The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-10
VARIABLE COMPASS|
Magnetic Iron in the Northern Hills
Sets the Needle on a Distrac-
ting Tangent. -.
Iron-Bearing Sand Works the Same
Pernicious Result-A Woods.
a mans Experience.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
"No, SIR When get out into the north
country I don't want to pin my faith to
any such unreliable. changeable machine
as a compass said Jake Sharpe, the
woodsman. few days ago. mot If 1
know it. Why, time and again 1 should
have been lost beyond redemption II L
had been guided by my compass.
1T may be all right to talk about CON
slant as needle to the pole to the ma
rines, but you can't stuff any such non
sense down the threats Of us fellows who
work up around the Height of Land about
here or around the coasts of James bay.
Ever hear of the Indian runners who
carry messages between Winnipeg and
Moose Fort? With calling at the Hudson
Bay trading posts on the road. these men
generally take about year for the return
trip. Well, ! knew one of these chaps
who was instructed by an agent how to
use a mariners compass SO that he might
shorten his trip. 1t was mighty good
thing for him that he came to know me,
,pu. Ii ne hadn't. there would have been
another good man killed through being
fooled by a compass needle.
II was asleep when he called in. It had
been a cold day, and I had stopped early
to camp. AS usual in frosty times, had
laid, a good heap Of spruce brush atop of
the fire and rested on it in my sleeping
bag. It was about midnight, when I woke
up with a shout. Somebody had stepped
right on my stomach. When 1 opened my
eyes I just made out a big buck Indian on
snowshoes standing alongside. He was
dressed in buckskin. made. should say,
by tailor, and carried light carbine
rife.
" Where is your pork?' he said quite
cool and easy. knew by that he was not
travelling by night for fun, and he must
be mortal hungry. SO I threw him the
bag with the frozen pork, which was under
nd q VUh
got him some tea
1--WE had a bit of a sleep together till
morning, and then he explained to me
that he was making the portage between
Chapleau and Fort Moose, but his jour
ney had taken him longer than ever be-
fore, and he had had nothing to eat rab-
bits being scarce, for four days. I Won
dered at his being 50 far east, and then
he owned up that he did not know where
he was. He was following his compass
according to orders, but somehow, as
told him he was we'll nigh 800 miles out
of his way
Then 1 had look at his compass. and
/ put it alongside my own. No wonder the
poor fellow had gone wrong. It was as
though when my compass made 1t II
o'clock his pointing twenty minutes
! past 8. or thereabouts.
IT tell you it was a mighty good thing
for him I had made a good green wooG
q
+ mile off. <r
4 He gave me his compass. and I gave
him all the pork and biscuit I had. i
would just about carry him through, fo
4 there no fear but he would g
Y straight enough down the Abitibbi rive
when he didn't have any compass needle
u to bother him.
"A The proof Of the old woodsmans stor,
/ was passed around-a well-made Scotcl
pointing stubbornly little south or nor
4 or'-east instead of due north. Prob
ably the cause Of the phenomenon wa
the Indians having slept close besid
B hill of magnetic iron ore, such as
n known to exist near Port Arthur, and ha
n also been discovered at the height of Ian
81 dividing this province from the territor
@ granted by King Charles to Prince Ru
81 pert and his associates trading to Hud
N sons Bay, and held by the same compan
H ever since.
81 + Our party had given up trying to folio,
E a set course some days previously, OWN
H to the great variation in our compasse
ia In our case we had traced the deflectio
# to magnetic iron bearing sand. of whc
S there are large tracts upon the Uppt
III Gatineau. and in those northern districts.
WI It's dead easy finding your way abo,
.E when you get the hang of it, our guit
IN Informed us. Most times you can kee
@ near some stream. and be guided by TIL
SS when you know the lay of the countr
Nj If you can get a sight Of the sun, rising
Ell setting. YOU can get pretty good motto
of how to travel. On a clear day get. O.
on a lake just wher: the sun is noon hig
s# and set up two sticks in a line so tn
2s their shadows form one straight line al
III you have your correct north.
Z There is the north star at night or Il
handles of the plough or, the dipper,
Ea some folks call the star cluster. to tell v,
@ where your north is. No needle to fo
me- thank you, when the sun and the sta
S# shine
&M when you can't see sun, nor star
s# Well maybe it's best for folks who do,
# know their way about to stay in car
i8 such days. For those that do know the
2 is no difficulty. The surest sign knc
5M of is the hole the big red-headed coc
s of-the woods woodpecker builds his ne
s# In. You see he is an early bird and dc
64i not want to be kept awake In the event
M is in their eyes So he always chooses
g8 east side of the tree for his home. Th
s# the rising sun wakes him and warns
%# nest in the morning, too
S@ THE flying squirrel generally builds
&.A the east side Of a dead tree, also. E
N his nest is not SO easily found as the voc
A pecker's. because he has more enemies
IN hide FROM sst
IN That is why you always find the es
stg of the wild goose and most always those
sM the ducks on the west side of lakes. I
ssK old birds always take their little ones
@A for morning exercise and breakfast on 1
EM west side so that the morning sun sl
EM beam on them. Then the frogs and YOU
NI fish theE feed on mostly found on I'll
@M side ani most likely for the same reas
M You know in warm weather you e