Feb. II, 1899.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
108 
The Ascent of the Grand Teton. 
St, Paul, Minn., Jan. 24, — Editor Forest and Stream: 
In my letter to Forest and Stream published in the issue 
of Nov. 19, 1S98, I presented evidence which showed 
conclusively the falsity of many portions of the affidavit 
of Thoinas Cooper, concerning- his ascent of the Grand 
Teton in 1877. There were yet in his artfully prepared 
affidavit other material allegations, which every member 
of the United States Geological Survey in that field of 
work in that year (1877) knows to be false; but the proof 
of their falsity was not then in ni}' possession. This final 
evidence I am now enabled to present. 
Mr. Cooper, in that affidavit, swears that he and his 
two companions found the circular inclosure of rocks on 
the northwest slope of the mountain, where he (I quote) 
"left a can containing a slip of paper which bore our 
names," and that he read an aneroid which showed, the 
elevation, etc. If l\'lr. Cooper left a can there in 1877. it 
is pertinent to inquire why the can was not found by Mr. 
A. D. Wilson, of the United States Geological Survey, 
who went up the mountain in August, 1878, and who 
was the first person to follow Mr. Cooper to that point, 
and who carefully searched for some evidence of a for- 
mer ascent. His failure to di.scover the can is now ac- 
counted for in the fact that no can had been left in the 
inclosure. Mr, Cooper's memory, seemingly, is not al- 
ways faithful to the truth. We may note as a fact, which 
throws doubt upon the truth of his affidavit, that not one 
word of his remarkable statements was heard bi' any 
member of the United States Geological Survey until after 
the death of the three principal actors named, Hayden, 
Stevenson and Bechler — the death of Mr. Bechler hav- 
ing occurred about three years ago. With all possibility 
of contradiction by either of these three men removed, 
and with Peter Pollock, the cook, in obscurity, there was. 
to all outward seeming, no one who could disprove any 
affidavit Mr. Cooper might be induced to sign, relative 
to the acts of the climbing party, But 
"The best laid schemes of mice and men 
Gang aft a-gley." 
There is one man still living who has been forgotten 
by Mr. Owen and Mr. Cooper. That man is Mr. S. J. 
Ktibel, now the chief engraver of the United States Geo- 
logical Survey — a man of high character and perfect re- 
liabilit}', and whose word will be disputed by no one. 
It was Mr. Kubel, and not Louis McKean, as stated 
by Cooper, who went up the Teton with Pollock and 
Cooper in 1877, Mr. Henry Gannett, Chief Geographer 
of the United States Geological Survey, writes me: 
"Mr. Kubel is a veiy cautious man," and because of 
his cautiousness he has been averse to adding his testi- 
mony on any point involved in this controversy to that 
already furnished, until such time as he might prepare, in 
all its details, a full record of that expedition itp the Te- 
ton from his diary of that year, which he says he has 
mislaid. But the assault on the character of his old com- 
rade, Capt. Stevenson, contained in an affidavit which he 
knows is untrue in every essential statement relating to 
the climbing of the Teton in 1877,- and including the 
statement that Cooper had any authority over Bechler, 
has led him to respond to my inquiry; and while he re- 
serves the right to add additional corroborative details 
when he recovers his diary, he shows that Mr. Cooper 
did not state the truth in his affidavit. He says that they 
found no slab inclosure on the mountain; that they had 
no can; and he is positive that Mr. Cooper had no ane- 
roid. In all these particulars he flatly contradicts Mr. 
Cooper. His letter will be found below. 
It is evident that Mr. Cooper did not prepare his own 
affidavit. He may be catalogued as a man who gener- 
ally speaks the truth, and is therefore regarded as hon- 
est; but the world abounds with just such men, who, hav- 
ing convinced themselves that a certain thing ought to 
be true, do not think it wrong to originate and manu- 
facture, or to join with others in originating and manu- 
facturing, additional evidence, for the purpose of con- 
vincing others. 
Lord Macaulay says that when Charles the First was 
charged with having broken his coronation oath, the de- 
fense was that he kept his marriage vow. When charged 
with surrendering his people to the merciless cruelties 
of hard-hearted prelates, the defense was that he took his 
little son on his knee and kissed him. When charged with 
having violated the articles of the "Petition of Right," 
after promising to observe them, his defense was that he 
was accustomed to hear prayers at 6 o'clock in the morn- 
ing. 
