The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-02-06
POLISH AMERICANS.

The Homebuilders'' is a book of short
stories by a new author, Karl Edwin
Hartman and they deal with a field
practically untouched thus far-the Pol
ish immigrant IN this country. Most of
the stories are rather pathetic than
amusing. as is apt to be the case with
stories of newest America but they are
all interesting.
Perhaps the most striking is The Day
Of the Game" the hero of which is a
college student and athlete OF Polish
blood, whose name has changed from
Adamowsky to Adams, and VINO con-
fronts the infinitely sorrowfuI problem
of the man who has won TO a wider
knowledge. a more sophisticated social
life than that of his family. The theme
IS well handled and the other stories
present situations Of equal interest and
originality. The story of a Polish we'd
ding is artistically told. and there are
some good character studies. The sub
Ject is worth a novel, and Mr.. Harri-
man should be the mai TO write it.
philadelphia: George w. Jacobs * Coz
The Village Where No One Lives"
Probably no more fascinating tale OF
the wild north has ever beSl told than
the true story Of the founding and de-
serting of The Village Where No One
Lives" This was an Eskimo boom town
Of three thousand inhabitants. built up
in few weeks through a strange COM
bination of circumstances When years
ago more than thirty whaling vessels
were caught by the Arctic ice and de-
serted by their crews north of Boring
Straits the Eskimos OF that region found
bonanza They fiocked thither in the
dead of winter and formed a village Of
some three thousand in the neighbor-
hood OF the deserted ships. a season Of
wild loot followed. and the little men
became possessed of what was 10 them
vasV wealth in iron, wood, weapons, and
food. Il seemed as il the Eskimo mil
lennium were at hand and the new city
might be a continuing one and lead the
Esl1imos well along in the path to civ
ilization. That the barbarian cannot
thus acquire civilization, however, was
| demonstrated in what followed, and ii
might well be a lesson TO all who be-
lieye in the sudden rise of inferior races.
Quarrels and dissensions arose among
the people of the village. and when the
spring sun came il looked down upon a
scene of ruin and trouble indescribabie.
The village was deserted by its inhabit-
ants as soon as there came an opportu-
nifty to travel, and TO this day il Is
known among the tribesmen as The
Village Where No One Lives" 1t is now
10 them a place of ghosts, 10 be avoided
at all hazards. Traces of this village
| still exist on the Arctic coast, and It's
strange and tragic story has been set
forth by Winthrop Packard, in his re-
cent book for boys. The Young Ice
Whalers"
Mr. Packard sailed with Captain
Coffin. who is now locked IN the mys-
terious ice north of Spitzbergen In COM
mand of the latest Zeigier expedition
in search Of the north pole.
Now that Canada is threatening to an
mex Newfoundland and close Hudson 5
| Bay to the American whalemen the mat
ter Of the bowhead fisheries becomes OF
national interest. The use of whalebone
ia the arts is far greater than ordi-
narily supposed, and for certain uses
there is nothing which will replace H..
Whalebone brings several dollars a
pound. and there is a constant demand
for it at a price which brings profit 10
the hardy hunters of the northern seas.
Outside of Hudson's Bay the chief hunt
ing ground Tor the bowhead is the arc
tic sea north Of Boring Straits. Here tbs
great cetacean is still found. though his
numbers have been sadly depleted by
modern methods of hunting. Steam
whalers and the bomb gun and bomb
! lance have been In part responsible for
this slaughter. but far more important
has been the latter day custom Of fur
nishing Eskimos with whaling imple-
ments and encouraging them to pursue
| their own primitive method of ice whal-
l..g with these modern weapons.
L