AMUNDSEN’S RETURN WAS FIXED
FOR JAN. 20.
He Was Waiting for Mail From Norway Before Start
ing to Rejoin His Ship.
Jules Marion, who is ready to leave
for Fairbanks after a ten-day stay in
Rampart, had the good fortune in
Kagle to meet and eonverse freely with
(apt. Amundsen, whose fame has lie
come world wide through his recent
successful navigation of the northwest
i assage.
Mr. Marion is himself a well-informed
man on matters pertaining to Arctic
exploration. That the meeting with the
famous navigator was mutually agreea
ble goes without saying.
(.'apt. Amundsen was to have started
on the return journey to the iijoa and
her gallant crew Jan. IlO. It is probable
that he will be heard from again on the
return to Dawson of a detachment of
Northwest Mounted Police who recently
left that place for Herschel Island. The
police went across the Stewart river di
vide into Peel river and thence to their
destination over a route not hitherto
traversed by them. They invited ('apt.
Amundsen to accompany them, but Ids
Kskimo guides were awaiting him at
Fort Yukon and he could not disappoint
them, lie expected to go up the Porcu
pine and thence back to Herschel Island
over his incoming route. He was wait
ing in Eagle for mail from Norway,
which was looked for before Jan. 20. It
may be that he did lujJ get mail commu
nication from Nansen, who had been
appointed Norwegian minister to Eng
and and was on the ocean bound
thither when Amundsen’s messages
reached the outside world.
Mr. Marion says ('apt. Amundsen is a
man of great intelligence and he knows
practically all that has ever been learned
about the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
On his present trip he met Eskimo who
had never seen white men and who had
but a vague tradition that such were in
existence. There is a bright little Es
kimo boy on board the t ij>*a whom ('apt.
Amundsen will take with him to Nor
way.
The prime object of the expedition
was not the navigation of the northwest
passage, although that was one of the
possibilities considered in laying the
plans, ('apt. Amundsen's prim i|«l ef
forts were to be made in taking observa
tions and studying conditions in the
vicinity of the magnetic |s>le. This he
accomplished to his satisfaction.
It is expected that his re|s.rt will
throw much light on the accepted the
ory that the magnetic |»>lc is not sta
tionary.
W«l*triiiriil* |>rmtr>l ui *rv» rai j«n*r»
la|it. A in tun Urn I uni Urn »itlitii
utility mthr* thr trur |»>|r til (four***
w.rr rtfoiirnii* IIU hrmlnuartrra »a»
(i.r » lohtf liltu- within niwtji mil** «»<
olwrr hr twllrvna thr iiuttfiirtlr |«lr to
hr, hut hr lukl no intrntiou gointf
nrar thr trur
It will )v morr than a vrar yrt Iwt- rr
t u|>t till Hit* hr-II rrtM hr« hoiur. II*
I.. *t t to >an lf»«t wr» hv mil
t kiwliww. ami thru within a law wrrh»
to |rrn<l houu wafil lit way ot thr
Itofn.
Dr. Varicle’s Scheme.
Tin' Yukon I’olnr Institute, inspired
by I)r. Varicle of Dawson, has been
talkeil of a good ileal hereabout, anil an
opportunity was taken to switch the
conversation onto that project.
Mr. Marion did not express an opin
ion as to whether the scheme would
secure sufficient backing to insure the
launching of an expedition or not. lie
said, however, the idea that men used
to northern conditions are best calcu
lated to succeed in such an undertaking
is everywhere acknowledged to lie cor
rect. lie also says Dr. Varicle is learned
as well as enthusiastic, lie was for a
long time on terms of close friendship
with Andre and shared more or less in
the belief of that ill-starred man that it
is possible to reach the pole in a bal
loon. After mature study the doctor, it
is believed, has forever discarded that
view.
Mr. Marion was asked if there is any
probability that (’apt. Amundsen’s in
vestigations will bring Her.-chal Island
into notice as a suitable base for future
polar exjieditions and in that way be a
benefit to Dr. Variele’s cause. He said
he had not given that view of the mat
ter much thought, but Herschel Island
would seem an ideal place of the kind.
ror mill mailer immgu, air. aiarian
Haiti, Htores are now distributed in such
a manner that no matter where an ex
pedition may be east it will be in reach
of provision."!, ami the awful cx]ieriences
of the (ireely eximlitii n twenty years
ago will never he repeated.
Peary in his ship lloosevelt is suj -
posed to Ik- wintering somewhere on the
coast of Greenland, and it is Imped lie
will accomplish much. Mr. Marion’s
attention was directed to newspap rt.dk
that Peary is not in full accord with the
belief aceepted by the Uoyal (ieological
Society of London that there is no land
near the (Mile. “Neither i- t'apt. M<s>gs,
of the wrecked whaler Konanxa, who
came out with t'apt. Amundsen,” said
Mr. Marion. “He has had long exis
tence in Arctic waters anil believes he
has seen land far north of any marked
on the map. lie is not certain it was
land, but is strongly of that belief and
anxious to return and satisfy himself
about the matter.
