. THAT FAILED
L. E. Buell, a cartoonist and news
paper man. who was in Dawson in
the early days, contributes an inter
esting story in the Sacramento Bee
tbout the Klondike polar expedition
that faded to materialize, as follows:
Polar explorations as "front page
stories" have about frazzled out. The
Morth Pole is supposed to have been
located by Robert Peary if not by
"Doc" Cook. The South Pole was
staked by Roald Amundsen, and re
.taked by Robert Falcon Scott, some
months later.
From the writings of these frost
bitten explorers, aided by the moving
>icture machines, we all have become
fairly well acquainted with both ends
of our world. We have been shown
scenes of immense ice floes, walrus
pastures and natural cold-storage
plants. But years of research have
failed to find a polar back lot suita
ble for a potato patch or land enough
to raise a dime's worth of onions.
Maybe, in years to come, when
lerial navigation is more thoroughly
developed, the bean magnates will in
vite some of us to spend the week-end
at the pole.
In a way, the North Pole has in a
measure accomplished its mission,
without the North Pole we might
never have had Rear Admiral Peary,
and the efficacy of gumdrops was
made known to the ignorant world by
“Doc” Cook.
And it was through the North Pole
that people discovered what a really
'mall potato Robert F.. Peary had
proved himself to be.
Arriving at the 88th parallel, Peary
sent back to the ship Rob Bartlett,
Bomp and the others who had braved
the terrors of the north, while he with
Mathew Henson and four Esquimaux
went to the Pole.
Henson, a negro, was picked, as
Peary says, because he was the best
•‘all-around” man. Capt. Robert Bart
lett, according to Peary, “was very
sober and anxious to go on.”
At any rate, the last stretch to the
Pole was a very select party.
Peary was the first Ahite man to
plant a flag on the prized spot. The
honor and the glory were kept in a
sort of close corporation.
Although Peary’s writings say
nothing of petty jealousies, it is un
likely that he was asked to join in
the pinochle games on the long trip
back to God’s country.
For the discovery of the North Pole
congress made Peary a rear-admiral,
although Peary went north under the
flag of the New York Polar club.
If the discovery of the North Pole
exposed to us the small side of Peary,
the South Pole gave us an opportuni
ty to see a pleasant contrast in Rob
ert F. Scott and his party.
Scott, arriving at the South Pole,
discovered Amundsen’s records. Dis
appointed as he was to find he had
been outstripped ,he left evidence of
his rival’s success lefore he himself
perished.
Our cousin Canada once found a
use for the North Pole.
Some fourteen years ago a bill pas
sed the Dominion parliament provid
ing for an appropriation to fit out a
polar expedition.
The backers of this measure did not
expect Canada to acquire much new
territory, but they were seriously fig
uring on ridding the country of a host
of political barnacles clinging to the
l.aurier Ship of State.
Imagine what a grand success a
bunch of ex-mayors, postmasters and
*
Chinatown bosses would be, staking
out townsites close up to the aurora
borealis!
Despite the fact that polar stuff
has been relegated to the back pages,
there are still a few explorers in the
game.
Roald Amundsen, the peer of the
polar men, has felt the call of the
north again.
This time he will make the final
trip by aeroplane. And, judging by
past performances, one might wager
a few simoleons that the old boy will
start out some morning before day
light, chug away to the Pole, chip off
a souvenir and be back for supper the
same day.
And some might place a small bet
that he will not knock a single soul on
the trip.
Vilhjalmur Stefansson, a fair-hair
ed son of Norway, is wintering up on
the Arctic shores.
“Vil,” who has spent several sea
sons among the icebergs, has given to
the world a story of blue-eyed Esqui
maux. These blue-eyed boys—who
probably belong to the first families
—are just as dirty and greasy, if not
more so, than their brown-eyed cou
sins, who have benefited by the pres
ence of whalers for the past 50 years.
Maybe “Stef” can induce them—
with the persuasive eloquence of a
box of dog-biscuit and some fishhooks
—to renounce their igloos for a sea
son and join some circus side-show.
