Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-28
JOLLY TALK At PRESS CLUB
Describes Experience as Publisher
While Pushing Soulful oleward.
DIVIDES HONOR WITH PEARY
American and British Explorers
Meet as Guests Of Gilbert
II. Grosvenor.


mander Peary in the recital of their ad-
ventures while in quest of the north pole
the members of the National Press Club
had the opportunity of hearing Sir Ernest
H. Shackleton. the now famous English
man, tell of his efforts and experiences
in trying to find the south pole. So en-
thusiastic were some of them that when
they were presented. as all were previous
to the entertaining talk he gave, one OF
them remarked. "Sir Ernest. my only re-
greet is that you did not discover the
pole
1t was perhaps the fraternal feeling OF
the craft that promoted the remark for
Sir Ernest said he had spent a great deal
of his spare time in the frozen regions OF
the south editing and supervising the
publication OF The Blizzard. The Polar
Times and The Aurora Australis. pa
pers published during his expedi-
ton, to which everybody from the cook
to the captain contributed. The climatic
conditions. he said. had a poetic influence
In their tendency. for nearly all OF the
men. as we'll as himself. took q hand al
writing 1t. reading it or listening to II
Even the cook broke loose and had to be
language.
Experience as a Writer.
I'm addressing a body OF newspaper
men feel a sort Of tie relationship" said
a London publication I wrote many
things that appeared in print and a great
many things that didn't. My entire time
verses for unsuitable subjects; yet the
experience makes me feel member OF
your brotherhood.
"A great deal Of our spare time during
the long winter months In the antarctic
regions was spent in the publication of
our newspapers.
From these papers and from my own
diary the greater part of my writings
were taken. OF course, it was necessary
to do considerable editing on my own
log. which. written on the Journey. ex-
pressed my feelings at every stage Of the
trip. 1 thought l had cut out all the OBJ
iectionable language, but. as I afterward
learned. one little swear word crept into
the book unnoticed.
Prom all quarters ] heard about that
word. Letters came to me directing me
to look at line 4. page $40. of your book,
the only blemish on your otherwise won
derful work I looked and found that
this expression Of feeling had crept into
the book: This ice plain is certainly hell
on ones feet
A Precarious Situation.
Perhaps the most thrilling part of the
entire expedition was our return to the
Nimrod late in February. We were sew
eral days overdue, and knew that search
ing parties were on the lookout for us
from the ship. The second day OF our
and, to make matters worse. one OF my
companions fell sick. Despite the obsta-
cles in our path, two of US pushed on
until we came to the end of the Ice plain
and to the edge OF the water.
This made big detour necessary. My
companion was exhausted, and the bliz-
card made our condition most precarious.
climbed to the top OF small knoll,
where we had located hut on our first
trip, and found some carbide. We soon
had a bright blaze that was seen on the
Nimrod. nine miles away. Assistance i'm
mediately came, and in a few hours we
were enjoying a delicious meal Of ham
and eggs-the first bite we had had to eat
for two days.
ITO the men who were with me belongs
inestimable credit. Picked from 500 vol
unteers, they bore the brunt Of the work
of the expedition, and never was one
heard to murmur. Told to do thing,
they did 1t, though they realized that
the glory and limelight that 10 now mine
would never be coming to them.
1.-The Mandate OF the Wild"
with nothing but an interminable
plain of ice before us and death stalking
us close in the rear, the expedition was
indeed a perilous one. But to one who
has experienced this trip there Is ever
a longing to be back among the ice fields
and barrens of the south. Asked by my
friends: What Is the lure that attracts
you to risk your life in adventures among
perils OF this sort?' l can answer moth
ing definite.
There is a charm, a fascination about
ii which is best expressed by these verses
Of Robert William Service:
. Yes they're wanting me, they re haunting me,
the awful lonely places:
They're whining and they're whimperng as II
each had q soul;
They're calling me from the wilderness, the vast
and God-like spaces,
The stark and sullen solitudes that sentinel the
pole.
And now they're all a-crylng. and it's no use
me denying;
The snoll Of them In on me and I'm helpless