The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-09
Joke Originated in the st. Nj
chael Aurora Borealis.
TO WHILE AWAY AN IDLE HOUR.
The Mail Carrier Gave IL an Air Of
rrath by Clothing the story With
the Garh Of My~t~ry and Refusing
To- Talk Ah~at ls-Nellow JSurAais
They Are Being Laughed AZ.


Michael. containing ex-United States Mad
Carrier Jack Cars Andree story. OF
coarse the narrative contained IN the
paper is a fake. Ii was intended for moth
ing but huge joke, and was supposed 10
he read only by the sinai colony OF good
night at Fort Get There, waiting for the
steamers 10 arrive In June with letters
and papers from the States. Carr gave
1t sarb Of truth by refusing To talk about
1t for . time.
The Aurora Boreaiis Is edited and pub
lished by a number OF the employees Of
the North American Transportation and
Trading Company al Fort Get There, ST.
Michael, Am3ag those who have a
hand In Its preparation are James r. Az
new. formerly OF this city, whose wit and
humor are well known 10 his intimates.
Agnew likely wrote the Andree story.
1t bears his finger marks.
Perhaps the funniest part OF the Andree
story Is the fact that the yellow journals
OF New York, hearing from their magma
tive correspondents at Departure Bay,
II. C., that Jack Carr. the mail carrier.
had brought word from Andree fen over
each other. figurAtively. In an effort to
get scoop" on the story. Thousands II
dollars was offered TO Jack Carr for the
exclusive use OF the story.
The statement that Carr had brought q
message from the daring balloons, who
went on a search OF the North pole was
cab.ed by the newspaper correspondents
OF Departure Bay and Victoria and Lon.
don and other European journals. Humid.
reds OF dollars were spent In cabling be-
fore the newspaper men realised that the
story was a huge joke, and that they
were being laughed at by Carr.
After his arrival in Victoria some OF the
Eastern papers. learning that Carr was
supposed TO have brought word of Andree
from st. Michael. teiczFaphed to their
representatives on the Coast. asking them
how trustworthy Carr Is. Some o! the
answers did net place Carr in the most
favorable light, 1t Is said.
The newspaper men of British Column
bia say that Carr was offered s. 500 for his
story, agreed to take 4, and then '.fiunksd''
on IL, realizing that II was a fake. This
statement was denied by Carr. The cor
respondents assert that Carr made the
distinct declaration that he had news from
Andree, but Carr alleges that he made no
definite statement whatever regarding the
story. and refused absolutely TO show 1t
UP.
Below Is printed fun copy OF the story
contained in the ST. Michael Journal:
When Messrs. Dunn and Bell were out
hunting last Tuesday they found lying
exhausted on the ground a white pigeon
carrier. The bird was easily captured
without firing shot. and . peculiar pro-
tubsrance was observed on It's breast Ii
was brought 10 DIR. Edie. who performed
an autopsy on the bird and discovered
N its gizzard partially digested can OF
Wilson's celebrated brand OF Boston
bal 10
ION or DIR. Eide that the beans killed the
bird. rather than the exhaustion OF its
hight from the pole. Inside the can of
beans was found two messages from An
dree giving the glorious news OF his
success and the sad news OF his probable
death from exhaustion and thirst
The following In the substance Of the
messages. which were necessarily short.
owing TO the Limitation ef the messenger:
e We sailed along nicely for over .
week, with q fair souiherIy wind, and 1t
looked as though success was m our
grasp. Suddenly II became intensely cold
50 cold that "A strange and disastrous thing
happened The hydrogen gas inside the
balloon became ifQuifed by the extreme
low temperature and began to pour down
In the form Of rain upon our heads We
put UP our umbrellas for protection bu:
soon found cur difficulties had but com
menced, The liquid hydrogen ss II tr.ck.ed
through the bottom or the wicker car was
forming huge icicie. which would soon
reach the ground and freeze fast. holding
US stationary.
1T became necessary 20 tighten the
balloon at once. 50 1. was determined sha,
two OF the three OF us should be hove
overheard In order TO determine tbs two
unfortunates We played three-card monte.
and i dealt the cards. Fortune favored
me and the lot fell on my two comrades
This first man lei. a distance of two m .es
and I watched him az he struck. through
nv field glasses. The Ice was twenty feet
thick. but he went through It like a
hrag-Jofgsson" bullet, and disappeared
forever
Il threw the doctor overheard Just az
We arifted into dense fog. My azsaza-
mint cannot be described when I ssw rs
body drop bu. ten feet below the ear and
noat. suspended IL rnidaIr supported by
the fog. His pifeoGs appeals 10 be hauled
back nearly drove me insane bur 7
dristed axay ard left him, Ike Moaaa.~
med, Suspended between heaven ana earth
and literally rocked 10 sleep in The bosom
OF the atmosphere May God have mercy
on hi. SOIL.
Just as I reached the North pole. fbe
Icicle wh.sh had been continually x-s7x-
ing longer struck the frozsn surface az
The sea with a terrible shock and froze
fast instantly The shock was - fierce
tina. my teeth were ground into bone dust
without moments warning
% Now. indeed. my plight to pfsfab,
ard I have resigned mysesf 70 death. for
hope has deserted me. II 3 30 feet 10
the surface Of the earth, and TO attempt
10 slide down my pole OF hydrogen would
mean instant destruction My beans are
all froxen as hard as bullets. even II I
had the teeth 20 eat them with. I am
consumed By thirst. a regular Yukon river,
Dawson city. Arctic circle shsrsf. ana II
only had one little schooner ef beer I
would die happy. II any daring explorer
should reach this swfn. pace he win md
q tai pillar Of ICE. on top OF The pillar I
basket, srd IN the basket the bon<s OF
poor AHdrse.'
.sTh@ following farewell we ssurcs-.
WAS written after fse daring asrgnaus had
become insane IN his despair Al n 81
slightly ineohsreDs IL also illustrates tie
fact thar the ruling passion In strope il
, death:
"sHasls Oh. poles:s Thou apex Of The
ws1A thsu ao1 1ee Whiah benWo -