The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-01
la JOLES JOURNEY
TO THE NORTH POLE
Romantic Narative by an
Arctic 7raUeter.
Separated From, His Companion and
Set Adrif by an Earthquake, He
Reaches the Copeted Goal.

who saws he has made a tourney to the
far north and thinks he has discovered
the pole His story Is that nc started IN
December 1856. for Battleford, Northwest
Territory He hunted three years In
British Columbia, and arrived at Great
Bear Lake in 1889 This lake lies In part
within the Arctic circle and helps 10
feed the Mackenzie river, when empues
into the Arctic ocean. From the lake ne
pushed on in search Of game 70 the hotth-
ward with a partner George Whlte ihey
crossed Union strait to Woilaston idhd'
which is the farthest known region within
North America, excepting Greenland.
Near their camp IN Grant land they dis
covered a post marked By some explorer
"eighty-two degrees latitude north. eighty
three degrees longitude west Inc camp
was located near two Immense iceDergs'
and Il was proposed that they Journey ten
DAYS distance separately for the purpose
Of examining the region. Before the ex-
piration OF this time there came ire
ueiidous shock like an earthquake Whlch
eeryed the double purpose Of setting NJ la
Joie afioat and Kidding him OF a cornpaihoh
who might eventually have become an
! fncumbrance There are times when
story will hang together better II one man
can have the telling OF IT.
Ia Joia saws he drifted northward
thirty-six days, subsistng on fish ana
dog meat On the thirty-seventh day he
came upon an island Inhabited by
strange race OF people. unlike any human
beings he had ever seen. They were awe
struck when he lighted a fire with his
fiut and made him ruler-as such people
always do In the story books. Among this
polar tribe he lived two years, learning
their language and adopting their customs.
The island was 40 large that several days
tourney was required to cross IT. In the
interior rose a mountain perforated Ike
honeyeomb and with large opening at
the ton From this crater hoated hazy
blue yapor that condensed when II reach
ed the outer air and settled like fog over
the surrounding country. thick liquid
was exuded from the mountain, and flow
ing down the sides reached subterranean
channel and thus resumed its place In the
earth. From the top OF the mountain
there shone "A bright light. observable for
hundreds OF miles. Surrounding the main
island were six others. of which three
were Inhabited. The soil consisted OF clay
Of all colors and there was a grass OF
grayish green tint The climate was much
nider than that farther south, being az
fected, apparently, by the subterranean
discharges.
This recalls the svmmes hole theory,
put forth by Capt John Cloves Symmes.
who maintained that there was at ~ de-
grees north latitude an enormous opening
through the surface OF the EARTH which
and plants and illuminated by two under
ground planets named Pluto and Proser-
pine. Capt. Symmes even went 40 far
to ask Sir Humphrey Davy to accompany
him on journey OF exploration to the
.hole." and II Is said that Hally, the
eighteenth century astronomer. and his
contemporary Hoberg, of Norway. be-
lieved In the existenc. of the great cavity.
NJ La Joie not only affirms that the
natives have language unlike that of
any other known race. but he speaks It.
To help prove his tale He has been In
Washington for several days. and there
he has been rigidiy examined by n mum
Der OF scientists OF national reputation.
Prof MCGEE. chief OF the American bu-
reau OF ethnology at the Smithsonian In
stitution, admits that he mas been much
interested In the strange recital and says
n Is remarkable even marvellous In its
consistency. La Juie has been requested
on different days to state what the word
for a given English equivalent IL. and on
every occasion he has uttered precisely
the same sound. To make the test more
exactlng he has talked into "A phono-
graph, hut the machine shows that he
Il master OF a strange tongue. whatever
Its origin or the habitat OF those who
speak It.
Az first thought. SAYS the Providence
Journal. most OF US will believe that NJ
La Joie Ii an adventurer OF the DE Rouge
mont stamp. The Swiss fahrieator ~
marvellous tales told his stories with such
a straight, face and with such clRhora-
ton Of detail that he deceived many peo-
pie who might have bNen expected 20
know better Hts travels In the wilds Of
Australia covered. he said. a period ~
many years. and In the course OF them
he met some OF the most remarkable
races OF mon on the face of the earth
NJ La Joie has made a bid for greater
popularity, IN proportion as public inter
est Is more Intense IN the discovery OF
tho North Pole than u "a IN Australian
adventure He has put some pretty hish
liEhts IN his account. and that will seem
60 many - us 10 vitiRtc, u nothing else
did. the whole narrative, lie might have
eontcntca himself u he wished 20 make
up "A credible story, with a description
~ a barren land. uninhabitrd except by
stray wRirpw herds or an occasional cpm-
many Of polar bears Instead. he has pie
tured seni-ci,iliEcd tribe ~ natives.
six feet tall and more. ana living NINETY
ave or a hundred years. and VIII D. hard
pushed To keep the tale consistent where
10 picked up his nov language 81 quss.
tion og minor Importance Languages can
be Invented by bybody with imagination
enough 10 caDturc up a storv like IA
Iata's Thc British traders In tho HIaassu
hay territory constructed ure year aKp
that has served With a1uirAt.e pjcyty thc
purpose of q medium 10 intsfcammuult1.
ton among the various trlacs 20 thv
Northwest Il "a a mNat remarkable iso-
guasc by the way. Tongue that lends
90 some ~ the most cammoa things EDg-
{sh words tAut Nrv s1calir cstTa.isr1
This Is a iittlp ipke on thr natives that
can hardly be defeated iH morals lug q.
ia a tskc nevertheless. IL Jais may hlNa
Apcnt much of the time ;hat he saws hs
devoted 10 waudcrins lu thc uciSh,srsoal
~ the rs,lc Ia 3rsliug tar lHHEuase Pcs
..aE.H 81. o. DIM \ s