The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-10-02
MOTIVES.

THINGS which we know nothing about are mys
ter;es And of the mysteries of this EARTH the polar
extremities for long centuries have been the sub
ects of speculation and guesswork that bafned tne
best efforts of the brainiest and bravest men, Fol-
thousands of years mankind lived on this terrestrial
sphere before they discovered that it was round
When one considers that only four centuries nave
passed into eternity since the globe was first cir
cumnavigated and notes the progress III navigation
and commerce, the spread OF knowledge and civil
izaton it must be conceded that the world entered
upon new era of development with the accom-
plishments of Columbus and Magellan. The voy-
| ages of Columbus opened up new world lie
| added third to the known world-a territory so
rich in natural wealth, in gold and silver, and fer
tiIity of soil that millions make their homes
upon it.
Following the brave pioneers came the bold adj
venturers who sought to wrest from the simple in
habtants of the Americas the wealth their avarce
and cupidity coveted. Then came the missionaries
and the home seekers to the world and the sub
jugation of the land was begun In all the history
of the human race there is more interesting
chapters than those which deal with the settlement
and development of the western hemisphere, The
story is like fairy tale
Yet there is always lacking, even in the best
histories, the motive which prompted the discov-
erers the adventures, the settlers to enter upon
the subjugation of the new-found country How
many and who we're Rotuated by motives of avarice
and gain attracted by tales of the fabulous wealth
of the Montezumas how many put selfshness aside
and sought knowledge for the benefit of mankind;
how many whose object was the spread of the Cos
pei of our Lord, who entered the wilderness with
no regard for personal danger and died martyrs to
the which the dominating factor of their
lives; how many came with but the one object of
establishing new home in the land of promise
history leaves most of this the inference of the
reader.
If we could but span the centuries and look
deep into the hearts of those who braved the ter
rors of the unknown world could read the secret
thoughts of Ponce de Leon, who sought the foun-
tain of perpetual youth, or of Cortez who sought
the gold of the Incas, or of Marquette and Joliet,
who sought to spread their faith among the aborig
inees-if we could but know the secret thoughts of
these, and of the Pilgrims and the settlers of the
south, what world of light would be spread upon
the pages of history which must forever remain in
the obseurity of the unknown
But what of the north, the icy desert that most
gives up its secrets and what of the mo-
ives which prompt brave men to enter upon the
conquest of this forbidding fields Here there is no
lew continent to subjugate, gold or riches to |
attract, benighted people to enlighten, no hope
# finding home for earths increasing mil |
ions. It must be knowledge they SEEK or the fame
hat will place their in the histories for flu
ure generations to read that has spurred on to
uccess after centuries of failure.
The struggle for the pole is long story of death
nd disaster and many who had the heart to strike
or the pole have never been heard from The
tories told by those who have penetrated far into
ne Arctic circle are stories of toll and hardship of
1describable desoation and cold of suffering and
orture and anguish and death to their fellows
And the compensation If one iota is added TO
lie sum total of human knowledge their work will
OF have been in vain. Though there be no new
orid to conquer, the simple fact that they have
enetrated to the poe have reached the goal of cen
lries of endeavor, must forever place their na1he
nong the heroic few who have done great deeds
nd remain throughout the lapse of time an incen-
We to the world to struggle in its fight for the
astery of the sphere upon which we live.