The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-21
FAR TO The NORTH
Strange Story of a French
Canadian Trapper.
Joseph z. La JOie, Excites In
terests of Scientists.
A NEW RACE OF PEOPLE
Also Declares That He DiscOv-
cred the North Pole.
Spent Many Years In the Arctic
Regions.

New York, March 21.-Joseph Zotique
La Joie says that he discovered the
north pole and a new race of people He
is a French hunter and trap
per who has spent many years in the
Arctic regions. His story is a marvel
Gus one. BY the request Of the New
York Herald. and accompanied by one
of the New York Heralds reporters, he
went on Wednesday last to Washington
He courted scientific investigation of
his stories and they are now being scien-
tifically investigated.
At the Hotel Raleigh in Washington
on Wednesday last NJ. La Joie met Gen
eral A. w. Greedy, chief of the signal
service and an arctic explorer of great
fame; Admiral George w. Melville OF
the United States navy Getired), OF
whom Melville Island is named and who
is recognized as one of the greatest liv-
ing authorities on arctic matters; Pro-
fessor J. w. MCGEE of the Smithsonian
Institution. of world wide celebrity as
lists is willing to unqualifiedly indorse
the statements made by NJ. La Joie-
All have found in his explanations some
apparent Inconsistencies, but all have
also found in them much accuracy con-
corning matters with which they ere
well acquainted
TRUTH IN STRANGE STORIES.
On the whole, it seems that there is
strange stories told by NJ. La Joie. That
the man penetrated far into the arctic
is certain. He claims to be able to sub
stantiate all of his amazing statements
by producing relics of the new race of
people which he found in the 'farthest
north" and even by showing the bodies
of two natives of this strange tribe,
which he says are cached within COM
paratiVely easy access.
In December, 1886, according to his
narrative, La Joie and his father start
ed from Montreal for Battleford, North
west territory. After three years hunt
ing through British Columbia and Alas
lxa he arrived at Great Bear Lake in the
fall of 1889. Game having grown scarce,
he determined to push further north
with a partner, man named George
White. Toward the spring of 1892 they
found themselves near Cape Brainard.
Hunting in this vicinity, they learned
from the natives of an iron post left
by some explorer. On this they found
tude north, So degrees longitude west.
DRIFTS NORTH ON AN ICEBERG.
To the north of this a few miles they
made their camp in May, 1892. This
camp was established at the junction
of two immense icebergs, and White
proposed that they separate and each
take a ten days journey on three di-
verging points of ice to find the best
hunting ground. La Joie, while return
ing, felt on the seventh day 8 tremen-
dous shock like an earthquake It
meant that the ice had parted and that
he was adrift. Admiral Melville, the
other day in Washington, agreed that
La Joie's description of this phenom-
enon was accurate. The berg drifted to
the north. For three days he lived on
fish, hoping against hope that wind
that had sprung up from the south
would drive him back to the main land.
For a period of thirty-six days he was
adrift, he says, amid terrible storms Of
snow, hail and sleet Land was sighted
on several occasions, but he was unable
to get ashore.
on the morning of the thirty-seventh
day, having eaten six of his dogs and
suffered many torments, La Joie found
that the berg on which he had drifted
had touched land. He got ashore with
his remaining dogs. He says that the
farther north the berg drifted the
milder became the climate.
That night La Joe was awakened by
the barking of his dogs. He jumped to
his feet and found that he was sur
rounded by a tribe of copper colored
natives, who were shooting at him with
bows and arrows. La Joie was armed
only with a knife and a club, but his
double suit of skin protected him from
the arrows. The next day they were
willing to treat for peace.
DESCRIBES STRANGE RACE.
He describes the men whom he Joined
as belonging to strange race, speaking