Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-07-05
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS
FACTS AND OPINIONS GATHERED
FROM CONTEMPORARIES
THE BALDWIN zeloLeR ARCTIC ExPEDI-


THE BALDWIN ZEiGLER ARCTIC ExPEDl-
TON
The project of E. B. Baldwin of Illi-
nois, who has had Arctic experience in
Greenland and Franz Josef Land, has
attracted much attention, because IN
limited resources have been placed at his
disposal by William Zeigler of New
York, who desires to promote the dis
covery of the pole. His base of opera
lions. which he expects to reach this
summer 10 stanch Dundee whaler
which he purchased and rechristened the
America, will be the east side of Franz
Josef Land, where he may easily be
reached every year by an auxiliary
steamer which will accompany him this
season. He will also have the advantage
there of a plentiful supply of Arctic
game in the region where jackson killed
81 bears, where walrus and seal abound,
and where birds, including geese, are in
enormous numbers. Explorers have
learned to relish the polar bear, but the
tough, coarse flesh of the walrus Is not
yet a popular article of food. But Bald
win will be out of the track of the north
moving currents, and apparently does
not expect to make high northing on
his steamer. He will depend upon dog
power TO take him to the pole, and no
three explorers ever took north so large
a supply of this commodity. He invested
$4,000 in 400 Siberian dogs, which are
warranted to keep life from becoming
monotonous on the cool ship America.
His base will probably be farther south
than that of Peary, and, thus far, not so
favorable; but he relies upon his dogs
and his very large food supplies to hold
out for the Journey to and from his ship.
Baldwin has with him an excellent
scientific staff and outfit; and everything
that experience could suggest or money
buy to enhance the prospects of success
has been supplied by the liberal pro-
moter of Mr.. Baldwin's proiect'-Cyrus
G. Adams, in Review of Reviews.
1000
VERMONT MERlNos IN AUSTRALIA.
Nermonters in general have vague
Idea that few Vermont merino sheep
are occasionally shipped to Australia and
sold there at unreasonably high prices,
and but very few people know the prac-
teal basis for the Australians faith in
Vermont merinos. Frank G. Carpenter,
the Boston Globes travelling correspon-
dent, gave in last Sundays edition an in
teresting article upon Australian sheep
raising, including an interview with
Samuel McCaughey, who owns over a
million sheep and is the greatest sheep
raiser in the world. Following is the
portion relating to Vermont:
no ~
rams for Australian sheep are those from
Vermont. There is a large importation
of such sheep every year, and there are
Americans who make business of taking
sheep across the Pacific TO Australia for
sale. They choose the finest and best
bred Vermont merlnos, ship them to
Puget Sound and thence by steamer to
Sydney. Several shipments have been
made around the cape of Good Hope, but
as rule the latter route is too long and
the sheep sometimes die on the way.
In my chat with Mr.. McCaughey he
told me he had been importing Vermont
rams for almost twenty yeers: Said he :
II went to Vermont first in 1856 and
picked out l20 ewes and 40 rams. | sent
them to Australia and used them for
breeding. The following spring | went
back and bought l02 more sheep, and
since then have bought quite lot of
Vermont stock. Ny pure Vermont
sheep now number abont 1000, and
have sold many during the past ten
years"
But is it not expensive to get sheep
here from Vermont" | asked.
"Yes. My first importation, not in
Guiding the cost of the sheep, footed up
$40 900, but think that the results have
fully justified the expenditures. | value
my Vermont flock at 30 guineas or $500.
| sold ram today for $4,000, and | have
sold ewes as high as $50"
81 suppose that the chief profit comes
from the improvement of your own
flock, said |.
"Yes. That's where the money is"
replied Mr.. McCaughey. II think my