New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08
MEME IN HIS NEW HOME.
THE LITTLE ESQUIMAU WHOM LIEUTEN.
ANT PEARY BROUGHT FROM
GREENLAND
HE rs RAPIDLY LEARNING AMERICAN WAYS IN
MR. wALLACES FAMILY. AND HAS NO DE-
sIRE TO co BACK TO THE NORTH


n there is one small boy in this city who,
more than all others. has reason to be thankful
for decided change in his circumstances which
occurred about year ago. that boy Is Meme the
little nine year-old Esquimau who was brought
from Greenland by Lieutenant Peary and is
now living in the family Of William Wallace.
superintendent Of the Museum of Natural HIS
tory. The writer of this article prefers to spell
the little lads name Meme" because, in spite
OF the opinion OF DR.. Franz Boas. Of the mu-
scum, who has studied the Esqumau tongue
and thinks the spelling should be Mink the
yOungster himself insists that Meme Is
right and will not agree to anything else. His
positveness this point Is the more convince
ing because it is not an habtual trait with him
Usually he is rather guarded and conservative
in his statements as. for example when asked
his age. Then he says, politely Il guess nine.
This conclusion is doubtless owing to Discus
sons which ne has heard regarding the number
Of his years This could not, of course. be told
exactly when he arrived here. year ago last
fall, and Mr.. Wallace and the others interested
were obliged to approximate it, according to his
size and natural mental development. So the
boy accepts their decision. but "guesses at It
cautiously for all the world like a true Yankee
and he uses the same word to express his care
full attitude Of mind toward various other things
Meme enjoys the distinction Of belonging to
| one Of the most nOrtherly tribes of human be-
| ings on the face of the globe-the Smith Sound
| Esouimaus The members Of this little COM
| munjty who numbered 234 when Lieutenant
! Peary left them in the early fall Of 1897 on his
return trip south. are completely Isolated IN
| their barren Arctic habitat. More exactly de-
fined their location is on the peninsula which
projects from the northwestern coast OF Green
| land, between the waters of Kane BASIN on the
north and Melville Bay on the south, into the
| icy channel of Smith Sound. The region Is SIX
hundred miles within the Arctic Circle. or about
halfway between the Circle and the Pole IL
has a summer day and a winter night each OF
which is as long as no Of our days while the
remainder of the year-that is. couple OK
| months in the spring and the same period IN
the falls broken up into nights and days OF
swiftly changing lengths
Lieutenant Peary took an especial interest in
the little tribe which he found in this dreary
region and when he returned he brought SIX
| Of them with him The party consisted Of three
men Kushn NoOktah and Miakapsia;
| woman Atunga a little girl Ahweeah. and the
| boy Meme A few days after landing In this
| city the whole six were attacked with influenza
| The disease aggravated as its effects were by
the and trying climate. went hard with
them and developed with several into tubercu-
| losis In spite of careful treatment the man
, Kushin who Mene's father and Atunga,
| the woman died. The survivors Of the party
| lived for several months In a little cottage at
| High Bridge Dr. Franz Boas of the Museum
Of Natural History, was put in charge OF them'
and he soon discovered that the brightest or
the number the boy who had begun 10
pick up few English words as soon as no
reached this city Besides his mental quaiites'
the child had a disposition so pleasant and win
| ming that it made many friends for him. ana
when last spring 1t was planned to break up
the little band two three Of whom were to
return north with Lieutenant Peary. Mr. Wal
| lace Of the museum expressed his desire to
! take Meme into his family and bring him up
| with his own son. who Is two years older than
| the little Esaumau. This project was put into
| effect at once and Mene-"Mene Wallace, as
| he calls himself-has enjoyed the advantages
| Of that home ever since. He has not been le-
| gaIly adopted but Morris X Jesup, the presl-
| dent of the museum who is very much inter-
ested in the boy. is rather anxious that ne
| should be- and Mr.. Wallace says that it will
probably be done in the course of time.
Mrs Wallace has taken the deepest interest
| in assuming charge of the little protege from
| the North. and to her Is due much Of the credit
| for the remarkable rapidity with which he mas
| developed in every way since he entered her
| household. 1t is pretty safe to say that there
| Is no better behaved nine-year-old boy OF any
| nationality than Meme is to-day. He has been
| taught that Yes and mo" are not quite polite
| responses for a small boy to make to his elders
| and his prompt Eyes, sir" Eyes. ma'am," etc..
| are never forgotten He has long since learned
the various occasions for removing his cap. ana
his Excuse me" and other apologize phrases
| when ne IA Obliged to disturb any one would do