Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-10-11
AT THE NORTH POLE.
THERE WE WILL FIND THE FoUN-
TAIN OF PERPETUAL YOUTH.

Those Who Want 20 BE Made Young as
Well as Those Who Would Quickly Grow
Older Can BE BsAceommodated-The Views
Of q Well Known Geographer.
There has been much discussion Of
the advantages to accrue to the world
from polar exploration, and while there
is general agreement among scientific
men that the information to be gained
by it is of sufficient value to warrant
the expense and loss of life incident to
it am not aware that any direct eco
nomic results have ever been claimed for
it. Certain ideas have, however, recent
ly occurred to me, which point to very
great economic advantages to be attain
ed not only by polar exploration, but
by literally reaching the pole, advan-
tages so great that almost any expend-
iture of life and treasure will be war
ranted. am sure that when these ad-
vantages have been pointed out men and
money will be forthcoming without
stint not only to reach the pole, but to
make the path to it easy and plain to
tread.
Before going any further I wish to
say that have no ak to grind. have
no desire to command an expedition or
to accompany one My sole object in
publishing these matters is to aid my
fellow men.
All of us have read accounts Of the
search made by the Spaniards centuries
ago for the fountain of perpetual youth,
for those waters which would obliterate
wrinkles and restore gray hair to its
original hue, give back elasticity to
the limbs and fire to the eye Those
hardy explorers pursued their search in
the wrong quarter Of the globe.
We all know that if we travel around
the earth in the direction in which the
sun apparently moves on returning to
the place of departure we find that
we have saved day; that we are day
younger than our friends who have re-
mained at home To go around the
earth ON the forty fifth parallel of lati-
tude requires about go days Therefore
it Is possible in that latitude to save
one day in go, but as we go northward
the circumference of the earth diminish
es, and it is possible, other things being
equal, to make the journey in less time,
but with each circuit of the globe, what
ever the length of the journey, day is
saved. Near the pole, where the cir
cumference of the earth becomes mere
trifle, perhaps quarter Of mile, per-
haps 100 yards, day may be saved in
five minutes, in one minute. Sixty days
may be saved in an hour, year Of life
in day. A forenoon jaunt around the
pole will do all that the fountain of
eternal youth of the old Spanish explor-
ers was expected to accomplish.
But this result, the restoration of
youth to the aged, is but one of the
useful purposes to which the pole can
be put Not only the aged, but unmar-
ried ladies who have passed the first
bloom Of youth and have thus ceased to
attract may here restore their comeli-
ness, recover their hloomiL. cheeks and
rounded forms, and thus prepare for a
second campaign against mems hearts,
But this is not all. 1t is sometimes
an advantage to grow old, and by TAX
ing the opposite course around the pole
we may add years to our lives in hours.
The fashionable woman is encountered
by young children. She sends them to
the pole, and they grow up with exceed
ing rapidity For an hour they are
trundled against the sun in baby car
riages, the next hour they spend upon
their feet, and before the day is passed
they are grown to mems and women's s
estate, and the mother is free of their
| charge.
The course of true love does not al
ways run smooth, and many young
man and woman pledged to one anoth-
er, are prevented by cruel parents from
being Joined because of their extreme
youth. A trip to the pole will quickly
remove this difficulty.
So I might go on and instance hun
dreds Of different conditions which
might be remedied were the pole easy
of access Many of them readily occur
to our readers, and we shall not burden
them with any further information.
Now let US picture what the results
will be of this discovery. 1t goes with
out saying that the north pole will i'm
mediately become resort second to
none upon che globe. There will be a
real estate boom in that region beside
which those Of southern California,
| Florida and of the southern Appala-
chians will be fiat, tame and insipid.
The prices of town lots will not rise.
They will shoot upward. In that wilder
ness of ice and snow there will be built
within fabulously short time city Of
transients the like of which the world
has never seen a city of hotels, apart
ment and boarding houses Of enormous
proportions When we reflect that every
body who has reached the age Of go and
who can raise the necessary funds for
the journey will go there to take a
walk, not to mention the spinsters, the
signing lovers and the superfuCus chill
dren, one can easily imagine what an
enormous business the pole will do.
Imagine the lines Of steamships which
will be supported by this travel; imag-
inc the value Of the wheeled chair priv
ileges; imagine, if you can, the profits
Of the man who gets possession of Cir
Gle around the pole having radius Of
half mile and charges admission to
this race course against time.
In conclusion, I do not think that
exaggerate when I say that the oonsid-
erations here set forth make the search
for the pole the most important by far
Of all the questions which are now
agitating civilized man. Henry Gan
nett in New York Snn