Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-07-30

WAN tne authority OF one VINO mas
"been there" discusses, in the Novem.
Der Forum, DIR. Nansen's scheme of
polar exploration, which he winds up
by styling an "illogical scheme of self
destruction" DR.. Nansen proposes to
build a very strong ship, capable of
living in the heavy Arctic pack which
he proposes to enter and drift with
across or around the pole; drift of
more than 1900 miles, lasting perhaps
two or three years, during which the
voyagers would "encamp on an ice. foe
and live there while floating across"
This programme General Greedy regards
as the bombast of man who doesn't
know what he is talking about. DR..
Nansen, he says, has had no Arctic ser.
vice; "his crossing of Greenland, how
ever difficult, is no more polar work
than the scaling of Mount st. Elias" His
indestructible boat cannot be built; if it
were solid all the way through it would
not Withstand the pressure of tho heavy
polar pack. Whalers and sealers have
spent hundreds of thousands of dollars
in building on such lines as
will give the ship the greatest power of
resistance" problem DR.. Nansen airily
intimates remains to be satisfactorily
solved by him. Besides, if he had his
indestructible boat, his transporting Ice
foe and all other conyeniences, General
Greedy asserts that there is no sufficient
proof of the existence of the favorable
currents upon which DIR. Nansen relies
for rounding the pole. The drifting of
the Jeanette relics to the west coast of
Greenland is cited by DIR. Nansen, but
General Greedy objects that they have
never been identified as Jeanette. relics;
that Captain Melville discredi.s them,
and that it is more reasonable to trace
these drift articles to the Proteus, which
was wrecked in Smith Sound. Finally
General Greedy believes the pole to be
inaccessible by any kind of current.
He thinks it most probable that, instead
Of an open sea, there is an Arctic ice cap
at least 300 miles in diameter and very
probably 1000 feet deep.
--------->--
Everybody has laughed over the story
of the travelling theatrical troupe that
played to an audience of one. 1t was in
a small country town, and the manager,
looking in during an intermission, asked :
"Why, bless my soul, where's the
audience 2"
"lle has just stepped out to get a
beer" replied the leader of the orches-
ira, with unruffled gravity.
do you think he will return 2" anx-
iously inquired the manager.
"He expresses himself delighted with
the play and will undoubtedly return"
was the response.
"Then let the performance go on" re-
piled the gratified manager.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
had a similar experience last Thursday.
The company had advertised to run an
excursion train of six cars from Balti-
more to Happy Valley; tickets, ST..
Happy Valley is romantic conglomer-
alton of precipice and glen, on the
eastern shore of the Susquehanna below
Port Deposit, where unclimbable rocks
rise up sheer 200 feet above the railroad,
which is itself well up above the river.
The hour came and the train pulled out,
according to programme, with one lone
excursionist on board who, with six
cars at command, certainly had plenty
of room. The railroad company took
him up to Happy Valley, where he
spent the time very pleasantly, Some
Port Deposit girls, who strolled down
to see the train come in, took charge of
his entertainment and made his visit to
Happy Valley a season to be remem-
bered. 1t is hardly necessary to add
that this particular excursionist is now
ready to make affidavit that when the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company CON
tracts to run an excursion train it is
going to do it; also that Happy Valley
has been appropriately named.
-----.
A few weeks ago the girls employed
in New York thread factory went on
strike, their chief grievance being the
imposition of an onerous fine upon
operatives for sitting down in the inter
walls Of their labor. The strike failed
and the girls returned to work under
the objectionable system without having
made any apparent impression on their
employer The press called public at
tention to the merits Of the strike, how
ever, and one day last week the pro.
prietor of the establishment received an
official notice from the state factory in.
spector that the law would require him
to provide seats to be used by the
women employed in his factory when
not actively engaged in the performance
OF their duties and that he, the inspec-
tor, would cheerfully make it his bust.
ness 70 see that the law was enforced.
SO that the girls, though unsuccessful
in their strike, have the power Of the
state behind them pledged to procure
them the very rights which their own
efforts failed TO gain, and this is power
which their employer will find it ex-
ceedingly wholesome to respect and
obey.
The New York Daily Nows, which
has been selected by District Attorney
Nicoll as the journal to be prosecuted