Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-08
AN ARCTIC FEAST.
HOW Greely's Men Spent the Christ
mas Holtdays-The Story as fold in
the Dfary of Lieut. LocISwood-A
Pathetic Remfn1s cence of the I'LL
Fated Expedition,

Pathetic Remfn1scence of the I'll.
Fated Expedition.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.-The Nation
al Republican published Christmas
extracts from the diary of Lieut.
Lockwood, of the Greedy Arctic
colony, describing the manner in
which the starving party spent the
last Christmas at Cape Sabine in the
Attic regions. Lieut.. Lockwood kept
a diary in shorthand, which has been
Transcribed by member of his fami-
ly, and he appears to have made q
fall record of everything of import
ance which happened ia the daily life
of the party. The extracts which the
Republican printed relates how, as
Christmas drew near, the officers and
men joined in talk of home. and
planned grand feasts for the time
when they should reach the civilized
world: and how they made prepare
tons for a feast on the approaching
Christmas by setting apart small por-
tons OF their daily rations. On Dec.
81 Lockwood writes
"By great effort I was able to save
one ounce Of my bread aud abOu3 two
ounces of butter for Christmas. I
shall make a vigorous effort to abstain
from eating it before then" He adds
that he put 1t in charge of Beiderbeck
as an additional safeguard. On the
| 22d he writes I'VE look forward to
tomorrow and Christmas and 81
offered to give anyone a roast turkey
on reaching home for a single dog
biscuit now. but found no takers. :"
He says on the next day: II saved
nearly all ray hard bread for Christ
naas, though [ needed is sorely." To
make the Christmas dinner grander,
he made q tremendous effort, aDd
went witholRt MS rum, Ia order to have
it for Christmas.
/ On Christmas eve he. added to his
scanty savings for the next days
feast half his bread and his piece of
lemon, and he w1ote IN, his book:
| Tonight is Christmas eve and my
thoughts arc turned toward home.
God preserve me to see this day next
year, and enjoy it at home with those
love. Tomorrow it IS to be pretty
mach repetition of Thanksgiving.
have saved up my ram and bread.
think Of the children At home, the
Christmas tree tonight, the toys, etc.,
but my fingers are too cold to write
more. ] picture to myself my dear
father and mother, SISTERS, Harry, my
niece and brotheF-in-law sitting
around the table tomorrow. Turkeys
Jana minGe- pies are strewn On the
table. Many thoughts are turned to-
ward ne, and where / am at this me-
ment."
THE CHRIsgEAs FEAST.
The entry for Christmas day is as
follows; dec %. Barometer, 25. 90
Thermometer, ~. s. Christmas. We
have all been talking and waiting
anxioasly for the hour and now it is
here and Is p. m. nearly gone. Break
fast consisted of thin soup of peas and
carrots with a little blubber and some
spoonfuls of potatoes. This we had
at S o'clock. at 1 o. En-, the long
looked for event Of the day, dinner.
The dinner consisting of fine, rich
stew of seal meat with onions, little
blubber, potatoes and bread crumbs.
After this we had, in the course of an
hour or so, a fine, nice stew with
raisins and a little blubbeF and milk.
These were pretty much the same as
on Thanksgiving, but the cooks made
a great deal On that day and the meals
seemed better. The cooks are now
preparing some fne chocolate, and
that will be followed by punch of
one gill OF rum to each man.
''The party have been in fine spirits
today. Cheers were given after
breakfast for Lieut.. Greedy, Corporal
Wilson, RICE a0d the two cooks. 1t
was agreed that we. should give each
Of the two Esquimaux so cents from
each member Of the EXPEDITION, to be
kept for next Christmas.
''Kislingbury was kind enough to
make for each of the party 2 cigarette.
Many of Us are now out OF tobacco
entirely"
THE DAY AFTER.
o. the day afte~ Christmas he writes
as follows; Yesterday has passed,
/ but I fsd my notes of yesterday very
imperfect. The day was great sue
cess We all had enough. or nearly