The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-01-08
QUIET ALABAMA FARMER TELLS
OF HIS JOURNEY AS IF 1T
WAS AN EASY TASK.
Man Who Is Either a Great Traveller
or a Cheerful Liar Relates EXpe-
riences That Should BE of
Great Value to Explorers.

rienceS That Should lie OF
Great Value to Explorers.
The North pole has been reached
at last.
Peary? No Wellman? No. ,
After long years of scientific
study, planning and many attempts
with every modern appliance that
could be supplied; even after the
loss of many lives, it remained for
a simple south Alabama farmer to
accomplish the feat that will go
down in history perhaps as the most
important event in the christian era.
H. Wellington Jones was in Biz
mingham the other night on his way
TO his home in south Alabama, says
a dispatch from that city, where he
will spend the winter resting and per-
haps preparing for another expedi-
ton early in April. Mr.. Jones
reached Birmingham direct from the
North pole by way of Alaska and
Seattle. He spent the entire sum-
mer in the artic country and brings
glowing accounts of his journey.
The story reads almost like fic-
ton, and maybe it is, but as your
correspondent had never met Mr..
Jones before he felt a delicacy in
calling him a liar right off.
He had never planned to compete
with Wellman and others in search
for the North pole, he said. His dis
covery was a mere accident and his
Journey to the hitherto unknown
country was unheralded and was be-
gun without the least preparation
or a single newspaper paragraph an
nOuncement.
Here is the story he told as he
waited for a south-bound train on
the Southern at the new terminal
station:
Five years ago | left my fathers
home in Alabama to join the fortune
hunters in the gold fields of Alaska
/ reached the KlOndike with but
few dollars left in my pocket, but
went to work with a will, full OF
hope of early success. But fortune
was elusive and for several years
1abored with no permanent success.
Like many others who went to that
country, 1 was first up and then
down. Fortune plays many anus
ing and dramatic pranks with man
in such countries as the Klondike
He is today a prince of millionalres
and tomorrow a pauper, asking aims
of his friends.
Hoping to better my condition,
and also with the hope of finding
some new Eldorado, / decided last
March to strike out independently.
/ had a little money and provisioned
myself for several months.
Striking in a northerly direction
/ found myself in about two weeks
in the region of the Franklin noun
tains in the northern part of Alaska.
I had found but little to encourage
me in the expedition, but as the sum-
mer was coming on and l found that
/ could secure animal food with but
little difficulty / determined to pros
ecute the search for a few weeks.
early in April l was walking
along the south side of a very high
peak of the Franklin mountains
when | came to an opening in the
snow and ice under q bluff. Upon
careful examination ! found the
opening to be the mouth of cave
that broadened as it entered the
mountain.
"By the light of a torch I eX-
amined the opening for a short dis
lance, and was delighted to find un-
mistakable signs of gold on the
walls Penetrating further l finally
came to a part of the underground
passage that was almost as light as
a city's streets lit up by electricity
The light, / found, was caused by
some phosphorescent formation on
the walls and roof. This enabled
me to dispense with my torches and
travel with ease and comfort. The
temperature here, too, was much bet
ter than on the surface, and prOvis-
Joining myself with a supply of pro
visions l left the heavier part OF
my luggage and proceeded TO explore
the cave, believing that it contained
as fine prospect for gold as the
bleak mountains on the outside.
1.-The subterranean light continued