Show THIR TIE I 1 TH SCENT A T LIVES TO CLIMB AGAIN HIS BELOVED MONT BLANC has spent almost a lifetime on the lofty heights of the snow capped mounta n of switzerland an event of no ordinary interest to alpine climbers occurred the other day when monsieur vallot president of the french alpine club made his thirtieth ascent of mont blanc to sw 9 A perilous passage begin with there are only two or three men and they are all guides who can boast of having exceeded this record but the event was as of wider significance than this for it marked the return to perfect health after a long illness funess and still longer consales con vales cence of the man who has devoted devot fed his whole life to the study of mont blanc it was in 1881 that monsieur vallot first set eyes on the monarch of the alps and like many another mountain climber he at once sue suc combed to its spell from that mo me ment nt his thoughts were filled with one desire to unravel the secrets of mont blanc and henceforth his fortune energies and health were dedicated to the task in 1887 with a number of guides monsieur vallot made his way to the summit with the intention of finding out how long it was possible to live in such high altitudes and with a friend and two guides he actually succeeded in remaining three days and nights thus establishing a record which has not yet been beaten his next endeavor was to build an ob sery atory near the top and this he ac complis hed in 1890 in the face of enormous difficulties everything hav ing to be carried up on mens men s backs over ground which a good guide with out a burden takes two days to traverse many of the workmen tell fell victims of mountain sickness and bal ha I 1 to abandon the work others could only work an hour a day or less b fore succumbing to the lassitude caused by the thinness of the air ahe 1 he strongest could put in no more than three or tour four hours woric a day yet the observatory was constructed and the adjoining refuge as well and eight years later monsieur vallot had the observatory pulled down and re erect ed in a better position it stands at a height of 14 feet between the dome de gouter and the bosses du Drom adaire all this while monsieur vallot was continuing his studies which after 20 years of labor resulted in his splendid series of maps and plans of mont blanc then monsieur vallot s strength gave out and over work brought illness from which he emerged a gray haired and workout worn out old man for years he remained in the valley of Cha despairing sp ring of ever being able to make another ascent and yet unable to tear himself away from the scene of hl i lifes labors then two years ago he began to improve in Cha where he reigns as king it was rumored that he had been seen on the mer de glace later ater the news went forth that he had managed to reach the grands amulets this summer sum mer to the joy of everyone be he succeeded in ascending his be J 0 it M vallot s party on the summit of mont blanc loved mont blanc once more and the ascent was in the nature of a triumph al at progress in which took part a num ber her of the friends and admirers of this grand old man of the mountain |