Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-02-08
TROMSO IN NORWAY:
DESCRIPTION OF UNIQUE
VILLAGE IN ARCTIC CIRCLE

honor of representing his state in CON
| gress, The fun of Ii came though.
when he Acknowledged that he was
the son of the old man who grows
seeds So. though | had never heard
OF Representative Ferry, being right
at home with Ferrys seeds, | scored
thirteen nevertheless.
| The only address" | could furnish
the gentlemen was with the Baldwin
Leiglar polar expedition" at the North
Pole yet II seemed to serve admir-
ably.
After the banquet. which 1t is need
less to say included everything possi-
! BILE in the way of both eatables and
drinkables. we Joined the ladies' on
deck, and the time passed very agree
ably while We waited for midnight.
An estimable lady with whom be-
came acquainted had secured a sketch
Of the mountains and ford from one
OF the expedition artists, and besought
me to append thereto a few verses
| fitting the scene and occasion. Under
| the combined inspiration of the fiat
terry implied by the lady and also of
the other joyous events which had
preceded. | was in proper condition
to write verses. just at that time, on
any subject suggested.
Accordingly | wrote, on the page
| of her note book opposite Mr.. Fiala's
sketch some verses. What they were
| know not; they have gone with the
moment tnat inspired them, but this
| know, they pleased the lady. They
| pleased her so greatly that she in
formed me she intended to make me
| a little present in return and, true to
her word. when we were leaving she
handed me neatly tied little fiat
panel on the wrapper of which she
had written. Thoughts like these will
| never freeze ana she requested that
| take the little package with me and
not open it until the time came when
was tired, hungry, cold and dis
conraged. | accepted the gift and
gave the promise
1t was eight months later that the
conditions were fulfilled and could
truly say that 1 was tired hungry,
cold and discouraged" In a little
tent out in the vast white wilderness
of ice and snow, with the thermome-
ter registering so degrees below zero
and stong wind blowing, after
hard days work following the dog
teams, with hands bleeding and sore
from the terrible cold. | opened the
parcel. 1t contained Science and
Health. with Key to the Scriptures"
by Mrs. Eddy
I,vbt .Nf To-,
all more or less worn out. yet be
lieve the laugh that went up when
passed that book around did more to
cheer us up than could have been
done in any other way.
We realized, however, our unfitness
for Polar exploration. For since, ac-
cording to the book. belief In dis
comfort, occasioned by cold Is only
''an error of mortal mind" any party
OF explorers sufficiently imbued with
the doctrine would have no trouble
whatever in facing the bitter storms,
and could simply go their own way to
the Pole. We longed to have them
with US to show us how My copy of
the book is stained with prints of my
bloody fingers, and somehow, when |
look at IL, | cannot convince myself
that those stains represent merely
manipulation of the error of mortal
mind" and | am strongly inclined to
cherish the delusion that it was cold.
year and a day passed amid the
ice and snow of the Arctic before we
returned again to Tromso During
this time my wardrobe had become
very much dilapldated, and for few
days after our return We failed to con-
meet with pay check. | was asham-
ed TO renew my acquaiDtances in the
village until such time as | could pre-
sent acreditable appearance. 30 | re-
manned aboard ship. The second day
in port noticed that many of the sail
ors were blossoming out in new
1 clothes. and | asked one OF them.
Jacobson, how 1t was managed. lie
told me that merchant up town was
standing them of. and thought that
would be able to get the same ac-
commodation. Taking Jack as an in
terpreter then, started to visit the
merchant
1t was Sunday evening, and I hoped
to pass quietly along the streets with
out notice, but found | had sadly mis-
| calculated. 1t seemed to me 1 had
| never before seen that little street so
thickly crowded with promenaders.
The shops were closed, and the vii
| layers in their entirety, dressed In
| their summers best, were on the
street on pleasure bent happened
to be garbed in manner well calcula-
ted to amuse. The girls eyed me with
laughter In their eyes, and the urchins
openly guyed me. thelr horseplay be-
ing more annoying as | could not un-
derstand their remarks. was GER
tainly relieved when we reached the
shop. but my spirits took fall when
we found 1t locked. The owner lived
close by, however. and Jack looked
him up
| His shop contained. In addition to
goodly selection Of suit patterns In
] bolt from which he made clothes to