Yes. the writer once was imbued
with the notion of going to the Pole
himself.
It was shortly after the big stam
pede to the Klondike.
Dawson l»oasted many husky “mush
ers” in those days; men who could
mush over the soggy tundra trails and
seemingly never tire; men who could
run behind the dogs all day, and then
dance all night.
A man’s reputation was made on
his mushing ability.
More often his fortune depended on
his legs, for when the stampede to
some far-away creek started, the cru
cial test was made. The man who
could get to the creek, stake his
claim, and beat it back to the Gold
Commissioner’s office first was the
one that established a valid record.
When stories of the fabulous wealth
of Nome, and the beach of golden
sands ,came to Dawson in the winter
of '99, men and women gathered their
few belongings together, strapped a
mess-box, a robe or two on a hand
sled, slid down the bank in front of
the A. C. company’s store, and start
ed the long ‘ mush” to Nome—1,600
miles away.
And 1,600 miles over drifted trail,
with the thermometer ranging from
ten below to 65 below; camping wher
ever night might catch you, was no
child’s play. But men and women
made the trip, and remember it as on
ly an episode in the life of the north.
Naturally, the North Pole was of
ten a topic of conversation during the
long winter evenings.
Someone would say, at a venture
that, give us a hint of gold at the
North Pole, and see how many would
be there before sun showed above
the southern horizon!
From such idle talk emerged a con
crete idea in the minds of the “sour
doughs” that it rested with them to
capture the pole.
From Dawson the trip to the mouth
of the McKenzie river would be an
easy matter. The police boys made it
every winter, and anywhere the
“striped legs” went we could follow.
But of course we remembered the
three members of the Koval North
west Mounted Police who lost the
trail and one by one froze to death.
From the McKenzie post it would
be a long, hard run; but with Alaskan
dogs and meat-eating men it could be
accomplished.
One day came the announcement
in our local papers, that Dr. Varicle
would finance and lead the trip to
the pole.
He was a practicing dentist. De
fore leaving France for the land of
gold the doctor had gone in for bal
looning. When he left Paris he took
with him a balloon with which he
could lift a winter’s outfit of 1,000
pounds over the rocky barrier of the
Chilcoot pass.
In due time he arrived at the pass;
but, for some reason unknown to sci
ence, the balloon would not work and
the doctor toted his outfit over, the
same as the rest of us.
Dr. Varicle called a meeting of the
dog-drivers of the Yukon. To these
he submitted a plan. He would hasten
to the “outside,” raise a North Pole
fund, come back during the summer,
and at the first breath of winter the
long “mush” would start.
While the doctor was outside our
North Pole enthusiasts took light ex
ercise; running to Moosehide and
back, or up to Bear creek—just
enough to give the dogs a work-out.
Tom Chisholm, a little high in flesh,
would go on past Bear, up to Hunker
and back to town.
Bob Insley would run his fast team
over the Dome for a morning’s spin.
Louie Cardinal was one of our
stars. Louie would take the police
dogs up to Stewart; meet the incom
ing mail; hook on and come back to
Dawson—a short run of 100 miles!
With the opening of navigation
came the outside mail. Evidently th*
doctor was doing his work well. A
San Francisco paper gave him two
pages in a Sunday supplement.
Later in the summer came the doc
tor, fa-ily bubbling over with enthu
siasm.
Our North Pole committee met him
at the wharf. He looked prosperous,
and our trip seemed assured.
\\ e w ere to start for McKenzie riv
er as soon as the freeze-up came.
There we would rest a week or two;
not on our account, but to fix up the
d'.gs’ feet, repair sleighs, etc., ere
we started on the big “mush.”
I he boys were champing the bit, all
anxiously waiting for the Klondike
to begin spitting ice—the first sign
o£ winter.
Well, the cold weatfler came. It
came with a vengeance. The Yukon
ran full with ice; jammed below Daw
son, backed up almost level with Front
*
street, and froze solid.
The river-bank cracked with the
cold; a hazy mist settled over the
town.
