Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-29
Letter Received From Captain
Anderson and Companion,
on Artic Trip
UNDERTAKE NOVEL
First White Men to Explore Country
Without Ship or Base of Supplies
Interesting Account of Travels of
Anderson and DR.. stefannson-Mos-
quitoes a Pest.
RECTAL to Times-Republican.

Forest City, July ga communica-
ton, bearing date of June Z, 1908, ana
postmarked at Athabasca Landing,
July IS. arrived with the Sunday $
mail in Forest City. The letter was
from Capt. Rudolph M. Anderson, a
former Forest City boy, who. in COM
pany with DIR. Vilhjalmar Stefannson'
is touring northern Canada, and trav-
cling thru the frozen Arctic regions,
making scientific explorations and in
vestigations.
Captain Anderson Is sent out by the
American Museum of Natural History
of New York City, to make a study of
the zoology and botany, the flora and
fauna of the country. DR.. Stefannson
studies the home life and habits Of
| the Eskimos, their religious beliefs,
their legends and history, their man
ners and customs. Two years ago he
was sent out on a similar mission, but
I the territory which they expect to COW
'er in this trip, will deviate consider
ably from the former route.
These two gentlemen are the only
explorers who ever attempted to travel
in that practically unknown country
without the cover and protection of a
ship. They are making the journey
overland in dog sledges or on foot, and
when possible, they sail or float down
the rivers or across the lakes, In small
boats.
In the early part Of May, they start
ed out on the trip. and since leaving
Athabasca Landing, the terminus of
the railroad and telegraph lines, they
have had no communication with the
outside world. Only four times each
year mail Is sent to the forts, located
few and far between, as trading sta
lions. 1t requires the mail carrier more
than a month to make the trip from
Smiths Landing to Athabasca Land
ing, where letter can be posted and
sent by rail to Its destination
Letter from the North.
Following is the letter which gives
many items Of interest and informa-
ton regarding the lake regions OF
Canada:
Smiths Landing, (Slave Rivera
Alberta, June z, 1908: We have pro-
ceeded thus far on our Journey (the
e0th' parallel of latitudeo without any
| accidents or noteworthy adventures.
We left Athabasca Landing May z
with three of the Hudson's Bay Com
pany's scows, flatbottomed boats
about forty feet long, carrying four or
five tons of freight each. They are
| f1oated down the rivers and then sold
for old lumber There are many dan
gerous rapids on the Athabasca river
and often boats are sunk. At the Grand
Rapids, all goods must. be landed and
hauled around about mile, while the
empty boats are lowered by ropes. The
river falls over 1876 feet in a mile and
a half.
Largest Town in the North.
| 1--WE stayed several days at Chipew-
van, the largest and finest town in the
north-at least 100 inhabitants. The
present village was founded in 1888
altho the old fort twenty miles away
was built earlier than that, 50 you can
see that the country Is not entirely
new" We set up some meteorological
instruments for the observer there
Rev. o. J. Roberts, the Church 81
England missionary, and had a very
pleasant Sunday dinner at his house.
We came down to Smiths Landing
In a scow, being towed by the Hud-
son Bay company's tug Primrose
as far as the mouth Of the Peace river
Il. e., to the outlet Of Lake Athabasca
and thru the Riviere du Rockere -
\ Rocky river). The junction of the
Riviere du Rockere and the Peace
river forms the Slave river, which
flows to Great Slave lake.
The Slave river is river averag-
ing half a mile in width, and rather
steep, but with no rapids except be-
tween Smiths Landing and FIT. Smith
distance Of sixteen miles. Here all
goods must be hauled across by teams,
horses and oxen. The steamer
Grahaane makes regular runs from
4 Fort McMurray to the Athabasca, UP
the Peace river to the "Chutes," and
down to Smiths Landing. Below these
rapids, the new steamer mackenzie
River" will run to Fort Mcpherson
Gone hundred miles from the Arctic
ocean,. We walked across the port
| age tdc OCleh Jay 10 SET ileI lduuSlCd
a thirty-two mile walk thru the worst
mosquito infected region of America
Mosquitoes Curse.
The mosquitoes are the curse Of
this country from about May 20 to
| August 81. Even the Indians have to
wear head-nets OF mosquito bar when
they enter the woods or brush. Even
in town in the middle OF the day, they
sting continually. I don't suppose
have passed two consecutive minutes
indoors or out, without brushing of
a mosquito or two. We get little
relief at night by sleeping on the floor
and suspending a cheese cloth screen
over our beds. On the road. or when
hunting, one can scarcely raise his
head to take drink without having
/ his face, eyes and nose filled with a
hungry horde Of singing mosquitoes
Large flies, "bull dogs" so called, are
also very numerous, and bother cattle
and horses very much. Usually al
| houses have to keep snudge burning
in front of the door or inside, day and
night.
We are going to cross over to FIT
Smith tomorrow. The steamer does
not go north for a couple of weeks
but there are two young Englishmen
there, Messrs Melville and Horribly
] ~ wi NJ