Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-06-05

BOothia- Felix, Melville and other parts
nearly unknown. OF this great area,
crossed by the 18th parallel, there are
over l, 100000 square miles of land and
over 100. zoe So uare miles of water.
Within this area intrepid modern
discoveries have advanced 10 the s4th
degree Of latitude, reaching seacoasts
lost behind the high chain Of icebergs
which may be called the Arctic High-
lands. given names TO capes, to mount
ians, to CULTS. 70 bays, etc. Bat beyond
this S4th degree is mystery 1t is the
terra incognita of the chart-makers, and
nobody knows as yet whether behind is
hidden land or water for distance OF
9 degrees over impossible heaps Of ice
TO the North Pole
II was in the year $50 that the Gov-
eminent OF the United States conceived
the idea Of putting the as yet undis-
covered countries around the North
Pole up at auction sale, and an Amer
lean society had just been formed with
the plan OF purchasing this Arctic area
and had asked the concession.
For several years, il is rue, the con-
ference at Berlin had formulated a
special plan for the guidance Of such Of
the great powers as might wish 70 app
propriate rights under the claim OF coll
onization or the opening Of commercial
markets This code was not acceptable
to all, and the Polar region had re-
NAMED without Inhabitants. AS that
which belongs to none belongs to every
ts-t
merely to occupy it, but to purchase it
outright, and SO avoid further claims.
There never is in the United States
any project so bold as not TO find people
TO regard it as practical and back il with
large amounts Of money. This was
well shown a few years ago when the
gun club of Baltimore tried to send q
projectile to the moon, hoping 20 obtain
a direct communication with our SAL
elite VAST notenterprising Americans
who furnished funds for this undertake
ing? Large amounts were necessary for
this interesting trial and were promptly
found. And. had it been realized. would
we not have to thank the members Of
that club who had dared TO take the
risk of this superhuman experience
Should a Lesseps propose to dig q
channel across Europe TO Asia, frc-1 the
banks of the Atlantic to the waters OF
China; should well-sinker offer 10 bore
from the curbstones to reach the beds Of
molten silicates to bring a supply to
your fire-places; should an enterprising
electrician want TO unite the scattered
currents over the surface of the globe
into one inexhaustible spring of heat
and light; should bold engineer con
ceive the idea of putting the excess Of
summer temperature into large reser-
voirs for use during the winter in our
then frigid zones: should an anonymous
society be founded to do any Of a hun
dred different similar things. there
would be found Americans ready 10 head
the subscription lists and regular
stream of dollars would pour into the
company's safes as freely as the rivers
of America flow TO the ocean
1t is natural to expect that opinions
were very varied when the news spread
that the A-ctic region was going to be
sold at auction for the benefit of the
highest and final bidder. particularly
when no public subscription list was
started in view of this purchase. as the
capital had all been secured before
hand.
To use the Arctic region? Why, such
an idea could only be found in the
brain Of a fool" was the general YER
dict
Nothing, however, was more serious
than this project. A prospectus was
sent to the papers Of the two continents,
to the European publications, to the
African, Oceanic, Asiatic, and at the
same time to the American journals.
The American newspaper announcement
read as follows:
To the IphGbudats or ne Globe:
The Arctic region situated within the s4th
degree could not heretofore have been sold at
auction for the very excellent reason that it
had not been discovered as yet.
The extreme points reached by navigators Of
different countries are the following:
Eightytwo degrees, % minutes reached by
the English explorer Parry, in July is47 on
the 2sth meridian, west to the north OF Spitz
berg
Eighty three degrees 20 minutes, Is sec
onds, reached by Markham with the En-.
glish Expedition OF Sir John Georges Mares
il May 1861 on the 50th meridian west, il the
north OF Griuueil Land
Eightythree degrees, IS minutes latitude
reached by Lockwood ard Brainard Of the
American expedition under Lieutenant
Greedy in May, 1872, on the 42d meridian
west. in the north Of Mares Land
The property extending from the sfth
parallel to the pole on q surface Of six de-
grees must be considered an undivided domain
among the different states Of the globe and
not liable TO be trans .oTmed into private prop
erty through public auction sale.
No one is compelled 70 i've ia this section,
and the United States relying on This n0r-own-
ersbip has resolved to provide for the settle
ment and use Of the domain company has
been founded st Baltimore under the name Of
the North Polar Practical Association. repre-
serting officially the American Union. This
company Intends e purchase the said country