The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-22
Daily eagle
NJ. NJ MURDOCH. Editor.
TIE PLUM PUDDING ROUTE.

being accompanied by his Vile ant
child and lot Of other people bent up
on having a good time, in the name OF
science, at somebody's else expense
Peary is not TO make for the North
Pole proper this trip. Having cabbag
ed the idea from a Kansas man that
the only reason why the North Pole
had not been reached long ago was
solely for the want Of proper food sup
plies; that explorers never perish as
long as they have plenty to eat; that
the cold of the north is Of no practical
inconvenience, Mr.. Peary proposes TO
set up a line of plum pudding stations
and later by easy journeys and full
belly to take in the Pole. Peary's for
mer failures prove that he is not the
man for the enterprise. He did not
know even how TO kill the fat bull wal
ruses until western hunter discovered
the how and taught him. Peary lacks
the real grit necessary TO successful
adventure and exploration. The man,
who, being caught out in an Arctic
storm ight with the thermometer 60
degrees below, and the wind peelng
shavings from glaciers, who cannot sit
unconcernedly down. light his pipe.
take a smoke and then roll up in his
furS. flop over and sleep and rest con-
tentedly. is not the man for such an en-
terprise as the North Pole. He who be
comes "rattled' whatever the eXtrem-
ity, will perish. There are whole herds
Of people who could stand trip to the
North Pole. by rail. or even overland.
If there was a good hotel every ten
miles. or so. Peary's present scheme is
for series of eating stations. which
once established along the entire route.
he will later essay the plum pudding
route
Something like a week since a very
foolish so-called scientist. named An
dree. started on the wings Of the wind
for the goal never yet reached. The
water routes and the overland efforts
the open free way of the planets and
considerations. His mid-air vehicle
promptly left the earth and sailed
away with him. being soon lost to
sight. Which way he went. how far
he got. or where he landed, nobody can
ever expect TO hear. Should his wild
dream, by chance. resolve itself into
verify, and his balloon pass immediate
~ over the Pole. Of what practical ben
eft would the result be to the world
None whatever, unless he could an
Choir long enough TO explore the local
lily. But doubtless Andree and his bal
loon are gone, and gone forever.
Their is no possible profit in all this
North Pole craze. Ii was first con-
ceived of as a northwestern ocean track
or passage. But later determinations
hold the earth'S axis to be but hetero-
geneous masses of snow and ice.
Whether there is solid land or wafer
beneath is not known, and for that
matter, it would make no difference
There is no possible Klondyke or Iu-
ken gold fields there. or if so. they are
hopelesSly buried beneath unnumbered /,
centuries Of ice and snow There is |
nothing. there can be nothing at the /
North Pole. 1t is a craze out of which /
no possible profit can ever come.
When NanSen came back from many |
months on the ice he was greeted with |
booming cannon and loud hurrahs by |
the people. His book setting forth the I
solitary. cruel and filthy life he and MS |
companions had endured sold the world |
over. bringing him wealth. There is
nothing in the book outside of a dreary
recital of life in hut. of simple sleep
ing and eating. which everybody does,
every day in the year. The only differ
ence is the rest of the world had wash
ed oftener than once in six months.
and with water. instead of in sinking
seal blubber. Nansen added nothing 10
the scientific knowledge Of the world
worth knowing. And there was Gener-
al Greeley and his experience of eat
ing his own companions after they had
died of exhaustion.
Their is nothing more at the North
Pole than there is AT the South Pole
and nothing at either which does not
prevail everywhere within the Arctic
end Antarctic circles, namely. ice and
snow. the monotony of which can not
be disturbed in the slightest degree 10y
fo0lhardy adventures, whether in ship.
sledge or balloon.