Junior Gulliver in Hike to Harvard

"New Zealand to Harvard in twenty days on twenty dollars" was the spinechilling saga of William G. R. Marden '46, who made use of the United States Army, several trucks, an abandontd Buick, and a pretty blonde during his 12,000 mile trek across land and sea.

The actual journey occurred last March, but Marden, the son and grandson of Harvard men, had long hoped and planned on a Harvard education. After receiving his degree from the University of New Zealand, he left his home with a pack on his back, the New Zealand equivalent of twenty dollars in his pocket, the blessings of his family and the jeers of his fellow students. Arriving at the port of Wellington, he was signed on by a U. S. troop transport on its way home from the Orient.

Marden docked in San Francisco twelve days and eleven hours from the time of embarkation, with his twenty dollars still intact. After a cursory study of highway maps, which consisted mainly in picking out a broad red band that seemed to stretch from San Francisco to Boston, he again shouldred his pack and hit the road. Eight days later, dead-tired, broke, but happy, the New Zealander triumphantly entered the suburbs of Boston.

Those last eight days contained a life time's quota of joy and despair. The despair came in the wilds of Utah, where he was stranded in sub-freezing weather clad only in a light suit, As he described it. "After walking for some time I became tired and, taking my pack off my back, I seated myself on it and rested, but. . . I quickly realized that I was starting to freeze to death and that if didn't start walking I would never see the dawn of another day.

"With some effort I got my pack on my shoulders and trudged up the never ending road in front of me . . . the only nose that broke the stillness was the occasional howl of a lonesome coyote." He was finally picked up by a kindly traveller and from them on had comparatively little trouble.

Bright spot of the trip was a ride to Cleveland with "a very pretty girl," which developed into a free supper, a dance at which he squandered most of his remaining funds, and lodgings for the night at her home. "They were an exceedingly nice family." Marden said reservedly.