Mr. Marion believe* that wireless
telegraphy will play an iui]«>rtunt part
in the polar enterprise-* of the future.
While of course it will Ik- imp* ssiWe for
sled J*arties t*. o|ui|> themselves with
transmitting apparatus, rereiving in
struments may Is- carried ami such |sir
ties kept in constant knowledge of the
«he realm'll* *-f their ship. Thus if the
ship Ik- rarrn-1 from its position by
moving ice tla- sUs| part) will Is- in-ti
tled; hut the ship must remain in ig
norance *,f tla- movements of the s|**ls
Horn* D«»troy*r*.
"tlMIv'l )Ml lw*‘ Ihllijg- I lull kfw»k
u|. i».*l Im|>|>« Ikibw#," mIkhvwI Ihr
W Itat arv lh»* ‘" iwimiml a
•' tt ..mm • Im« r h>r ilr« *>»«Uau Htan •
km* M w*» t*‘**«ah"’
S. K. HEETKlt.
1IAHUY BURKUS8.
HEETER & BURRUSS,
FREIGHTER£and PACKERS
Freighting and Packing to and from all Creeks.
Good Equipments and Service Unexcelled
The Geological Survey
and Its Work is Alaska
Extract from the Report of the Secretary of
tile Interior.
Tlit> ]iWui fur the work of the Geolog
ical survey during the year was submit
ted hv the director and approved on
May lit, 1!H)4; it provided for continuing
the well-established work of the Survey
in geology, topography, hydrography, ;
forestry, chemistry and physics, the
collection of the statistics of mining and
mineral resources, and the investigation
of the mineral resources of Alaska. . . .
The work of the division of Alaskan
mineral resources was continued along
the same general lines as in previous
years, with the aim, as far as means
Iiermit, of keeping abreast of the active
mining developments. This necessitated
the limitation of the operations to the
fields of known economic importance, to
the neglect of unexplored regions.
Nine expeditions were dispatched to
Alaska during the summer of 1!HJ4. As,
some of these were sulnlivided, fourteen
parties in all were engaged in surveys
during most of the summer. The geo
logic work included a continuation of.
the gold and copjier liearing regions t f
southeastern Alaska, of the gold-placer
districts of the Yukon-Tanana region, of
the Seward l’eninsula, and of the 1% ok
Inlet region; also a reeonnoisanee of the i
Ca|ie l.isburne coal fields and a continu
ation of the study of the coal-bearing
ris ks of the Pacific littoral. Incidental
to this a further study of the jietroleum
fields and tin deposits mas made.
Complete development of Alaska's
resources must await improvement of
transportation facilities. This can lie
brought about only by the construction
of one or more trunk lines of railway,
supplemented by the building of wagon
roads. The locutions of such railways
and wagon roads must la* determined by
explorations which shall ascertain not
only the I lest routes, but also the distri
bution of the mineral wealth. While
the present investigations will in time
cover this field, it would lie advan
tageous to complete these explorations
at an early dat«—say, within two years
It is estimated that the total cost of the
RECEPTION
...SALOON...
S. E. HEETER, BOB SCHABER,
Proprietor Manuger
Wines, Liquors and
GOOD Cigars....
....Billiard and Pool Rooms
Barber Chair in the House. £
St. I.ouls
ABC
and Seattle
Ranier Beers
Old Valiev Whisky
the only stock
Something New:
TRY OUR
PEACH AND HONEY BRANDY
A. B. NOTICE.
Regular ii rrtinjrs of the Art-tit* Brother
hood Lodge are held ut flu ir hall on the
second a ml fourth Tuesdays of each month at
H o'flt fit |». III.
WM. SIPARY. G. A. KETTKRKR.
Art-tie Recorder. Arctic Chief
w ritten
margin
of the Yukon Valley
Nfw« a ml nmiled home would
gratify relatives and friends
Postuk**• sealed, only 2 cent*.
mce**ary exploration*, covering an area
of a I a >ut oO.OtH) Hpiart- mile*, will lie
IJPU.OUO.
Representative Urey, of Iowa, is the
man who intr'Hhu-eil the hill in emigre**
naming a payment of in lieu of a*
*e**ment work on mining claim'* in
Ala*kift*, the money to la- t|*«*l for r**a»l
hiiiMing in the territory.
Grand Ball and Cake Walk
GIVEN BY
JOLLY COMPANIONS
Feb. 22, 1
Tickets $2.00