i84 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



IN MEMORIAM 



Every one of the hundreds of members who have been on the Sierra 

 Club Outings will learn with deepest sorrow of the death of Charley- 

 Tuck. For the information of those who have not participated in any 

 of the Outings it should be stated that Charley Tuck has been the head 

 cook on all of the thirteen annual Outings which the Club has taken. 

 Not only did he fill this position in a most satisfactory manner — being 

 faithful in the highest degree, exercising rare judgment in the conduct 

 of his work, and possessing remarkable executive ability in planning 

 and directing others under his supervision — but he made for himself a 

 place on the Outing and in the hearts of those who came to know him 

 that was exceptional for one of so different a race. It will be possible 

 to secure others who can cook as well, and with experience they may 

 even be able to fill his place in most other respects, but all who knew 

 Charley will realize that his genius for getting along with people was 

 unique and that we can never replace the jovial, good-hearted soul who 

 entered into the spirit of the outdoor life with such zest, and who 

 preserved a calm, unruffled spirit through every adversity and met 

 difficult situations with such serenity of mind and yet who had such a 

 fund of humor as to endear himself to all. 



Charley Tuck came from the province of Canton, China. His name 

 was registered as Toy Teak, but he soon gained the sobriquet of Charley 

 Tuck among his American friends. He cooked for country hotels and 

 finally for Ahwahnee station on the old Wawona route to Yosemite. By 

 rare good fortune the Club accidentally hired him to cook for the first 

 Outing in 1901, and his service proved so valuable that we made it 

 worth his while to come with us each year since. We shall never for- 

 get his faithfulness shown on many occasions and under most trying 

 circumstances. The day he was lost and rode alone thirty-two miles 

 over snow and mountain passes, arriving at the Merced Carion camp at 

 8:30 in the evening, long after dark, bringing food because he thought 

 we could not cook without his aid, is only an example. 



He was cooking for the Raisin Gun Club when taken ill, and died in 

 the Fresno County Hospital, January 2, 1914. 



He must have been between fifty-five and sixty years of age. His 

 friends say that he leaves a dependent wife and son in China. 



We can get other good cooks for the Club Outings, but we can never 

 get another Charley Tuck. W. E. C. 



