9 minute read
Message in a Bottle
Message in Bottle Discovered on Mountain from 1952: CUPID INVOKED
Rick Wise ’53
Renae Gannon, Cheyenne Mountain State Park History Committee Fountain Valley School of Colorado 3/25/16: I am trying to locate a Henry Ulrich Wise who graduated from FVS in 1953. A group of volunteers from Cheyenne Mountain State Park was atop Cheyenne Mountain working on the new trail and found a love note in a bottle written by Henry [Rick] in 1952. We would love to contact him or a family member to get his story and perhaps include it on signage along the trail.
Email from: Jeanne Olive, FVS co-director of communications To: Rick Wise ’53 Date: 4/13/16
JO
Dear Mr. Wise,
We were contacted by Cheyenne Mountain State Park regarding a bottle found by people who were building a trail on Middle Peak at the top of Cheyenne Mountain. In the bottle was the message:
“I name this spot DEEM POINT, on this day Oct.11, 1952, by the powers invested in me by Cupid. Henry Ulrich Wise, Fountain Valley School.”
If you are willing, I would love to get the story behind this for the next issue of the Bulletin magazine. In addition, Cheyenne Mountain State Park would like to contact you to add the bottle and your story to their history.
From: Wise To: Olive Date: 4/13/16
RW
Dear Jeanne Olive,
What an amazing flash to the past! At first I thought your email was some fundraising scam, but there are enough details to make it sound like the story is real. I wish I could tell you that I do remember writing that bottle message. I don’t, though I think it entirely plausible, something I could well have done. I do know that whenever possible, I took part in horseback camping up in the Rockies, led by Fountain Valley’s stoic and generous instructor, Deck Cheney. October 11, 1952, was a Saturday, so a day we could well have been up there in those glorious mountains. We camped out for I think at least a couple of days every time we went. In October, 1952, I was a junior at Fountain Valley, so a bit filled with myself and also hopelessly, romantically solo, since in those days FVS was all male (I’m so glad it is now co-ed). I did have a girlfriend back in New Jersey, but she was far, far away. It’s entirely possible I wrote those words with the flourish of “powers invested in me by Cupid” with all the ardent fervor of any 17-year-old. I am sure I was in love with Love. As to why I chose “DEEM POINT” as the name for that spot, maybe I thought the name was appropriately confusing, a way to reflect my own confusion? I would love to have a photograph of the bottle and the message if you can send one to me. And of course, you are welcome to use my very short story in your next issue of the Bulletin. Equally, the Cheyenne Mountain State Park is welcome to contact me and use this story if it is of any use to them. Frankly, I think it might invite too many “lost” bottles scattered among the great Rockies. On the other hand, that method is a whole lot better than carving initials into tree trunks.
From: Olive To: Wise Date: 4/13/16
JO
Yes, I will send you a photo once I get one. What a fun story, even though you don’t remember doing it! Thank you for responding. I see from the yearbook that you did well in gymkhana and performed in operettas. This is my 11th year at FVS, and two of my time-travel wishes would be to meet Deck Cheney and see one of Kitson’s operettas.
From: Wise To: Olive Date: 4/13/16
RW
I join you in that time-travel wish. Two of my best memories are about riding with Deck Cheney and singing with Kitson. He taught me how to sight-read vocal scores, a skill I later lost from not practicing. He was such a gentle and encouraging mentor to all of us who liked to sing. As was Cheney to those of us who loved to ride horses. I am almost 81 now, and those memories are part of the richness of my life.
PS: I graduated magna cum laude, which was probably NOT in the yearbook. That was a marvelous surprise to me on graduation day. Suddenly, I got a whole lot of more respect from my peers, even from some of the guys who had previously tormented me.
From: Wise To: Olive Date: 4/15/16
RW
...While I don’t remember this incident, it has stirred up other memories, including the time I was busted around 11 p.m. climbing in the second floor window in my senior year with a lariat slung around one shoulder. With a couple of fellow students, we had been practicing lassoing calves that were penned down by the horse barn (we used breakaway loops so the calf would pop free with a quick pull from the roper). Trying the next day to justify our actions, I made the critical mistake of claiming I did it because “I was bored.” Mr. Taylor came down hard on that “excuse,” and I was grounded (confined to my room) during evening study hall for some time.
Lots of other memories like being the go-to guy for my history class notes, but that roping one for some reason seems special. Maybe because most of the time, I was Mr. Goody Two-Shoes. For once, the rebel streak broke out.... as it has since then, too.
From: Gannon To: Wise Date: 4/15/16
RG
I can’t tell you how excited the history committee at Cheyenne Mountain State Park is to make contact with you! Thank you for the wonderful email...The note was found in 2009 by Mr. Jack Busher, a volunteer at the park, who was working on the development of a trail system on Cheyenne Mountain. I am copying him on this email so the two of you can talk about details.
I emailed the history committee this morning in an effort to coordinate our communications with you. While waiting to hear back from them, I thought I would send you the attached copy of the note that you wrote in 1952. Hopefully, it will spark some memories that you could share with us.
We look forward to visiting with you very soon. The bottle is in the office safe so I don’t have access to it. I hope this sparks your memory of the note and you figure out who Deem is. We plan to include the bottle and the note in our display case of historical items, along with a story about the note, in the Visitors Center. If you would like to contribute your thoughts, that would be so wonderful.
We will be in touch soon.
From: Wise To: Gannon Date: 4/15/16
RW
Thank you for sending me that photo...I must have thought out this little venture in advance since I certainly did not lug a typewriter up into the mountains. All of this has sparked some memories of my years at Fountain Valley School, but alas not of this incident itself, though something in the back of my brain nags at the issue. It is a huge surprise to me for this to surface 64 years later. Thank you so much for passing the information on. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Busher or anyone else at the Park who is interested in this sliver of personal history. I loved my times up in those mountains... I look forward to seeing a photo of the bottle itself. I hope that triggers some memory. I suspect Deem was not a person but rather some idea of mine, but at this point I’m floundering in the dark.
From: Jack Busher To: Wise Date: 5/7/16
JB
I found the note several years ago. We were scouting a new trail system to be built on the top of Cheyenne Mountain. We were on the west side of the mountain-top. We stopped at a rock-outcropping that looked like a likely place to establish a trail overlook. There was a great view facing west toward Mount Rosa and Pikes Peak. When I climbed down, I saw a prescription-type bottle lodged between two boulders. When I pulled it out, I opened the bottle and shared the info with the other members of the group. Because of the “Cupid” reference, I deemed it to be some kind of love-note. I might have a photo of the area, but so far I can’t locate it. I’ll keep trying.
From: Wise To: Busher Date: 5/7/16
RW
Thank you for this added information. In my mind’s eye, that overlook point was off the trail a short distance down a slope and quickly rising to the “Point.” If you can find a photo of it, I’d love to see a copy. Perhaps the Park would like to honor this explorer’s attempt to name this lookout spot and identify it today as I did then, “DEEM Point.”
From: Busher To: Wise Date: 5/7/16
RW
Busher to Wise, 5/7:
I’ve had success in finding the photos. They were taken on Aug. 9, 2010. The two more prominent figures in the photos are Mitch Martin, who is the Park Manager at CMSP, and Linda Overlin, who coincidentally, is married to David Overlin, who is the long-time (though now retired) ranch manager at Fountain Valley School. You might notice what seems to be a stick or pole protruding from the boulders. That may have been where we found the bottle. I’m sure it wasn’t far from there. Again, I hope these photos may have some meaning for you. They certainly do for me.
