Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-06-05
~ 80 & - ]. 90 II 80.


as much as the secretary and an other
members Of the eouaeiL Il was not even
known where the document came from.
II was brought 10 the Offices 81 the New
York newspapers BY a certain William
5. Forster, a Goldfish dealer of Baltimore.
a member Of the house Of Ardrinel &
Co. Every thing was SO quiet and mys-
terious in the matter that the best re-
porters could not make out what il was
all about.
This North Polar Association had
been SO anonymous that it was impos-
sible even to give il definite name
If, however, the promoters OF this
speculation persisted in making their
personnel an absolute mystery, their in
tention was clearly indicated by the
document spread before the public Of
two worlds
Really, after all, the question was the
purchase Of that part Of the Arctic
regions bounded by the s4th degree, and
OF which the North Pole was the cen
trail point Nothing very exact con
corning this region was known. The
modern discoveries who had been near
est to this parallel were Parry, Marck-
ham, Lockwood and Brainard In re-
gard 70 the other navigators of the
northern seas they stopped far short OF
the aforementioned pojnt-such as
Payez, 1874, TO - degrees - minutes
north Of the land e Francis Joseph, Of
New Zemble; lie Out IN $50, 70 - &C.
grees "a minutes above Siberia DE
Long in the Jeanette expedition, in
1879, to IS degrees IS inmates around
the islands which bear bis name.
Others went around New siberia and
Greenland to the end of tbs Cape Bis
marck, but had not passed The 10th,
nth OF 7sth degree Of latitude The
North Polar Practical Association
wanted then, a country which had never
been touched before hy mankind or dis
coverers. and which was absolutely un-
inhabited.
The length Of this portion u the globe
surrounded ~ the s4th degree, extend
ing from the s4th to the 9otl. making
six degrees, which al sixty miles each
make radius OF $50 miles and diane
Der Of 720 miles, The circumference,
therefore, is >. $50 miles and The surface
407 miles This is about the tenth part
Of the whole Of Europe very desira-
BILE slice Of land indeed. The document
as we have seen. also stated that these
regions were not yet known geographic
ally, belonged TO no one and therefore
belonged TO every one. But itcould be
foreseen that the adjoining States at
least would consider these regions as
the prolongation Of their own possession
towards the North and would conse-
quently claim the right Of ownership
Their pretensions would have more
justice than those of discoverers who
operated upon the whole Of the Arctic
countries and made explorations only
for the glory Of their own nation. The
Federal Government represented in the
new society intended 10 make their
rights valuable and to indemnify them
FOR the price Of their purchase How
ever il was the partisans Of the North
Polar Practical Association did not an
nounce; the proprietorship was clear
and nobody being compelled to live
there could object TO the auction sale OF
this vast domain.
The countries whose rights were ab-
solutely established as much as those
of any countries could be were six in
number-America, England, Russia
Denmark, Sweden Norway and Holland
Other countries could claim discover
les made by their mariners and their
travellers.
France could interfere because some
of her children bad taken part in the
expeditions sent out to conquer the ter
ritories around the pole.
Among others the courageous Eellot.
who died in 1855 in the islands Of
Beechey, during tee Phpnix expedition
sent in search Of Sir .John Franklin.
Nor must one forget Dr. Octave Pavy,
who died in 1854, near Cape Sabine,
while the Greedy mission was at Fort
Conger. And the expedition which, in
1889, had gone to the Sea OF Spitzberg
with Charles Mariner, Bravais and his
courageous companions. would il not be
unfair TO forget them? Bat despite an
this France did not care to interfere in
this commercial rather than scientific
matter and she abandoned all her rights
for share OF the Polar pie. The same
Of Germany II had sent since 1871 the
Hamburg expedition Of Frederic Mar
tens to the Spitzenberg, and in 1869 and
20 the expeditions Of the Germauia and
Of the Hansa, commanded by koldervey
and Hegeman, which went as far as
Cape Bismarck by going along the coast
Of Greenland. But even II they had
made so many brilliant discoveries they
did not care 10 add piece Of the
Polar empire to that Of Germany. The
same was true with Austria, which was
already possessor Of the land Of Francis
Joseph, situated north Of Siberia
In regard to Italy having no right to
interfere. She did not interfere at all;
which is as strange as il is true. Then,
also, there were the Esquimaux, which
are at home in those places, and the in
habitants Of Greenland, Of Labrador, Of
Balm archipelago and Of the Aleutian
Islands, situated between Asia and
America, and also the tribe Of Tchoukt-
chis. who INHABITED tho old Russian
Alaska and who became Americans in