Surnames: Harding, Black

----Source: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) Thursday, 07/23/1925

Harding, Roswell N. (23 July 1925)

HIKER FOUND AN UNCLE HERE

Roswell N. Harding of Buckley, Washington, arrived here Monday night on a hiking trip from Tacoma to New York. He was born at Mac Millian, Wisconsin, 24 years ago, his parents moving to Washington when he was a year old. He camped at Schuster Park and coming down to Frantz’s restaurant for a lunch learned of the Harding family here, and found on inquiry that Abel Harding of this city is his uncle. He graduated from high school and has been attending Washington State normal at Ellensburg, carrying with him a letter from President George H. Black of the Normal School, certifying to his good character. He also has a number of press clippings from newspapers along the way and souvenirs from prominent men he has interviewed, among them the mayor of Missoula and the governor of Minnesota. He is the author of a small booklet entitled " A Modern Sketch Book" consisting of poems and essays, and pays all his living expenses along the way by the sale of this little book. He left Tacoma May 22, and expects to reach New York in time to enter Columbia University in September. He plans to utilize his experiences on the road in his future writings and is making notes on two lines of thought one a psychological study of hikers, and the public attitude toward them; the other, which he has quite fully outlined, being" The Philosophy of Modern Youth". He has also in mind another title for a future book "What Doth it Profit a Man?"

Mr. Harding does not accept charity, but takes free rides in autos when asked, in fact has ridden most of the way.

By economical living, sleeping sometimes in the open, he is able to pay all his necessary expenses from the sale of his book. He has fallen in with many friends and found some relatives enroute and his entire experience has led him to formulate a cheerful philosophy of life. He will remain for a few days, visiting his relatives here and some of the places in this vicinity of which his Rest cut off.