The defense of Mr, Cooper, as presented, is equally ir- 
relevant and frivolous. When charged with having falsely 
sworn to a libelous statement, defaming the character of 
Mr. Stevenson, who is dead, the defense is that he is re- 
spected as a Qitizen of Cheyenne; and his friends claim 
that this respectability is of a quality and essence so 
super-eminent and notable that it bars out all positive 
proof which has been or may be produced in a specific 
case to show that his affidavit is not true. 
Rev. Frank S. Spalding, rector of St. Paul's Church, 
of Erie, Pa., accompanied Mr. Owen to the summit nf 
the Teton. It will not be denied that his judgment on 
this question is entitled to as much respect as that of Mr. 
Owen, and I have frequently been asked what was his 
opinion. Mr. Spalding has taken no part in this contro- 
versy. He wrote me on Jan. 18 that he believes that I 
reached the summit, because I say that I did, at^d because 
the difficulties of the ascent were not great enough to 
have prevented any good climber from having success- 
fully scaled the peak. 
In a former letter Mr. Spalding wrote me that on a 
wagon ride from Market Lake to the Teton Valley, in 
August last, Mr. Cooper told him that in making his as- 
cent in 1877 he approached the peak from the west side, 
but that he found the slab inclosure on the northeast side, 
and that it was not the inclosure found by Stevenson and 
myself. This statement of Mr. Cooper to Mr. Spalding 
does not accord with that in his affidavit, wherein he says 
He found the inclosure on the northwest slope. 
Thus it will be seen that the little that is incidentally 
„nd inconsequentially true in Mr. Cooper's affidavit is so 
nearly eclipsed that which is not true that the true is 
ardly discernible. 
' Gov, Richards tliinks that I have not lairly construed 
his istatement relating to the question whether Beaver 
Dick (Richard Leigh) was or was not one of our as- 
cending party. Pie says: "I did not assert that he was. 
I have always understood that Stevenson and Langford 
constituted the party who made the ascent at that time." 
I still think that the language of Gov. Richards' state- 
ment in Forest and Stream of Nov. 5 justifies my in- 
terpretation of it, viz., that he thought that Beaver Dick 
was one of the ascending party. Otherwise it has no 
force in Mr. Owen's argument. Gov. Richards, in his 
affidavit, says that my Scribner article was submitted to 
Beaver Dick, and was read, etc. In that article I say that 
our ascending party numbered fourteen persons. Gov. 
Richards also says that Beaver Dick .stated, "after read- 
ing said article * * that he was one of the party, 
and knew just how far up the mountain said Langford 
and Stevenson had gone." 
I think that this language implies that Beavef Dick was 
one of the fourteen who tried to scale the Teton; but as 
Gov. Richards did not inteiid to make such a statement. 
I now readily accept his disclaimer; but with it must fall 
Mr. Owen's argument that Beaver Dick was in a posi- 
tion to know "just how far up the mountain said Latl.g- 
ford and Stevenson had gone." 
■ Gov. Richards will bear in mind that I have never 
questioned his integrity. As I wrote in my former letter, 
I have entire confidence in his truthfulness and honorable 
intentions, I have equal confidence in the truthfulness of 
Beaver Dick, and I therefore feel sure that if Gov. Rich- 
ards ever had an interview with Beaver Dick such as he 
describes, then he certainly misunderstood what Beaver 
Dick said to him. So believing, but with the purpose of 
more fully assuring myself upon this point, I wrote to 
Beaver Dick, asking him to state the facts. Plis letter in 
rc:ply is given herewith. It breathes the very soul of 
truth, frankness and blunt straightforward honesty. 
It will be seen that Gov. Richards' memory of events 
which took place twenty-four j^ears ago and Beaver Dick's 
written diarjf for that year (1874) are not in accord. Bea- 
ver Dick states that his diary shows that he saw but three 
persons (whom he names) in tlie mountains during the 
summer of 1874, and that he was on his ranch, which is 
on the west side of the Teton range, until July 2, on 
which day he started for Eagle Rock Bridge (a full day's 
journey), where he remained, making purchases, until 
July 4 at noon, when he started for home, arriving there 
July 5. The point on Salt River where Gov. Richards 
had his interview with some person is seventy-five miles 
"as the crow flies" southeast from Eagle Rock Bridge. 
Beaver Dick's diary and statements in his letter fur- 
nish the best of documentary evidence that it was some 
person other than Beaver Dick with whom Gov. Rich- 
ards had his interview "on or about June 30, 1874, on 
Salt River." 
