Central and South America, and occasionally had some pretty close shaves. K my first airplane ride when the industry was starting, in 1910 with Glenn Curtiss, and later in the same year with Johnny Moisant, who was killed in New Orleans in a hundred foot fall Dec. 31, 1910. Have ridden as passenger a number of times since, but the latest and best was a couple of weeks ago, clipping from NV. Y. Tribune enclosed herewith. Early part of 1917, before U. S. broke off diplo- matic relations.with Germany, I went.on a semi- official confidential mission to Venezuela, spending several months in combating certain German in- fluences, and the spice of adventure had plenty of seasoning there. During the World War my knowl- edge of Spanish, and certain countries particularly, was the cause of my being commissioned and sent to Cuba, Mexico, and ether countries, but the in- teresting events of those trips are necessarily locked in the archives at Washington, and while some of them would make mighty interesting stories, it can’t be done, at least over my name. Am now engaged in building up a Foreign Trading business, which has already agencies or representa- tives in every country in the world; and among the haiterests, other than financial, is the opportunity which will be given me to visit and hunt, and per- haps see some new adventures, in the many localities I have not visited. Wishing you ali tke success in the world =. I. MATHER, “President Atlas Commerce Corporation. ve cen Ce Stations | fe IS quite a while since the Sriticn idea was first presented to Camp-Fire and, beyond printing now and then the list of Stations already established and an outline of the idea, we in the office have done next to nothing toward pushing the plan. Which, I think, is the fairest and soundest way of testing it out. It seemed to me the kind of thing that quite a lot of you would respond to if we kept prodding and pushing you, but that would have been getting it into opera- tion by pressure and forced draft, an arti- ficial impetus. The only test really practical and worth while seemed to be to present it to Camp-Fire only enough to keep the idea fairly well before the eyes of all and then wait to see whether the idea had enough value and worth to make its way ‘through natural appeal. So we have followed the latter method and the results seem to prove strongly that the Station plan zs inherently sound and meets with the kind of natural response that - fully warrants taking it up in earnest. The number of Stations now in operation may Adventure seem very small in comparison ‘to our total number and a strong indication in the nega- tive, but to those of you who have been with us from the beginning it will be wholly encouraging. You will remember how “Ask Adventure,” “Lost Trails,” our identifica- tion cards, mail service, buttons, even our Camp-Fire itself seemed to lag and totter along when they were first tried out. Starting a new thing is always slow work and we must judge the new baby by com- parison with our grown-ups when they were babies. On this basis I have no doubts of the success of the Station idea and I think most of our old-timers will agree with me. LSO, remember that in the nature of things there could not possibly be so many members who would or could start Stations as there are members who would want cards or buttons or write letters to Camp-Fire or even send inquiries to’ “‘Lost Trails.”’ Most of all, the Station idea calls for many men who would use the Stations, but only a few to run the Stations. One volunteer for the latter work means a large number who are interested from the point of view of users. The more we in the office think about it, the surer we are that the Stations have come to stay. So.we are going to settle down to the job as one more permanent practical service that can, with Camp-Fire’s help, be kept going for the benefit of Camp-Fire. And I fully believe that, as time goes on, our Camp-Fire Stations will become something of which al] of us will feel very proud. There are tremendous possibilities in the plan and I believe that before we are through we are going to realize them. Coe fundamenta] point can not be too much.emphasized. To the extent that these Stations are used to advertise our magazine or anything else their success will be limited and made doubtful. Therefore we must keep advertising or propaganda work clear away from them. I realize fully that their very existence helps the magazine and advertises it. So do our Id. cards, our “Lost Trails,’ our Camp-Fire itself. But, like them, it is aSuseful and welcomed ser- vice, is for that reason justified, and will, if ‘kept as free from direct advertising as they have been, suffer in no way from the secondary fact that it helps the magazine. @ cCOmicloolks CO