The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-05-05
] liph Hewitt ON the North Pole


looking for north pole and not find Il
when 1 get to it,
"FoolishnessY' exclaimed Mrs. Smith
shortly. "You don't want to go to the
north pole, William Smith, and anybody
that does is foolish What all these
Pearys and Nansens and the rest look tC
find when they get there is more than
can make out. | call it waste oil
money"
sally" said the ice man, with the tone
of a man who is in all things woman S
superior, "all the matter with you is you
don't understand what you are taking
about. A man like Mr.. Peary don't waste
time looking for a north pole unless there
is some sense in. it. No man With good
sense is going to go up there INTO them
polar regions just for a pleasure trip. 1t
amt attractive enough in the climate. II
he wanted to he could stay right at home
and get chilblains and have his ears frpze,
and starve, and not have the expense oil
polar voyage. If a man wants to eat
candles for regular diet he don't have to
travel to do it. Them men that go hunt
ing the north pole have reasons, and you
needn't try to tell me they haint l
guess I'm a good American, and l can
reason things out as well as any other
American, and 1t stands to reason that
them men wouldn't be so crazy to get a
look at the north pole IL there WASH I
money in it,
"Fiddlestcksl" said Mrs. Smith scorn-
fully, II wouldn't give five cents Tor all
the north poles in the world.
'If you was running museum you
would, said Mr.. Smith. There am out
one north pole in the world, just one,
and when you've got that one you have
got all that's to be got. Didn't old JOB
Holcomb get $40 for his two headed chick
en-? And goodness knows how many TWO
headed chickens there Is Matched every
year But there amt but one norln pure
bet a. museum would give $4,000 to nave
the only north pole. I'd pay ten cents
myself to go and see 1t. AND that am
all. l guess government maybe oHers
prize to the man that finds it first.
Il should hope the government ain SO
foolish" said Mrs. Smith.
"There YOU CO." said the amiable ice
man. talking before you think. OF course
government offers prize. Amt men
going out to find the north pole every
wear. some in boats and some in balloons
and some in automobiles and every which
way. and getting lost and frozen TO death
and starved to death? And SO long as
the north pole amt found and brung back
here people will keep on going for it and
getting frozen and starved to death. And
when government sees all them good citi-
zens going off to die that way 1t makes
government sick, and it knows the only
way to stop it is to hurry up and git the
pole discovered and have 1t over and done
with. So 1t offers a prize to get it dis
| covered 1t does it to save life. l would
| do il myself If l was government. If
knew what the prize was | might give UP
the ice business and go after that pole
| myself"
.Wel. you wouldn't do nothing of the
kind" said Mrs. Smith, fatty.
Eyes l would. too" said the iceman
"Once in a while can have my own way
| guess, without you saying whether
can or not. I guess l can be my owl
| boss once in while. Mrs. Smith | WON
be run over by no woman all the time
| And since you aim to be so set about 1t
don't know but what I'll go and have z
look for that pole. And 1 won't care
| whether you come along or not guess
| there aint no better training for Ar'ti'
| exploring than being in the ice business
is. I'm going to look the thing up, any
| how
| He set his mouth firmly and turned L
| Eliph' Hewitt
This book that you say has everything
/ in the world in it, does 1t give much abou
Ar'tic exploring?' he asked. could