“Curley” Monroe, whose proudest
boast was that he never wore a coat
in the winter, slipped on four or five
extra shirts and, with his hands deep
in his pockets, his head sunk between
his shoulders, ran from his home to
his place of business, a block away.
Gee! it was some cold!
But, bitter cold as it was, our
North Pole committee smiled as they
pulled their parkas closer together
and headed for the home of their
leader.
The doctor was home, for his
stovepipe was going strong—proba
bly he was w'riting out a farewell
statement. However, the knock on the
storm door went unanswered. Open
ing it, the committee pounded lustily
on the inner door. Finally, a smoth
ered “come in” was heard, and in a
moment our committeemen were with
their leader.
“Well, doctor,” they said, “we are
with you strong; ready for the word
go’!”
The doctor was bundled up in a fur
robe, hugging a red hot-stove.
With a shrug of his shoulders,
which might have been misunderstood
for a chill if it were not so thorough
ly French, came the muttered words;
“Sacremorbleu! De Nort Pole; she
not for me!”
And that was why the North Pole
was not discovered by the Klondike
"sourdoughs.”
Fresh herring direct from Seldovia.
‘Brown & Hawkins. 879
TRAIN SCHEDULE.
Effective 12:01 a. m., Monday, April
i 23, 1917, a mixed passenger and freight
train will be run between Anchorage
and Matanuska, Matanuska and King,
and between Anchorage and Rabbit on
the following schedule:
Main Lina.
Northbound Southbound
Daily ex. Daily ex.
Sunday Sunday
Leave Arrive
7:30 a.m... 0.0 Anchorage .. 9:15 p.m.
7:55a.m... 4.8 Whitney .... 8:50p.m.
8:25 a. m.. . 12.3 Kuney . 8:30 p.m.
9:10 a. m.. . 21.8 Birch wood ... 7:50 p.m.
9:40 a. m.. .27.6 Eklutna . 7:20 p.m.
Arrive Leave
I 0:10 a. in.. 36.4 Matanuska 6:45 p.m.
Matannska Branch
Northbound Southbound
Daily ex. Daily Ex.
Sunday Sunday
Leave Arrive
II :(f0 a. m.. 36.4 Matanuska .. 6:20 p.m.
11:30 a. m.. 42.9 Palmer . 5155 p.m.
12:20 p. m.. 19.5 Moose Creek. 5:25 p. m.
Arrive Leave
12:40 p. m. .55.0 Eska . 4:50 p.m.
Leave Arrive
12:50 p. m.. 55.0 Eska . 3:08 p.m.
! 1:10 p. in.. 58.7 Granite . 2:53 p.m.
1 Arrive Leave
1:25 p. ni.. 60.6 King . 2:45 p.m.
Main Bins
Southbound Northbound
Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday only.
Leave Arri\e
9:00 a. m... 0.0 Anchorage .. 10:45 a. ni.
9:20 a. m.. . 5.0 Campbell . . . 10:25 a. ni.
\rrive Leave
9:45 a. m... 10.4 Rabbit . 10:00 a.m.
Mixed train leaving Anchorage north
bound will stop Just north of road cross
ing. Terminal Yard. Anchorage.
MERIT, AND
S :
—
(By Miles Poindexter.)
WASHINGTON, March 28—The
action of the president in adopting
the merit system in the appointment
of first, second and third class post
masters and taking this "patronage”
out of politics, will save the govern
ment, at a conservative estimate, 12
million dollars a year, and will in
crease the efficiency of the postal serv
ice. This system becomes effective
next Monday.
There are 567 first class offices, 2,
213 second class, 7,437 third class and
45,393 fourth class offices. The fourth
class offices were placed in the classi
fied civil service several years ago by
President Taft.
The application of the principle,
however, was so perverted that it did
not bring the desired results. Three
names were certified on a list of eli
gible applicants. In nearly all cases
there was at least one democrat on
the list and in nearly all cases this
democrat was appointed. It only
brought the system into ridicule, be
cause it was a sham and a hypocriti
cal application of it.
