The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-12
THE POLAR y

y few lays the story was fash
cd from far away Tasmania that the
South pole had been discovered. Well.
what Of il? Beyond a lively story OF
the adventure in the way Of hardships
voluntarily undergone. how does il
matter" II is three years this month
since Peary discovered the North pole.
and what has mankind got out Of il?
What change has il produced? The
only change that We can think of.
aside from the Personal consequences
TO those concerned. is that nobody
cares 70 so 10 the North pole again.
II is one Of those things that. once
done. are done for good. The reason
of this is plain enough. too. There
is nothing W there available for the
uses of man. Esquimos AN be seen
without going near the North pole
polar bears can be trapped for ZOO
logical gardens or shot for ones own
glory a good distance This side Of that
identical spot-those who seek the
skins of ~fur-bearing animals FOR com
mercial gain can make up their bales
with q good deal more certainty in
the regions surroundins rather than
al the North pole. Practically. and
for all uses of man. The North pole
is nothing more than a verbal express
sion. and mankind has now found this
out. and IS. so far as we can see,
Herewith content Al any rate. his
unceastng efforts during many years
TO go tilither have ceased. One a
has been there. and the rest of the
universe is now at peace on thai Dues
ton.
The probabilities were that the re-
suits attending the work of discovery
at the upper end of our globe We're
followed ty similar results OF discov-
cry al the lower end. We know that
the way Of approach TO the South
pole is obscure and difficult. There is
nothing inviting on that road. nothing
comfortable, nothing that kindles
hope. Those who go over it are well
out of il if they return with unbroken
health. OF course man must know
"" concede that. But the defect
in these polar n is that the
more YOU know the more it is the
same thing. This is not saying that
the same thing should not be pushed
until man is sure that il is the same
thing. but il is saving that after you
have discovered this fact it turns out
that this is all that you have discover
ed. You nave been there-you have.
so 70 speak. seen this wonderful thing
that casts no shadow. tina has no
visible form. and that you would new
ct have recognized unless your eve
and instruments had been unimpeach-
ably correct-and then you get home
the best way possible, tell your story.
receive a few personal honors. pass
your name on into the historical rec
ords. and that is all. Mankind goes
on its way just as before. with moth.
ing new. with nothing changed. with
no benetit-not even to the extent OF a
new field for adventure, and very soon
mas TO turn TO the register OF events
in order TO recall how it was all done.
The German scientist-or perhaps
1t was a Frenchman-who said before
n discoveries Of this kind had been
made that the North pole was nothing
but a spot on the surface Of the earth.
identical with every other spot. told
the whole truth, as has been proved
by the event. We are fairly sure that
the experiences with the South pole
will only double the verifcation. The
iidlh good OF Doth discoveries is that
thereby the mind Of man is appeased.
He could not rest without knowing
and this is n Of the most useful
uneasinesses of but now that
the mystery has been cleared away,
and nothing left but ice and cold and
desolation he will put on his slippers.
light his pipe and draw his armchair
near to the fire. we'll content to re-
member it. or read about it. and moth
ing more. As to going out to see
how it is for himself. that idea is
probably laid as one Of the working
forces of the world.