Telegram-herald., 1890-03-10

AN-c VEL aAN - - - A~+ . so F-&HsA
u aispste this question w1th And he
mighl have talked 4bost q al lengt1 II
other people ia TIE inn had not listened
buE hs thought IL better q keep qulet
after asking: Are yos Rot surprised a.
one tbing2 One woald expect 10 see
enginssrS or al least nsSigators tgore
ia this matter. While there are only gun
ners whO are a. the head - it?'
II Is not surprising that the news
papers Of tie civilized world soon be-
gan % discuss the question Of Goa ais
eoyeries al the North Pols-
"And Why not" ASKED the editor Of
an American paper Who took the part
OF President Bsrbic2ne, when II Is re-
membered that Captain Mares. In 1878
and 1870. at the sd degree of latitude,
discovered large noWer beds, hazel
trees, pOplsrs. beech trees, etc. ,"
And in 1851 and lss4. B" added scien-
tihc publication Of New York. during
the expedition Of Lieutenant 6reely at
Lady Franklin Bay, Was not layer Of
coal discovered by our explorers little
way from Fort Cougar, near Naterhouse?
And did not DIR. Psyy say that these
countries are certainly full Of coal, per
hsps placed there 10 combat At some
day the terrible masses of ice which are
found there?"
Against such well-estsblis facts
brought out by American discoYerers
the enemies Of President Barbicane did
not know what 10 answer And the peo-
pie who asked why should there be coal
mines began 20 surrender 20 the people
who asked why shovld there be none.
Certainly there were some, and very
considerable ones, TOO. The circum-
polar ice-cap conceals precious masses
of coal contained IN those regions
where vegetation was formerly luxuri-
ant But If they could no longer dis
pute that there were seally coal mines
In this Arctic region the enemies OF the
association tried TO get revenge in
another way. Well" said Major
Donellan one day after hard discus
sion which had arisen in the meeting
room Of the gun club and during which
he met President Bsrbicane face 70
face, ''all right. ] admit that there are
coal mines; / even affirm it, there are
mines in the region purchased by your
society, but go and explore them-ha!
ha. hal"
That is what we are going 70 do"
said lmpey Barbicane.
$50 over the saith degree, beyond
which no explorer as yet has been able
to put his foot"
1--WE will pass IL - reach even the
North Pole" said he. I'VE will reach
it" And after hearing the president of
the gun club answer with SO much cool
ness, with so much assurance, 10 see his
opinion so strongly, so perfectly az
firmed, oven the strongest opponent be-
gan 10 hesitate. They seemed to be IN
the presence of a man who had lost none
of his old-time qualities. quiet, cold and
of an eminently serious mind, exact rs
a clock, adventurous, but carrying his
practical ideas into the rashest enter
prises.
Major Donellan had an ardent wish to
strangle his adversary. But President
Barbicane was stout and we'll able to
stand against wind and tide, and there
fore not afraid of the Major His ene-
mics, his friends and people who envied
him knew it only too well. But there
were many jealous people. and many
jokes and funny stories went round in
regard TO the members of the gun club.
Pictures and caricatures were made in
Europe, and particularly in England,
where people could not get over the loss
which they suffered in tho matter OF
pounds sterling. "Ah.' said they,
"this Yankee has got it in his head 70
reach the North Pole. He wants to put
his foot where, up to the present time,
no living soul has yet been. He wants
20 build palaces and houses. and, per-
haps. the White House OF the United
States, in part Of the world which has
never yet been reached, while every
other part OF the world is so
we'll known to u.s." And then
wild caricatures appeared in the
different newspapers In the large
windows and news-depots, as well
In small cities of Europe as in the large
cities of America, there appeared draw
ings and cartoons showing President
Barbicane in the funniest OF positions
trying to reach tho North Pole. One
sudacious American cut had all the
members Of the gun club trying to make
an underground tunnel beneath the
terrible mass of immovable icebergs to
the saith degree of northern latitude,
each with an axe in his hand. In An
other Iupey Barbicane. accompanied by
Mr.. J. Il. Maston and Captain Nicholl.
had descended from a balloon on the
much desired point, and after many an
successful attempts and at the peril Of
their lives had captured piece Of coal
weighing about half a pound. This
fragment was all they discovered of the
anticipated coal-felds There were al
so pictures made of J. 7. Maston. who
was as much used FOR such purposes As
his chief. After having tried to find tho
electric attraction OF tho North Pole,
the secretary of the gun club became
fixed 20 the ground BY his metallic
hard.
The celebrated calculator was too
quick tempered 20 End any pleasure an
the drawings which referred TO his per-
sonal cor formation lie vas exceeding
~ annoyed by them. and Mrs tvange-
Ina Scorbitt, it may be easily under
stord. was not slow 70 share his indigns-
tion. Another drawing in the Lsnterne,
OF Brussels, represented the members
Of the council and tho members Of the
gun club tending a large number Of
fires The idea was 20 melt The large
quantities OF ice BY putting = whole sea
or alcohol on thon. which would convert
the p0isr basin into large quantity Of