The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-06-20
Children in the Frigid Zone.

Children in the Frigid Zone.
When Lieut.. Greeley comes home Che
must be Capt. Greeley them, he viii
have a great deal to tell us that will be
interesting. Mere visitors to strange
places and peoples are not apt to find out
very much about them, and what
little they do find out is likely
to be wrong. That is the reason
why we know SO little about the
Indians. It is necessary to live among
a people, to understand their language,
to get their good will and confidence, to
| play with their children and converse
familiarity with their elders, in order to
know them.
Lieut.. Ray, of the United States
Navy, returned a few months ago from
Point Barrow in latitude IA degrees,
where he had been stationed for two
years to observe the weather and collect
facts concerning it for the Washington
weather bureau. He was placedin that
northern region to do what Lieut..
Greeley was expected to do at a point
much farther north. His party consist
ed of ten men, a pilot, a naval surgeon
seven sailors, and himself. i
They had a wonderfully interesting
time up there in the cold. The lowest
temperature during their stay was fifty
six degrees below zero; the highest, fifty
above zero; and they had a breeze one
day In January Ga gentle Arctic zephyr)y
the velocity Of which was ascertained to
be one hundred and thirty miles an
hour. Little snow and less rain fall IN
that region, and there is no thunder and
lightning.
In their snug house, built by them
selves. of rough timber and lined with
matched boards, they found nc difficulty
in keeping warm. 1t is not until You 60
two hundred miles further north that
you reach the real Arctic cold, ranging
from ninety below zeroto twenty above.
With precautions, people can get along
with some comfort where the average
temperature of the year is as high as
seven above, as it was with then,. In
the spring, the dandelion bloomed
abundantly about them.
Near their station were two small
tribes Of Esquimaux, each consisting OF
about one hundred and forty people.
Lieut.. Ray, after closely observing
them for nearly two years. ~pronounces
them the best-governed and happiest
people in the world, particularly the
children. Though he never saw q child
punished in any way during his resi-
dence among them, yet he found the
children always will behaved.
At times there would be as many as
twenty-five children at the post. and
the conduct Of all Of them was so gentle
and correct that the Americans could
not help contrasting it with that of 9TH
er children who play under the stars
and stripes. No matter how many tools,
garments or dainties might be scattered
about u~nguarded, no boy or girl Of one
of these tribee eyer so much as touched
one of them; nor would any child, even
the smallest, entera tent unless invited.
THE children are exceedingly beloved
by their elders. Although boys are
valued more highly than girls, yet any
kind Of q child is highly prized-part
ly because children in latitude IA der
grees are q scarce article.
Few parents are blessed with more
than one, or, indeed, could well main
tain more than one; and if they are 8 d
happy as to have two, they are gem
erous enough To let one of them live
with a couple who are childless.
Like all undeveloped andpoor tribes,
they are haunted Interpretations fears,
and crave stimulants with a fierce and
Unsuitable desire. The strongest whis
key, the strongest tobacco, even alco-
hol itself, and the scrapings Of an old
pipe, they will consume with the keen
est enjoyment and without apparent
injury.
Even these children, who have so
many good qualities, drink and smoke
If they can procure the means Of doing
Sc, which, happily, they connot very
often. Lieut.. Ray declares that he has
seen a baby three months old with it's
little mouth full Of tobacco while it Was
in the act Of taking nonrishment from
its mother.
Before the present year comes to an
end we hope to have something as oari-
ous to tell Of Lieut., Greeley's expert
ences.