Fleeting Glimpses of Edmond S. Meany


by Ben C Moorer - The Mountaineer Annual 1956

PRESIDING AT TRUSTEE MEETINGS -
It had been my good fortune to watch Dr. Meany conduct many meetings in our various clubrooms--in the Leary, the Central Building, at Fifth and Marion and the Rialto buildings. In the latter he was invariably seated in the Big Morris chair. His meetings were conducted with great good humor, diplomacy, skill and Wit. A long-winded trustee, wandering off the subject, would be abruptly but politely brought back to life with "Do you wish action taken?"

IN SUMMER OUTINGS -
E. S. M.'s tall tent....his tentmate, son Ned ...his next door neighbor A. H. Denman ...busy In camp, getting singers for the round robin...sonorously reciting historical and Indian lore at evening campfires, the firelight shining on his white hair and beard.

Especially do I remember the last campfire of the 1926 Summer Outing in the Olympics. We were on the beach at Taholah. Once again Dr. Meany related the oft-told tale of the Indians' interpretation of the roar of the ocean surf as the "Big Whulge." His talk was accompanied by the real thing in the background.

ON CLIMBS -
While advancing age kept Dr. Meany from strenuous climbs, I was particularly impressed on the 1927 Garibaldi outing by his determination, though very weary after the long climb of Mount Garibaldi. Gasping, stopping often to catch his breath, refusing all offers of assistance, he scrambled on hands and knees up the last steep, slippery slope to the summit.

And again on a special outing to Mount Elinor, he persisted in making the long trail trip to the top because of his special interest in the naming of the mountain.

At the last campfire of the 1913 outing, Dr. Meany spoke from a huge silvered log that had been lifted by a storm high on the ocean sands near the mouth of the Quinalt River. Discussing the history, exploration and naming of the Olympics, he mentioned that Mount Constance, Elinor and The Brothers were named by George Davidson in 1857. The latter was for nearly half a century in charge of the United States Coast Surveys in the Olympic region. Elinor Fauntleroy was the name of the girl who became Mrs. Davidson a year later. Fauntleroy Cove also commemorates her family name.

AS A POET -
His beloved mountain scenes inspired many verses on as varied subjects as Carbon Glacier, the dogtooth violet, Glacier Peak, Goat Lake, Silverton, White Heather, Gen. Hazard Stevens and down the, Quinalt River. I shall always treasure two autographed copies of his poems. One entitled "Ned" and the other "Snow Lake," a tribute to George E. Wright, were both written while on the 1925 Chimney Rock-Mount Stuart outing.

PROFESSORIALLY SPEAKING -
Scene: The 1932 Summer Outing reunion dinner at Normandy Park Clubhouse.
Prologue: My 1925 Outing had a big deficit: too many pack horses and too few members. My 1932 Outing, though some had previously predicted another deficit on account of the depression, made a good profit: no pack horses and plenty of people.
Finale: So when yours truly, feeling perhaps a bit puffed up over the success of the outing, got up to tell the members that each would have a $10 refund coming, I made the fatal error of pronouncing the word "replica" with emphasis on the second syllable. That was too much for Professor Meany. "Ben," he interrupted. "that's REPlica!" Was I properly deflated

Professor Meany at a lunch stop on a climb of Mount
Baker (from Vol. 12 1919)