The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-29
LITTLE MEME AT SCHOOL.
EXPLORER PEARF's EsQUTMAU TAKES
KINDLY TO CIVILIZED LIFE

tendance a little boy Of about 81 years oil
whose history and origin IL perhaps tho mos
interesting OF any schoolboy TO be found Il
this big city. lie Is known as Meme" Wal
lace, tho ward OF Superintendent Wallace o
the Museum OF Natural History. Little Mon
first saw the light Of day, or possibly tho dark
ness OF an Arctic day. in q sncw hut away VI
In the northern peninsula Of Greenland. whicl
lies between the waters OF Kane Basin ant
Melville Bay. within 800 miles of the Nortl
Pole. He belongs to the most northern trlb'
OF Es1uimaux. He was brought here in SEP
tember, lSDi. by Lieut.. peary. the Arctic eS
plorer. with five others. three meu. one wo
man and u little girl about Mene's age. .Amons
the men was kushin. Mene's father, who dice
IA few months after his arrival here. Hi
mother died In Greenland about q year pre-
vious to his departure for this country.
Shortly after their arrival here the members
OF the band were attacked with influenza and
eventually all but little Memo aud one Of the
men died. Tit young man who survived re.
turned with Peary last summer. As little
Meme seemed In good health and was berefI
OF both parents. Superintendent Wallace took
him into his own household. where he receives
the care and the comforts of civilization. No
boy in all the city shows a higher appreciation
OF those comforts than little Meme. He Is
rathe- under size for his age. OF stocky build,
has a. copper-colored complexion, with a Mon
Eolian caste of ccuntenance. He has high
cheek bones and massive Jaws and large
brown eyes. which sparkle with intelligence
when talking In his broken English. No little
savage ever came to civilization who evinces a
livelicr interest Ia its wonders than he. He Is
mastering our language rapidly and can eN-
press himself so as to be Understood upon al
most every subject in which "A boy of his age
urpiiII La pybpptaI m ha iptnrapfpl
Principal Lyons of the Mount Hope School
recently said of Meme;
He is one of the most wonderful pupils |
ever saw. When one stops to think, here is a
bright, intelligent little fellow. who only a lit
tie over a year ago came from AT unciviliHed
tribe of people. who inhabit. the coolest and
most desolate tract of country on the earth.
readily adapting himself to the ways Of civili-
zation and eagerly devouring every lesson
taught him in his new sphere OF life. 1t almost
passes belief. Could you see him in school
taking his place in line and marching with the
other children i'll perfect step. poring over his
lessons or attentively listening to his teachers
explanations OF the various letters and words
on the chart and blackboard. you would hardly
believe that n little over Que short year ago he
was n little waif in the great. desolate. frozen
north. Until he came here he :never saw n
blade OF grass. never partook OF a mouthful of
vegetable food. never saw a tree or plant. ex-
cept possibly "a few stunted shrubs and some
moss found in isolated places upon the rocks;
ne.er saw n domestic animal.cxcep the Is
quimau dogs, never heard the song OF "A bird
or listened to the tones Of q musical .instru-
ment; never knew of any.othcr clothes except
furs. never had n bath. never dreamed OF soap
ard thought life was pleasant and desirable
where the days and nights are each about
three months long. and the balance Of the
year broken up into swift changes from day
light to darkness.
The fierce. bowling storms which swept
over his humble snow hut for days and weeks
at a time had no terrors to him. and the de-
lights Of q summer day were undreamed OF;
the heads Of his people aud probably never
would have entered his own had he remained
there ls; for The EsauimsHX OF all the people
cerued about the future life, their only belief
being that when life ceases they go down in
hunting. They have no religious ceremonies
and their chief concern In This life seems to be
to keep on hand lIIenty of blubber w%ith-which
There is no better behaved little schoolboy
N New York than Meme, He has a most re-
with all the pupils and no matter what, occurs
he seldom shows TEMPER. He is, bright and
schoolmates with all the zest OF a modern
schoolb3y. One would naturally suppose that
he would show a selfish desire to obtain
Please and am use him. But such is not the
Cltc. III law. u - tAhtlly lIt OIIDSlt. no
will share his marbles and tops with any boy
who wants hem and seems generous, IN all his
more attentive and orderly pupil than little
Little Meme was seen at the home of Super
intendcnt Wallace and from Mr.. and Mrs.
his HON" life, said Mr, Wallace: ~
When we first brought him into our home
no was. Of course. unacluainted with the mode
of life In n modern home OF civilization. but he
showed the liveliest interest in all the new and
gTr1nnn Thlnrg scan and mead about hin,
Mrs. Wallace took a keen interest in the little
waif, and to her is, almost entirely due the
i"G civilized manners and customs. He has
II most remarkable. temrerament. | have
may to vsx and annoy him. he is the same
cycn-tempcrcI and patient little chan as You
see him to-day. No matter what you tell him
the request. He simply obeys orders to the
best of his nbility and with n cheerfulness sell
dom seen in our modern Yankee youngsters.
Before we took him in our home he had lived
with the band in the cottage on my place here.
and; OF course, had, become accustome1 to
much cultivated beyond those OF the other
members Of the band. He had learned to eat
would plt I; idr-e piece OF food between his
teeth and ,Grasp it with, ono hand and with a
m9uthful; Once shown the proper, use OF
knife, and fork, he never after resorted to the
the use OF soup or the delights Of Il hath his
habits in this r1SUett are remarkable. He is
never more delighted than when told to take his
bath, and will uIe sOap aud water with reckless
extravaganza. and when through and dressed
will come out ana invite an inspe'tion Of him
sell to see II he is clean. He is fond of wreS-
ling and can throw to the floor almost every
boy he wreSte5 with. oven though they he
larger and stronger than himself. He uses
only one hold, that of putting his arms about
opponents body and clasping his hands
firmly together. and by dexterously using his
knees will generally nut his opponent on his
back. We got him n bicycle last summer and
] doubt II uny little boy on this broad earth
was every more happy. with such n gift than
Meme. He didn't need much instruction in
the difficulties usual to beginners.
and in r short time was smiling around here
Just as II lie had been used TO riding one all
his days np in Greenland.
1t is amusing to take him about town to
SEQ the sights. OF course he is uccustamed
now TO the elevated roads and street cars. but
the tall. buildings and the elevators in them
are still sources Of tho ~Greatpst wonderment
saw Il large building the other day and
com pared 1t to- n hlE iceberg in his native land, !
tho only difference WIS that one was
full u people and warm aud the berg was 'ah.
SO cold | took him to the theatre recently
ana ne was almost overwhelmed with aston
ishment 1t was = light variety performance
and the acrobatic featS and antics OF the per-
formers amused him wonderfully. He would