I do not seek, as said by Gov. Richards, to "impeach 
this witness," but the testimony of the witness that he did 
not make the statement imputed to him must be received. 
There is no reflection on Gov. Richards' integrity in the 
fret that after the lapse of twenty-four years he does not 
recall the exact details of an event of which he perhaps 
made no p-iemoranduih at the time they occurred. 
Nathaniel P. Langford. 
Letter of S. J. Kttbel. 
Department of the Interior, United States Geological 
Survey, Washington, D. C, Jan. 18.— Mr. N. P, Lang- 
ford, St. Paul, Minn. Dear Sir: I am in receipt of yours 
of the loth inst., in the matter of Mr. Cooper's statement 
concerning the ascent of the Grand Teton in 1877- 
Speaking from memory and reserving the right to add 
to these notes in case I should find my diary of that trip, 
which just now is mislaid, I will say: 
1. That Mr. Bechler was in charge of the surveying 
party. 
2. Tom Cooper, Pete Pollock (cook) and myself as- 
cended the mountain — not Cooper, Pollock and McKean, 
as stated in Cooper's affidavit. 
3. We found no slab inclosure. 
4. We left no can; we brought none to the mountain. 
5. I never saw Cooper have an aneroid, and am posi- 
tive that he had none on the Grand Teton. Very re- 
spectfully, S. J. Kubel, Chief Engraver. 
Beaver Dick to N, P. Langford. 
Wilford, Idaho, Dec. 27, 1898. — To N. P. Langford. 
My dear Mr. Langford: Yours of Dec. 12 to hand and 
contents noted. I was verj^ glad to hear from you, but 
sorry to read about the trouble concerning the Tetons. I 
will answer your questions truthfully, as I cannot do 
anything else. I was camped at our old camp grounds in 
Jackson's Meadows when Mr. Owen and party got to 
the top of the Grand Teton, and as I see in publications 
that Gov. Richards states that I told him I was one of 
the party that scaled the Teton in 1872, what I have to 
state is, to the best of my knowledge I never saw Gov. 
Richards in my life, let alone speak to him, and there 
are scores of people in the past seventeen or eighteen 
years who have asked me questions about climbing the 
Grand Teton, and I solemnly swear here that I never 
told any man, woman or child that I was one of the 
climbing party. What I always told when questioned was 
the truth. I was sent on a side trip, with Shep. Medary 
as my assistant, to see if we could get to the Middle 
Fall River pass from our present then camp without hav- 
ing to cut too much fallen timber out of our way, as 
there had been a large fire two years before. I was gone 
three days, and when we got back the Teton had been 
climbed, and I congratulated the Captain and Gov. Lang- 
ford, as we called him, for getting to the top, as I had 
told them frequently I did not think any one get there 
without artificial means. My reasons for saying this were 
that I had been to within half a mile of the Saddle sev- 
eral times hunting sheep, and from where I was it looked 
too steep for climbing, but I was glad when every one 
told me the Teton had been mastered, against my predic- 
tions. 
If Gov. Richards ever did see me and talk with me, 
which I have no recollection of (and my memory and fac- 
ulties are as good as in 1872, although I am nearly three 
score and ten, lacking one year from Jan. g next), he 
must have misunderstood me. But 1 have no recollec- 
tion of him. There are scores of oeople who, if they see 
this statement, wiW.I^npw my statement is correct, as to 
me being one of the climbing party, for I viras not and 
never told any person that I was, for I and Shep Medary 
were some fifty or sixty miles north of our then camp, on 
duty, that day the Grand Teton was climbed. 
I have looked over my diary for 1874. I find the only 
persons I saw or met in the mountains in that year were 
William Burns and his wife and John Reynolds. They 
had crossed from the South Fork ot Snake River, the 
Teton Mountains south, and come into the Teton Basin. 
They were trapping. This was June 23, 1874, On July 3 
I went down to Eagle Rock Bridge, to the Anderson 
Bros,, to buy some ammunition for my son Dick and to 
get a pair of gum boots for Bill Burns. I left Eagle 
Rock on July 4 at noon and got to camp on the 5th. I 
went hunting with Burns the next day to get meat for 
camp, and on the 7th he and his wife started for the Yel- 
lowstone River. So I cannot see how I could tell Mr. 
Richards what he says I did. It may be he has forgotten 
the year, for I cannot believe that he told a willful false- 
hood. 
