The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-04-26
SCENES IN NORWAY.
A PEEP AT THE MOST NORTHERN FORT IN
THE WORLD.

Vardo is tie most northern town in
Norway, located on an island of the same
name in the Arctic ocean, In latitude 10
degrees 20 minutes Sc seconds north.
X is separated from the mainland by 8
| cbanuel two miles wide, and contains 3
population of about 1000 II claims
| the most northern fort iu the world, which
| IS garris0ued BY sixteen men and has an
armament of about an equal number Of
old fashioned cannon, making a man for
each gun. The keystone of an arch over
| the entrance to the rampant bears the
date "l737."
There being two public schools in the
| place, and l naturally having a curiosity
| to visit a seat of learning whose founda-
lions were lashed by the Arctic wave, ]
entered the larger Of the two by a rear
door, for there was no entrance from the
street nor at either end. [ was kindly
| and politely saluted by the teacher. ana
| on entering the main room the pupils
arose in body and bowed to me. 4
seat was given me aud a book was placed
| in my hand that / might follow the boys
aud girls through their reading lesson,
which was characterized in some meas
ure by the doieEul enunciation SO often
heard IL rural schools. The girls wore
the inevitable handkerchief about their
head. 4 Bit Of little cane III a corner
represented the pedagoglc mace. The
rooms on this day the Sth Of July, were
heated by coal stoves. The school CON
tanned four departments, under male
principal, and three assistant female tea
chers, all intelligent aud wide wake.
From the principals room passed TO au
adjoining one in charge of a bright and
neatly attired young lady, who required
her pupils TO sing for me and 8troVa with
graceful tact to make exercises pleasant
and inteliglble to one totally ignorant
| of tue language. Il was almost pititul
| to see some OF the girls carsssiug snau,
bunche5 Of puuy daGdelion blossoms
that seemed as precious 70 them as
victoria regia woalG be 10 q southern
maid. Oilers were nursing few sprays
of mliiefoliuin in bottles OF water. ana
one could only wonder that so stunted
and sparse q dora could begot any love
for flowers al ali; and yet geraniums aud
roses il the windows OF the better houses
are not uncommon. Excepting a small
and uniup1TtaUb one at H4mmeyfest,
this IS the most northern school in the
world, and after pleasant hour therein
l departed.
The remainder Of the day l concluded
TO spend in visiting the whale "fabriks,
| that Is the establishments for rendering
whale blubber into oil and Transforming
the kraug (haused carcasses) into artilio
iai guapo. / have had occasion already
t mention several Of the most northern
thugs in the world; here I discovered
the most powerful stencil il all Earopc.
and probably in the world, and yet I felt
willing to brave It to witness q dissection
Of loviatAaDs. There are around Varla
fGur or five establishments, each having
| several steam WGalers constantly securing
the seas eff the coast IN pursuit Of
whales. Floating in the sea before the Off
| fsreut factories were foIty fenced car
! casses, some swollen to enormous pro.
| portions. Two large whales, one seven
| ty-tive feet IN leugth, were drawn out uu
| the shore, one with the biujber newly
removed, the other fresh from the water
| Several men mounted the latter hv =
| ladder and ciambered about on its
| smooth, slippery skin by means Of sharn
| spikes attached to the s0ies of their boots;
with blubber knives two feet in length III
| long wooden handles, they made Trans
verse incisicGs as deep as the binbber-
! about twelve inches IN this case-Gad
| five or six feet iouc, and then running
the cut lougjiudjpaly for thirty feet, a
blanket Of faS was ready for removal a
chain was attached to the farther end,
! and by power OF windass in the fact.
DRY this prodigiods slab of blubber,
| weighing several tons, was slowly torn
! from he carcass. This process was con
tjnued till the flensing was completed.
In the factory the blubber is cut into
small pieces for fhe s'tryiug out" pots.
Eae flesh of the fienscd carcass is then
cua down into large pieces that are drag
ed aud pitched with flesh hooks to
cars; it is then taken to dry furnaces,
where it is rendered friabIe. When the
hesh and viscera have been removed,
the work of chopping down the fjnfy
| forest of bones is com nenced; the bones
ale also subjected to the drying furnace,
aud when Tarched are ground together
with the flesh into q powder, which is
| barreled aud shipped to all parts of
| Europe as fertilizer.-James RicaIton
in Outing.