Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-11-06

I
within easy reach, as l would be at
Sabine The staying On this side is
the next best thing I can DO assure
you Of my honest intention to do my
duty in this matter, and that is not
to desert human beings who came
north expecting that a physician
would be with them. If l remain at
AnCritok l shall call at Sabine as
soon as possible and renew my offer
! of medical services"
Denies Him Food.
The matter was turned over by Mr.
Peary to Mr.. Bridgman, commander
Of the relief vessel who, when he
failed to move me in my purpose,
said: you understand that you will
not be given one ounce of food from
this ship Nor was I. l was also
told that the $500 bonus which had
been acknowledged due me was now
declared forfeited.
&c. F. Wyckoff, one of the summer
eXcursiOnists on the relief ship, fur
nished ne with his own rifle and some
cartridges.
Upon the ship sailing I left Etah
in two days and went overland twenty
five miles to AnOritOk. Jan. 6
crossed to Sabine in the dark with
Eskimo guides. Thirty-two per cent.
of the party had died during the fall
-One-half of the Eskimo men. Mr.
Peary refused my services and or
dered me to take all my effects from
Sabine and not to come back again.
saying: IF you feel it your duty to re-
main north that is an affair entirely
your own
Denies Medicine for Eskimos.
Jan. II I wrote to Peary from
Cape Sabine asking for medicine for
an Eskimo who was member of our
party the first year. I stated that an
epidemic of scarlet rash had attacked
the settlements Of Kookan and Anori-
tok and said: You have only to let
me know in case my services are re-
quired by you. l shall remain here I'M
til you leave Sabine unless driven
away by scarcity of natives or food
4 received the following reply: IT
is not necessary for you to ask for
medicine in behalf of the Eskimos.
Any medicines that | can spare will be
sent just as quickly if you say out
right that you want them for your
self. | will relieve your anxiety about
Ahmadagibsu by saying that am not
likely to press him into service, and
you therefore will not be under the
necessity of seeking a new host |
am not interested in your movements
as long as you keep completely away
from me and my stations'
Die for Lack Of Treatment.
Rather than accept my medical
services for his Esllimos, although
within a stones throw of his door
were the graves of seven Of his
party who had died within a couple
Of months of his refusing my medical
services at Etah, Mr.. Peary never
sent any notice to me when this man
was afterward critically i'll in his serv-
ice.
Jan. 26 l wrote: L will ask you to
sell me seventy-fve pounds biscuit,
five pounds tea, eight pounds bacon,
small bag salt, few jars of beef ex-
tract. Cut list or omit. If coffee
can be spared and not sugar, then
coffee alone
The reply came: l regret that |
have no provisions to spare He sent
me some salt and four two-ounce jars
Nf VOC orr 1pJOlN n &c Wit h
a note: You seem to have to figure
very close on provisions. | return
the salt. You may need it.
March | went to Sabine from a
visit to the lower settlements to ask
for medicine for dying Eskimos. Mr..
Peary had gone north the day before.
The steward refused the medicine
and would not allow two natives i'll
at headquarters to be treated zone of
whom died a little later, saying he
was under orders. | sledged 435
miles, the entire trip, and returned to
find one native dead and another
died next day. From getting slight
ly wet on the journey during a forced
march in a storm l went to bed i'll.
Diahhroea ensued, lasting three
months, until l got a change Of food
from the whalers. I had the same
trouble two months in the fall.
Orders Him to Leave.
May 20 | went to Sabine to com
plete the removal of my effects. Mr..
Peary had returned | was offered no
entertainment. but directed to leave
just as soon as possible, which I did
without sleeping.
Il felt that my responsibility to stay
at AnoritoB had ended l went $50
miles to Cape York hoping to get mail
via whalers. They gave me gener-
Gus supplies. l was brought mail by
the WindWard Aug 8. was given
no supplies. Her return on Aug.
% was grateful, as twice previously
she had been frozen( in and detained
all winter.
4 lived the year in Eskimo huts,
eating their coarse, uncleanly food,
but returned to civilization still en-
amored with the arctic and in good
health and fine spirits. During the
year fOrty-fve deaths thinned the
tribe so that only 1877 remained. One
man was murdered, being suspected
of witchcraft, and one boy was killed
by man suffering from delirium or
mania. Another boy was badly stab
bed in the arm and side from the same
cause. A number Of children were
strangled upon the death Of their