The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-04-23
Miss Ol0f krarer.

rcr of Greenland!
Miss Krarer is an EsquimaN wh'
came to this country a few years ag'
hy way of Iceland. Her native
"Snowsr- r-Iand she had never seen, he
inr one thousand miles farther notrh
The Journey to Iceland was made by
-ledge on tie frozen sea, in company
with number of her people, for the
relief of Il party of shipwrecked sail
nrs. There is Il legend among her peo
pie that they came originally IRON
Norway. She speaks with prlde o.
'pure descent" and certainly she has
in hcr appearance little in common
with the EsguimaX Indians OF the
west coast, with which we are more
familiar.
This dlminuive lady is forty inches
i'm height, and her proportions ana ap'
pearancc, dressed zen train," strongly
remind one of the wife of the famous
little General. She has fair skin
blue gray eyes, and brown hair inclin'
cd to golden.
Much has not heretofore been expect.
cd of Greenland in the way OF contrl'
buttons to the worlds stock OF lnfor'
nation, or its entertainment, but here
is a minute madame from the north
ernest point of that unpreposesslng
country, who in pleasing manner
and with much dignity, and no lack
of proper understanding of the propri-
eties and possibilities of the platform;
laws before her audience OF cultured
Anglo-SaXons, in a very simple way,
! it is true, but with great vlvldness, the
conditions of human life III this her
native country: my country as, naive
ly and with true devotion, not love
! lhow could it bc:), she calls 1t.
These conditions need no other elo-
uucnce than the bare recital to break
the heart, and as one listens. the re,
memberance, "All ye are bretheren," "
would give the soul Il dreadful despair,
were it not for this other remenlDer.
ance. "This world is redeemed
world,r and 50 some day, even Green,
land must "blossom as the rose" ana
..reioice with Joy and singing" EMS
tcnce in Greenland, Miss Krarer de-
clares. is not life, or if it is, it is frozen
life.
The condition of human beings III
tl.at congealed continent IS q perpetu-
ally beRuW1ed one, both OF body ana
mind. The ever present sensation is
that o. extreme chill.
!, j.: So cold, she says, that even
..lnyy" is frozen. When asked if
mothers love their babies, she replied,
II do not think they do-they are too
coId-they cannot care much for any
thing" Children do not play in
Greenland, and mirth or merry-mak-
ing of any kind is never seen.
Calling attention TO her arms, which
are quite bowed, she said, this bent
form is universal, and is owing TO the
constant folding over the breast,
which mothers compel their children
to practice, in order that a little more
heat may be retained.
The temperature in the snow nuts
in which they live is always freezing.
as one can easily see must be the case.
Otherwise, the skins placed on the
walls when wet, and frozen fast, would
not retain their adhesion.
Greenlanders do not drink. There
is nothing to drink.
No food is cooked, not even for III
fants, who from the age of one month
are fed ubon 'biubber." In a land
where water is never fluid, and an oc-
casional fire of whalebone and fat is
I'LL that the resources of the country
provide, and the nature of their dwell
ings permit, there is 10 natural food
suppiy for the infants, and even if this
were not the case, nothing short OF q
dict of pure fat can generate sufllclent
heat to maintain life.
Possibly others, like the writer, not
ignorant of the fact that the climate OF
Greenland is intensely cold, have sup
posed that somehow the natives had
become accustomed to it, and probably
rather enjoyed it. But no one can ev-
er think this again, who has seen the
look and heard the tone with which
this little creature says, ION, 1T is so
cold, SO cold, in my country. No one
is ever anything but cold there"
Iu a private conversation with TINS
most interesting fugitive from the land
of pcrrctual winter, she said with eyes
heavy with unshed tears, Human be-
ings ought not to live where my poor
people live. There no progress is pos
sible to them. Since I have seen the
world, have thought ard thought so
much about what can be done for
them. They do as well as they can, as
we'll rs any one could do. some day.
soDlc some day, God will help them"
Miss Krarcr, at the close of her lee
ture proper, assumes her native "cos-
tune" as she calls it, of polar bear
skin-it is the dress she wore in her
homc-and invites questions, all of
which she answers most cleyerly, Of
ten wittily, always aptly, and with
quickncss and intelligence.
One Of these drew out the fact that
she had never until she went 10 Ice
land, washed her face or her hands, or
had bath other than All oil rub" J"
If one reflects Il momcht: nothing else
is practicable or possible.
The hair is never cumbrsl in Green
land. How can it be? there are no
combs.
When asked if she was OF the aver
age height, she replied, "Few women
are taller. a man four inches higher
would be tall man."
TO the rather delicate inquiry, "Arc
YOU fair specimen of the intellectual
ability of your race" she quietly re-
plied that she did not think herself
superior to most of hcrpcoplc. 4 Gus
| tom in the training Of children, bred
Of the hard conditions which allow no
embellishments of existence, and least
| of Ill encourage nursery blandiSll-
ncnts, Il custom which instantly COM
mends itself 10 the intelligence, is this,
crying babe in Greenland is never
Inoriced ! When the wall of the icy
mite of humanity ceases, Il charming
morscl of the lovliest blubber is pres