The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-07-24
A GLIMPSE INTO FUTURrTY.
Avoyase to the North Pole. A. D. 1900.
DY osCEoLA.

DY osCEoLA.
Itwas IN April of this ever-memorable
year that ], Eugene McCross, accepted
the command Of the Columbian, pert
little vessel bound to the Arctic regions,
with the hope of reaching the extreme
northern point, and as all the people of
this enlightened age know I succeeded
in SO doing. In fact, succeeded in reach
ing the very spot where the earth turns
round like o top, making the poor
explorers head turn about the same
way, and were it not for the attraction
of gravitation he might tumble off and
be whirled into space.
I believe the account of our hardships
and privations has never been pub
ished, for the very reason the man who
kept the log fell overheard together
with the precious document, thus effect
ually sealing his fate as well as pro-
ducing many varied rumors in regard to
our trip. s.
Hearing one of these false reports to
day concerning us caused me to take
my @pen In hand" and acquaint ye edi-
tor with the facts of the case as I now
recollect them:
We started from Boston on the 9th day
Of April, amid the ringing Of bells and
firing of cannon, for it was awell-known
fact that we should never come back with
out first visiting the far famed landwhich
had caused SO much anxiety to people
ia general, thus giving to America the
honor of first discovery. and to settle
points Of dispute In our own minds.
Stopping at the coast of Greenland to
reft, take in fresh supplies Of fuel, food
and water, and to exchange our Chinese
cook for one of African descent, we
pushed boldly out from land about the
same as Columbus did with his three
small vessels, and on the 10TH of June
had passed all American posts, and were
making our way amid icebergs and polar
bears, with the hope of meeting with
warm reception in the near future.
I That reception came sooner than we
anticipated, for as we reached point
700 miles from the extreme north, we
found ourselves surrounded by an i'm
pregnable barrier of ice and-Esqui-
maux-the former resembling a huge
mirror spread out before the eye; the
latter, like all beings of their race,
friendly enough if You let them have
what they want, but always ready to re-
sort to force if you refused them their
slightest wish. In fact, they had such
a taking way with them that we had to
keep an armed force in command both
day and night, or we should have lost
all our stores the first week of our So
!ourn in the icy regions.
Knowing it useless to attempt going
farther with the ship, left it in COM
mand Of the Second Lieutenant, and,
together with the first mate and picked
crew of six men, who would brave the
dangers that we should be likely to en-
counter like brave men of olden time,
we started on our long ride. First
loading our sledges with provisions
enough to last us, and engaging a lot of
EsquimauK and dogs, we formed quite a
respectable-loo looking company.
We had previously engaged an Esqui-
maux for interpreter-Eket by name
who claimed to have been with Drs.
Kane and Hayes, two nineteenth-century
nayigators, We somewhat doubted his
word, for he didn't look like very old
man, although we might be mistaken
in his age by his looks, for all Esqui-
maux look to be about something
like monkeys. s
We passed many villages of wonder
ing natives, whose inhabitants thronged
around us, probably highly pleased to
look upon eight human beings, at least
six feet tall and dressed like themselves,
in fur, from head to foot. They proba-
bly, looked upon us with as much won
der as we should upon South Sea
islander. Eket afterward told us that
great many of the natives had in
quired of him awhere those animals
grew" ,s.sr
Although we had large number of
dogs, our progress was necessarily slow,
and, go as fast as we could, we could
make only about twenty milesi in twenty
four hours. I say "ho4rs," because
we had no day there-nothing but per
petual iaght-and many of the ignorant
ones might think, if 1 said night, that
we slept during the day and Travelled
during She night. In this region the
sun never shines but once in a great
while, and then only fora few minutes
at time; so the poor, benighted natives
have no light, save the moon and stars,
and the wonderful Aurora Borealis,
Still this produces light enough fol
them to steal everything they can find
if it is nothing more than fur cap-no
small item in this cold, unearthly
region.
Very soon we passed the last miser.
able snow and ice hut, and before uf
lay the broad polar sea. Some of the
men, would like to have given up the
journey at this point and returned to the
ship, but I reminded them of theil
promise, and also pictured to theil
minds the laughs and jeers at theil
expense should they now go back
without once trying to find the North
pole. This had the desired effect, and
we again continued the tedious journey
having reached point, distant 40C
miles from the pole, at the 1st of Sep
tember.
Never shall I forget our journey. AL
the natives had left us, save the ever
faithful Eket, who said he would remain
with US if we went to -. Eket was 6
very profane fellow, having learned to
swear like pirate, so I have no doubt he
was with those nineteenth-century men
for history mentions some very strong
cases Of the use of Gods name in vain
and it wouldn't do to write oil he sale
on this occasion.
The men had been in the habit o.
telling stories and singing songs to pass
away the tedious hours Of the never
ending night, but here their 1reatl
froze in the air forming miniature ice
bergs, so we had to content ourselves
with phonograph and the speech o.
an honorable member of Congress il
the days of President Hayes. Ths
thing was pretty thin-nothing like
those now heard in the Legislative hall
but the foil had frozen stiff, so We
could not adjust another. Every one
of us could repeat that speech wore
for word, bnt there was some consola
tion derived from it, we could see tht
effect of bad grammar in the compost
ton; but at length the thing wouldn'
H. 4 4