As I said above, my memory and faculties and my 
nerves are very good for a man of my age, sixty-nine 
Jan. 9 next. You can sec from my writing that my nerves 
are in fair shape. I have had to wear spectacles for the 
past six years. My homestead is thirty miles from tlie 
Grand Teton. We can see it and aU the Teton range 
from here, and it is a grand sight. 
Richard Leigh, 
or better known as Beaver Dick. 
The Service Berry* 
The service tree which bears the service berry about 
which Col. Fred Mather inquires, is very common in 
West Virginia. When I saw his question in Forest and 
Stream I felt like a boy in school who has been missing 
everything and hears a question he can answer. My 
hand has been m the air ever since, figuratively speak- 
ing, until I just have to blurt out an answer. 
We do not say service. If we did our superiors in wood 
lore would think we were putting on too many ''bloom- 
ing frills." We conform' to the good strong language 
of our neighboring neighborhood and speak of the "sar- 
yis berry," and as it not infrequently occurs, come nearer 
in this homely manner to the Latin name for this tree. 
The name service is a corruption of Sorbus, for the tree 
was common in Italy and deserved a name. They called 
the fruit Sorhum. In southern Europe, I have heard some- 
where, the cultivated tree bears a fruit as large as the 
pear. To classify it, the wild service is tlie Pyrus tormin- 
alis. To the genus Pyrus belongs both the apple and 
pear. But away with Latin, which you have to look up 
in a book. Except for purposes of identification, it is both- 
useless and irritating. Besides, if the truth were known 
some of our high flung Latin terms would fare, badly in 
polite society. Just let us expose that rank impostor 
Pyrus tonninalis. It means simply, 'A five-celled fruit 
which is good for the bellyache." Let us eschew Latin 
and try to give the subject that touch of nature which is 
the main end of Forest and Stream literature, the mere 
reading of which conjures thoughts of the woods like the 
scent of smoke in the clothes you wore camping last sum- 
mer. The sarvis is the first tree to bloom in the spring. 
The bush or tree with its white blossoms dots the sides 
of our mountains and ridges, and the old folks say it 
is time to sow oats, just as they say a month later 
when the dogwood gets white that it is time to plant 
corn. The Indians planted corn when tlie black walnut 
leaves were as big as squirrel ears. 
Then the small boy locates the trees, which have a 
way of hiding at other times. For of all berries that 
grow, tame or wild, the sarvis is the best to eat. Some- 
times a tree will have fruit as large as cherries, but 
generally it is about the size of a pea. We were about 
to say a ball in .32 cal. pistol cartridge, but what an out- 
rage that would be to botanists. Strange to say, this 
delicious berry has never proved to be worth coolcing or 
preserving. About June i, at my home, or a month 
later, in the mountains back of us the berries are ripe. 
Then the young ones, and' old ones too, for that mat- 
ter, form parties, take an axe, and go to the trees they 
have marked when the bloom was on. The trees are tall 
and slender, and the boughs are brash. It is hardly con- 
ceivable to those unacquainted with the facts that a 
tree found loaded with berries looking greatly like a 
cherry tree is cut down in order that the berries may 
be eaten. But that is the way sarvises have been eaten 
for a hundred years, and no one thinks anything of 
destroying for one crop a tree that has been growing 
for many years. Well may the tree hide its slender 
forms in the thickness of the forest I 
It is a little singular that Col. Mather should have 
asked about the .^arvis in an article vmder the head of 
fishing, he knowing nothing about the tree. Every fisher- 
man here has associated the tree with fishing. Black 
bass have been known to eat the berries that fell in the 
w-ater. The tree is at its best hanging over a mountain 
stream. The fruit has an opportunity to get the sunlight 
that it needs to become sweet and palatable, and the fish- 
erman stops and pulls down the boughs until he has a 
"mess of sarvises." 
By the way, sarvis is good Virginia language for the 
word service in its other meanings. Where is the man 
who first taught children that bears cannot climb a small 
tree, and caused the little ones to plan, when in the 
woods, how they will climb a sapling in orthodox style 
when the long expected bear comes along? He is hereby 
informed that a bear would climb a greasy pole for a 
motithful of sarvises. There is no sarvis tree too tall and 
slim for a bear to climb and bend down, or break the 
boughs, in eating the fruit. I have seen good sized trees 
literally torn to pieces by bears until it looked like light- 
ning had been at work on them. 
Two friends of mine once had the good fortune to see a 
bear in a sarvis tree near the bank of a trout stream. 
They heard the branches breaking, and about the time 
they located the animal well and were wondering why 
they had left their guns at catnp, the bear saw them and 
