Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-03
FROM THE FAR NORTH
Miss Olaf Krarer, a Native of Green
land, Talks on the Customs of
Her People.
She Lived Fifteen Years Without
Washing Herself and Ate Soap
Upon First Seeing 1t.

Miss Olaf Krerer, native E>quinau
woman, Iectured in the Eleventh Baptist
church recently, says the Philadelphia
Press, on Greenland and the dwarf-IiLe
people of the frozen north.
The lecturer was escorted to the plat
form by the pastor, the Rev. [. Newton
Ritner. As they entered the room buzz
of surprise swept over the audience
Preacher Ritner is not q tall mar. but
beside him the ESQ uimau woman was a
pigmy. She was assisted to the platform
and the assistance was necessary, for she
climbed the steps with difficulty and with
the toddling steps of baby. Backed up
against carved pulpit chair, that tower
ed mouptain-like above her, she stood
with crossed hands, while the choir sang.
Forty inches is her exact height. On
the platform she looked slightly taller.
1t needed no camera to photograph her
feature. on the minds of the audience.
A face dark, but not swarthy, crowned
with a couture of light, almost golden,
hair, parted on the forehead, without
"bangs," and brushed back With a neat
ness bordering upon severity; eyes large,
but strangely quiet; chubby hands, with
arms unnaturally short and curved; a
figure plump, almost to embon point
strikipgly displayed in dark green plush,
close hitting, and Dropped in fashions
latest mode. a possible fondness for
iewelry was suggested by bracelets and a
heavy gold ring and heavy gold watch
guard ornamented With jewelry pendants.
Memory made her eloquent. Six years
ago she knew nothing of the English
language. yet, odd though they were, her
sentences were distinctly Ineligible. In
speaking she made no use of the soft ''h'
or the sound of it in words ending in
'sion." The "n" was entirely omitted
and IS" or 80" substituted. This made q
dialect entirely new and strange. "Fish"
was "fiss," "kitchsn" was called "kitsin,"
"she" was abbreviated into "se," "ocean"
became "osan," and "sip" did duty for
''ship." Occasionally dnring her lecture
she vigorously used palm-leaf fan.
'T was born in Greenland" was the
simple sentence with which she began her
lecture. Then she told how, after living
in the terrible cold of that dark land un-
til she was Is years old, she crossed the
frozen sea on sled drawn by dogs to
Iceland. There she learned TO speak the
Icelandic language, a tongue very dissim-
liar to her own, and received the rudi-
school. In her old land there were ne1th-
or preachers, doctors, lawyers, nor rulers
of any kind. In Iceland she found all
these. At home people nevef washed
themselves, and in Iceland she was hand
ed piece of soap. She did not know
the use of it and put it IN her mouth. At
the age OF 20 she went from Iceland to
Manitoba, in British America, and sever
There she was compelled to live in a
room in which ice was kept until she be
came acclimated.
"In my country" she con tinued, "they
pay no attention to the sick. They say
spirits have them and they hate them.
All they will do is to throw them a piece
of blubber as they would to dog. If the
people get we'll they are smart; if they
die they are no good, and they are just
thrown into hole in the snow. Their
furs and spears are thrown in with them,
and no matter how much they are needed
the people never go back to get them,
for in my country when men and women
are dead We don't want any more to do
with them"
Her arms were bowed, she explained,
because in her country children were
com PEELED to fold them always. TIE
Greenlander's only food was meat, b!ub-
Der, oil, and blood. It was never cooked,
and even the baby's only luxury was q
bone warm ed over a blubber fire. There
was no wood, not even match. Pire was
was lighted with flint, and man who
owndd flint was considered wealthy. A
man feet high was tall. When wife
was wanted the girl WIS stolen. If caught
the would be bridegroom is killed by her
parents. If he succeeded in getting her
to his own hut he was "sgart and respect
ed by his wife's parents. That was all
there was Itarroagem but man must
live with his wifefor life. If he deserted
her he woulo be put 10 death.