19TH HOLE: THE READERS TAKE OVER
THE RIVER
Sirs:
In its own way Robert Cantwell's piece (The River That Will Flow Forever, July 17) ranks with Hemingway's own famous story about the Two Hearted.
PATRICK A. NUTT
Kennett Square, Pa.
Sirs:
Cantwell is to be congratulated on capturing every part of the Two Hearted River in exact detail. I have just completed a canoe trip down its entire length and have found only a small flaw in his story. My partner and I did see a mink.
BOB O'CONNOR
South Bend, Ind.
Sirs:
I wonder how many of your readers were prompted to go and find the story of Big Two-Hearted River to read the original.
HELEN S. DURPHEY
Hartland, Vt.
PSYCHED
Sirs:
Of all the reading I've done in over 60 years Not-so-mad Doctor and His Living Lab (July 24) is the most unadulterated hog-wash I've ever run into.
EDWARD H. CLARK
San Francisco
Sirs:
The piece about Dr. Dichter admirably illustrates how ridiculous psychology can become when misused.
COYD WALKER
Baltimore
OBVIOUSLY
Sirs:
The National Boxing Association appreciates your SCORECARD article (July 17) exposing the facts covering the reason for the McNeeley-Patterson exhibition. However, you stated "It is perfectly obvious to everyone but an NBA commissioner that the proposed McNeeley fight is intended only to keep Patterson in action while not unduly risking his title." I assure you it is obvious even to an NBA commissioner.
There are many people involved in a championship fight and I assure you any one of them would like to have the opportunity to earn enough money so they could pay more taxes. As far as Patterson and the tax situation is concerned if he, and all the other top money earners in boxing, would do as the NBA suggested four years ago, give the government a just share of their purse at the time of the fight, as our companies deduct for Uncle Sam from you and I, Patterson would not have no trouble with his taxes and may even get a refund.
In conclusion—what about the Public—isn't the public entitled to a fair value for the money they pay for a seat?
The responsibility of every commission is to only approve bouts that are evenly matched.
DAVID OTT
President, NBA
Cleveland
MISPUT SHOT
Sirs:
The athlete you pictured putting the shot in the Moscow meet admittedly is "huge," but he is neither 18 years old nor Gary Gubner (The High Meet the Mighty, July 24). I believe that a check will prove him to be 24-year-old Jay Silvester, an Army first lieutenant stationed at Fort Ord, Calif., who placed second behind Gubner in Moscow.
COLONEL JARDEN I. LEWIS
Special Services, USA
San Francisco
•For a more accurate likeness of Gubner, see above.—ED.
Sirs:
Army Lieutenant Silvester, the man you pictured, is even better known as a discus thrower and could easily become the world's first 200-footer.
STEPHEN GOULD
Cheverly, Md.
DEAR OLD DAD
Sirs:
What America needs is more Jim Hajeks (PAT ON THE BACK, July 24). What this young man and his companions have demonstrated so beautifully is that parents need to get some sandlots of their own and leave the kids alone.
JOHN PITT
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Sirs:
We're in charge, too.
Here in Penn Valley we, the McKean All-Stars, were given permission to use a vacant lot on Penn Valley Road. We have 40 yards of screening, which we bought and put up in left field (150 feet). A Cyclone Fence is in right field. In center field there is one box seat and a homemade scoreboard. It's a 180-foot drive to deep center.
We kids have a summer league with two (earns playing regular scheduled games, and no dads have been involved. We are one of the lucky groups.
WALLY LITTLEWOOD
Penn Valley, Pa.
ANGLING
Sirs:
The largemouth bass of Alabama are evidently unaware of Elgin Ciampi's experiments proving that the colors black and dark red were the least alluring (What Makes Them Hit the Lure, July 24).
The plastic black worm is probably the most effective lure in these parts. Perhaps our bass are not too intelligent; they get pretty big.
JOHN B. SCHUG, M.D.
Craig AFB, Ala.
(W)ANGLING
Sirs:
Your recent article on camping by caravan (Family Campground on Wheels, June 19) admirably points up the automotive boon to trailerites. However, I can't help wishing you had carried your analysis a little deeper to include one serious problem that has arisen with streamlined camping: the plight of the mobile angler.
Each of the 50 states has its own fishing laws and license fees. You can imagine what an effect this has on the bank account; not only in fees but in fines when you unexpectedly cross an invisible state line. And if this wasn't bad enough we found two different signs on one bridge in Florida. One sign read, "Brackish water—no license," the other, "Fresh water—license required."
Take the oceans for another example. One generally thinks of the sea as being free. I think we even fought a war back in 1812 to establish that fact. Well, on the East Coast you can surf fish all you want, but out on the West Coast you had better get a license.
Rivers are especially troublesome to an angler who uses a boat. Take the Columbia, for instance; Washington does not require a permit for salmon, but Oregon does. So if you drift across the state line in the middle of the stream without one, an Oregon warden may nab you.
If you ever get a yen to fish the mighty and muddy Colorado, you will run into all sorts of frustrating incidents and complications. You get an Arizona license for the Colorado River; this costs $10 and is good only for the river. You have to shell out another $9 if you drag your hook in other waters, and $6 more if you pull in a trout. And, oh yes, you had better get a California or Nevada stamp for your Arizona license; that's another $2.
If you are still determined to fish and want to try your luck in Lake Mead, you either get an Arizona license and a Nevada stamp or you get a Nevada license with an Arizona stamp.
It seems to me that the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service could issue special licenses on a yearly basis to the trailerite which would be good in all states.
RICHARD LANG
Chula Vista, Calif.
PHOTO
THE REAL GARY GUBNER