Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-19
ESKIMO TO HUNT POLE.
How Meme keesho Hopes to Find Arc
tic Explorers Goal.

TIC Explorers GOAL.
Pleased beyond measure with his
success in obtaining scholarship at
Keeshoo, the only north Greenland
Eskimo living in civilized country
and the sole survivor of the first Els
kimoS brought to the United States by
Commander Peary in 1898. was con-
tending the other night at the Grand
Union hotel, in New York, with a
| number of conflicting emotions. First.
and perhaps foremost, is his ardent
| desire to return to his native country
| and with an expedition composed en-
| tirely of Eskimos to reach the north
pole.
Meme. who is eighteen years DID, is n
| typical Eskimo. with Il decidedly ycl-
low skin, almond shaped eyes and jet
| black hair With all that Meme is a
handsome boy.
Asked what was his idea in taking
| n college course and how such an cdu-
cation could be utilized in Greenland.
| Menes face frightened at the mention
| or the 1ccDOund continent.
81 would like to return to my people
and see if could help them. have
| never forgotten my people, although
have not seen them since | was taken
from my paymates when l was six
! years old and brought by Commander
| Peary TO New York"
| When it was pointed out to him that
there would appear to lie Ettle or he
demand for the activities of a civil en-
1 ginecr in Greenland he said:
My pcopie-they always have tried
to help the white man reach the pole
/ White men have not reached 1t prin-
cipaIIy because the ESiimos viii never
tell the white man all they know. The
|, Eskimos don't know today what Com
mandcr PCary is looking for. He isn't
able To explain it to the Eskimos
They have no knowledge of geography
They see his ship and think it from
some fairyland filled with crackers and
coffee.
. Now. L think | can find the pole
after 1 get my civil engineering knowI
. edge. First / will go back to Green
land and learn my language again. My
people would tell me things they would
tell to no white man about the best
, way to reach the north pole. They
don't know how great a thing it would
be to find it. but l can tell them al
that and make them understand thai
the only way to reach the pole is tC
, hunt for it until we find 1t. Too much
time is spent now by explorers coming
back to the United States to tell PEG
pie how cold it is up there and how
. they had to buck the ice. The Eski
mo knows it is cold up there. but hi
is used to it. and he doesn't know any
l thing about writing books about tht
north. The only way to find it Is t
go as far as possible one season, max,
permanent camp there instead o
coming back to write n book or maya
zine article. and push farther tn,
next season. That's what / want t.
r do, and I believe with an expedition
of my own people can do it. The Es
] kimo doesn't know how to lecture.
I can learn how to read instruments $,
i that l can know when / have fount
the pole. and the Eskinos will stick +
me until l do find 1t. There is a lot o
4 time lost in coming back to the Unite,
II States to talk about the ice
. Not only do want to he the one t.
i discover the pcle, but also want +
S explore the vast unknown tracts o
Greenland. which has more country I'm
y explored by man than any other land
4 l also want to write history Of m
people and of Greenland and believe
can get much from them in the way o
folklore and ancient customs"
Ell 1t was this realization of the fac
that he must take course in survey
{ ing to enable him to ascertain his ex
act position on the earth which decides
him in the matter, of accepting tn
scholarship obtained for him by Harr
V. Radfortl. an arctic explorer.
Mr.. Radford said: 81 have know
Meme only few days, but have ever
confidence in him. I do not think 1t
too much to say that he may be
veritable Moses among his people-o
should we say Peary?"
"Just let it rest at Meme" said Men,
with grin
Football Men In Starvation Class,