This did the merit system harm, be
cause some who took only a super
ficial view of the matter blamed the
principle itself for the result, where
as the real fault was the failure to
apply in truth and in fact the merit
principle. The Criticism really was
against the old spoils system mas
querading in the guise of a merit
system.
So far as announced, the forthcom
ing order will not affect incumbent
postmasters during their present term
but will apply to appointments or re
appointments at the end of that term.
Instead of a perversion of the princi
ple by giving the appointment to the
democrat on the list of three, the ap
plicant standing highest on the list
and having the other necessary qual- J
ifications as to general character, will:
be appointed regardless of politics.
This change will add to the dignity
of congressmen by relieving them
from the obligations and humiliations
of politifcil appointments. It will
take away from the executive branch
of the government one of the powerful
influences or inducements, which in
times past have frequently been used
to direct and control the actions of
congress. Anyone can see the effect
of such influences upon the independ
ence of that branch of the govern
ment. It is a deteriorating influence,
morally as well as intellectually, and
if allowed to control the entire civil
service would lead to its ruination.
I proposed this change by an am
endment to the postoffice bill two
years ago, but it went out on a point
of order. This year when the legis
lative, executive and judicial appro
priation bill came to the senate it
contained certain general legislation
relative to postoffice employees. This
gave an opportunity for an amend
ment on the game subject, and I re
offered the amendment, taking the
postoffice appointments out of poli
tics and providing that they should be
appointed on merit in accordance with
the regularly established civil service
I rules.
At a later time I will briefly dis
, cuss the manner in which this change
will improve the service and curtail
its expense, and the opportunity for
reward it will give to faithful em
ployes.
_.
King’s Drifresh fruits and veget
ables. Brown & Hawkins. 879 i
Wood and coal delivered to any
part of the city. Phone 43-Y. Uni
versal Taxi and Transfer. 125
Most popular and best patronized.
North Pole Bakery. 881
Peterson’s Billiard Parlor for latest
j war bulletins. 400
MOUNTM’KINLEY
is still opposite Robarts. 870
DREDGE ON YANKEE CREEK
WILL BE IN OPERATION
DURING COMING SEASON *
(Iditarod Pioneer.)
George Glass of the Kimball Flume
Dredging company, which is to install
a dredge on Yankee creek, arrived in
the city last Sunday, and is engaged
in working out transportation details
in anticipation of the arrival of the
machinery soon after the opening of
navigation.
The dredge is to be shipped from
Seattle to the Kuskokwim on one of
the early boats. It will be carried by
water to the headwaters of Big creel*
from whence a journey of about eleven
miles will land it at its destination.
Mr. Glass expects to begin the con
struction of a road ris soon as weather
conditions will permit. About four
miles will have to be corduroyed, and
the balance of the route presents no
difficulties, as it follows the ridges
separating the two watersheds.
It is expected that the dredge will
be in place and washing gravel late in
the summer. The company has ob
tained control of a large proportion of
the known pay ground on Yankee
creek, and several years’ work is
blocked out for the big machine.
Word received at Ketchikan re
cently states that the Grand Trunk
steamer Prince Rupert, which went
ashore at Gann island, is high and
dry at low tide and that rocks have
pierced her hull and penetrated the
engine room.
Gearge Peters, who is believed to
be the most active of the bootleggers
of the Douglas beach district, was
taken into custody - recently at -the
home of Mary Smith, a half-breed
woman, where he had taken refuge
from the officers. As an evidence of
the lucrativeness of his business he
produced the coin to pay the $500 fine
assessed against him by the commis
sion.
Best music at Peterson’s. 444
Cotton felt mattresses, bed springy
and linoleum, at Crocker’s. 450
»
*
Base Ball Dance
%
OPENING GAME OF SEASON
V
Saturday Night!
ROBARTS’ HALL
April 28
NO COUNTER ATTRACTION
Biggest and Best affair in history of Anchorage. Given in sup
port of the National Game.
Proceeds go to pay off indebtedness on Grand Stand.
Five-Piece Orchestra
AND
Splendid Dance Floor
PLAY BALL AND SUPPORT THE IS&JE.
BUY A TICKET — $1.00 EACH.