Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-09-02
AT WoRLo's TIP END.
William e, Curtis Tells of Visit to
Northtnost Point in Europe.

NORTH CAPE, Norway July 2s.-
(William r. Curtis in Chicago Record
Herald The North Cape of Norway
the northermost point in Europe and
the tip end of the world, is an enor-
nous rock, e6S feet high. with green
Trimmings which projects into the
Arctic Sea very much like the prov
of a battleship. The promontory.
long and narrow, is the end of an is
land which is intersected by fjords
that run. deep into the land and Of
fer scentry which is stern and rug
ged but sublime. From the top the
view of the Arctic ocean extends un-
broken to the horizon. with occasion.
ally fishing boat floating like a bird
upon the water.
1t seems strange that in all the occu-
Pations OF the world, in all the oppor
tunities of usefulness offered to man
kind, any human being possessed of
reasonable faculties and an immortal
to fish. But even here are numerous
fishing camps, where men stay all
winter, suffer hardships and priva
tions. and expose their lives to the
dangers that are always before them
for the sake of earning $3.50 or 5000
year
Although we are only 800 miles from
the ice fields. the fjords are never froz-
en-. The gulf stream comes up here
to give the North Cape a warm bath
every morning. and its influence upon
the atmosphere is seen in the timid
lunches of green grass, the cushions
of dwarfed pine and juniper that Gov
er crevices in the rocks. and the abun.
dance of flowers, brave little things.
more beautiful than any of their spe-
cies in milder climates. Upon the
top of the North Cape is found an
abundance of ordinary field daisies.
double buttercups as large as pig
cons egg. and yellow violets such as
we never saw before.
There is one brave little flower to
which | would like to pay a tribute
1t is known to botanists as saxifraga
cotyledon, and grows in lunches like
the ssels OF broom corn. The buds
are purple and take on reddish
tinge when they begin to unfold, but
in full bloom they are pure white and
can be found on every mountain top in
Norway, on the edges of perpetual
snow. Six thousand feet is the linn
II of vegetation. Only few brown
MOSES and crusty linchens can en-
dure that height. but the little flower
to which | allude Is always be side
them, tapping up water from the melt
ing glaciers with its tiny roots and
clinging to cracks in the precipices
where no man or animal can ever
reach 1t and where nc bird ever goes.
When it's summer usefulness is finish
ed II scatters its seeds with the winds
and the SHOWS of winter cover them
and keep them warm. When the sun
appears in the spring and the rocks
are uncovered they swell with the con-
seriousness of their mission until they
burst aid terminate and grow and
bloom and beautify these bare and
forbidding mountains with a courage
and endurance that no other plant has
ever shown.
A zig-zag path has been construct
ed 10 the top OF the North Cape for
the convenience of passengers, with
iron stanchioDs, supporting rope to
which they cling. The climb Is not
recommended to invalids or fat peo-
pie or to those who are short OF wind,
although I have not heard that any
body was ever injured by It, o.
course every passenger is ambitious to
make the attempt. 1t is part OF the
programme. For those who are wise
or lazy fishing lines are provided.
which they can throw over the rail OF
the steamer and catch cod or a hall