June 7, 1925
The Little Clay Cart, the first spring show to go from pantomime to dialog, was:
". . . a colorful Hindu drama of real artistic merit ascribed to King Sudrake about 400 A.D. The cast was composed entirely of Mountaineer women. This was so well done that the Tacoma Federation of Women's Clubs requested Mrs. Sandall to put it on over there. But the actors were too badly scattered to reproduce it." (Elizabeth Kirkwood, The Mountaineers, 1930)
Very little is known about this production. No one has been able to find a program or even a picture of this. However, it was very popular in the 1920's to put on this play based upon the ancient Hindu story Mṛcchakatika, probably written in the 5th century CE.
It was determined this year that the current method of going from area to area of the grounds need to be changed. There were just too many people. Florence McComb wrote a small article in the Mountaineers magazine at the end of 1925 referring to the problems caused by too much popularity.
Unfortunately little is known about the play with no programs or pictures surviving.
Flett or Caretaker's Cabin
Also on the property is Flett or Caretaker's Cabin. Tacoma botanist and teacher, Professor J.B. Flett built it in 1925. Flett was the first caretaker of the Rhododendron Preserve (1926-1939), He was also an honorary member of The Mountaineers. He introduced many non-native plants and trees still growing on the property. (This practice is now discouraged for fear the exotics will overcome the native plants.) Flett is credited with blazing the trail to Hidden Ranch.
Directly across from the cabin is a cedar tree with a braided top. When this cedar was topped by a storm, he climbed it and braided the top three remaining branches together to stand upright so that the tree would continue to grow. Now it is barely possible to see the intertwined branches when walking toward Flett from Kitsap Cabin.
Flett cabin was re-roofed and rebuilt in the 60's to be used as the caretaker's cabin.
For many years Olympic Community College students were caretakers in exchange for free rent. Jerry Berdett became caretaker in 1969, Roland and Debbie Anderson began in 1973, Jo Berkley began in 1984, and Lance Mimier became caretaker in 1994.
The original cabin had to be taken down in 2001 and replaced with the new Caretakers cabin very close to the orginal spot of the Flett Cabin. Mountaineers Players helped to do much of the work in making a place where the caretaker could live more comfortably for decades to come.
