The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-20

out beside the Roosevelt. which then lay in the ice cradle at Cape Sheridan.
 Christmas Day falls in the dead Of the Arctic night, and to light the racing path little whale oil lamps were set on snow mounds at intervals of b feet In the fiickering, yellow light this weird com pany hooded and garbed in the heavy furs of the north, gathered and applauded the contestants.
 Tuh-CuhMah won the race for the mar ried women and Professor McMillan had l offered the selection of one of three things as prize-a bar of soap. box of thread and a frosted cake.
 We were all curious to know which article Tuh- Cuh-Mah would select" said Professor MeMillan. q knew that I would take the frosted cake if it had been my choice, but she quickly took the soap. Poor Ross Marvin won the foot race for the Americans, while Sigoo won the race for the Eskimo men" That holiday was fttingly observed on the Roosevelt, and while musk OK took the place of turkey. there were all sorts Of buildings and sweet meats on the table We had Washington pudding and plum pudding said Commonder Peary. land captain Bartlett opened a locked canister of good things which his wife quietly gave to me before we left the south. and told me to give it to her husband on Christmas Day. I found that Mrs. Peary had worked the captain the same way and had given him a locked canister for me to be opened on Christmas Dav We mad hot toddy and cigars for all. All tne members of the party received a box or candy from Mrs. Peary."
 Value of Discovery.
 speaking of the scientific value of the expedition to the north pole. Commander feary said that the soundings from Cape Columbia to the pole were valuable and supplemented the data given by Nansen and Cagni on the other side of the nole
 That Greenland and the Arctic regions Will become summer resort in time is commander Peary's confident belief. and Dr. Goodsell physician of the expedi- tlon' asserted that the dry air and con s.aht sunlight or the summer was fine cure for tuberculosis
 The explorer spoke sadly of the Ioss of Ross c. Marvin, who was drowned on April H.
 We were in our igloos," said he. 'when kood-Look-Too and h-Clue-Too whom Percy, the steward. had christened ifarrigan came into camp alone with | their heads down. They shook tbeir heads and we knew that poor Marvin had been lost. They said they found the hole where he had fallen through the thin
 ice, and they could see the back of his TUT coat above the surface of the water" Brass Tablet Erected.
 brass tablet inscribed with Marvin's name and the date and place of his death
 was erected on a cairn of white stones or crystals, at Cape Sheridan commander Peary, do you believe that the pole can be reached again and to what do you ascribe your success this time?"
 ''I believe that any member of my party could reach the pole twice out of three times. just the same as Captain Bartlett could take the Roosevelt through the ice Hoes to Cape Sheridan, four out of five times. You get your training as you progress toward the pole. I keep my self sound, clean and straight and ths has been a great help in the trials of rigorous climate.
 The expedition this time compared with my earlier ones, was particularly fortunate in the absence of winds east and west across our course, and to the fortunate prevailing wind in our faces, which held the ice to the land and did not fault the trails made by those on the advance.
 Again, We had the advantage of a new type of sledge without which we would not have been able to make our re- markable progress. This type of sledge, the Morris K. Jesup sledge, shows that same marked development that is shown in the last few years It is no picnic in the Arctic; just hard work all the time. There is no riding on the sledges, but pushing every minute"
 Many Relics Found. The story of Professor McMillan on his finding of the relics and stores of | earlier expeditions was fraught with in- terest. On a trip to the westward from the winter quarters at Cape Sheridan. to make observations Professor McMillan came upon some supplies at Fort Conger, which had been left there by the Greedy expedition in 1SS1-S4.
 There were coffee, tea, canned potatoes and rhubarb and I tried them all. It seemed strange to think that 17 out of that party of 25 had died of starvation after they had left these provisions be- hind. They had to go back under or ders and failed to find the relief ship at Cape Sabine.
 Near Etah I came upon the old Po- laris house. in Thank God Harbor, which had been used by the expedition of Com mander Hall in 1871. The house was made or wood and near 1t picked up a piece of brass marked 'U s. Polaris, Washing ton navy yard, 1S71.' While on this trip I found at latitude IA a cuff on which was still written plainly the name of Sir John Lockwood; while at Kukani walked into an Eskimo hut and found the Eslximos eating off a plate on the back of which was the name of the ship 'Gjoa,' which carried the Amundsen ex- petition of 1903-0s I gave the Eskimos cup for the plate"
 Professor McMillan said he came upon the old headquarters of the expedition of Admiral Sir George Mares near Cape Sheridan. On the beach the professor found coal bags, loads of wood. crock cry and cart The tracks of the cart were still distinctly visible in the snow and ground. At Cape Morris K. Jesup, Professor McMillan found the cairn made there by Peary in 1900.
 "Why was it that you and the others did not go to the pole with Commander Peary instead of Henson?" McMillan was asked.
 Because Henson was better fitted than anyone in our party" he replied. He was stronger and had more experience, was | a better sledge driver and repairer. and | in every way was the man to go."