The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-03
AMERICAN TRADER
INVADES SIBERIA
THE NATIVES PREFER UNCLE
SANS MONEY TO THAT OF
ANY OTHER NATION.

+ -.a.- ... D. . -@~---~- IS" o. r.
+ st. Petersburg, Nov, 3s--The ubiaui-
tous American trader appears to have
discovered a part, at least Of northern
Siberia, n to have made it his own.
So strong a hold, in fact, has he se4
cured upon the natives Of that little
known part of the world that while
the American silver dollar is taken
with avidity in trade, the Russian
trader who offers two Russian roubles
for the same amount of goods is
looked upon with suspicion. :
Lieutenant ArbenieV of the Russian
navy, who was a member Of the Rus
sian expedition which upon its arriv-
al at st. Michael, Alaska, a few weeks
ago, reported having found a large
body Of land forming the counterpart
of Nova zemlya, and inclosing the
Kara sea in a book on the work of
the expedition in 1912, just published,
a humorous about the American
traders met with during the voyage.
American Dollar Rules.
Wherever natives congregated, he
there stood the tell-tale log cab
in, whence silver dollars. American
rifles and canned goods were doled
out in return for the precious furs n
which the land abounds. The offer
SL LWO IoublCS 1AStCdu VA oIS oAiNS@
dollar was in many cases treated with
suspicion.
Lieutenant Arbeniev argues that 1t.
is about time the Russians took more
interest in their own lands and peo-
pie. He records a visit paid to the
Tafmyr and Waigatch, the two
steamers of the expedition, when off
1912. by Tunguz, a chieftain styled
Bobrovsky, which means beaver, who
proudly displayed a medal conferred
Upon him by the president Of the
United States for %succoring the sur
vivors of the Jeanette arctic eXpedi-
ton, -
Influence Not Harmful.
The influence of the alien trades,
a the lieutenant, does not seem to
have been physically harmful to the
natives but quite the contrary SO far
as the appearance. of the younger
generation is concerned. They have,
however, been unable to alter the in
describably filthy habits Of the Siberi-
an redskins.
The discovery Of the new land by
Captain Wilyitzky, the commander Of
the expedition which arrived at ST.
Michael, is the result Of the endeav-
ors of the Russian government to rem
der commercially practicable the
Nothern sea route to the, far east. The
captain is a son of General Wilkitzky.
who died in February last, and who.
as chief of the Russian photographic
service, signed the instructions for
the survey Of the northern Siberian
coast for which the present expedition
was organized. '-+ .,r- ~
Ice Breakers Work.
The Tailmyr and Waigatch are ice
breakers specially built to perform the
--- f~~x~,
to st. Petersburg, and are equipped
with wireless installations. = Every
year since 1910 a section of the coast
has been surveyed, and an attempt
was made to reach European waters
without wintering. Last year the ex-
petition was unable to reach Cape
Tchliuskin. The leader, General
sergeieff, who was subsequently in
valided, declined to proceed north
ward and turned back to Vladisvos-
took.
According to the opinion of Hydrog-
rapher Captain Wilkitzky decided at
any cost to come westward, even if he
had to winter in the Kara sea. In
these circumstances he boldly moved
northward and made the important
discovery Of new land, which he has
reported in a laconic message to the
admiralty. After recounting that he
put into st. Michael for coal and be-
cause OF slight damage received dur
ing a storm, he says
1--WE confined our survey as far as
Cape Tcheliuskin, where the ice prov
ed impracticable. We then went
north. seeking a passage. We discov-
cred land extending over 200 miles as
far as latitude 81 north, longitude SO
east Being unable to get through we
turned back. On Bennett island we
took the collection left by Baron Toll,
and in that neighborhood discovered a
new island"
Most Northern Point,
Cape Tcheliuskin, III Siberia, is the
most northern point of the mainland
of Asia. Bennett island is the most
northern member OF the. new Siberian
group and lies about 500 miles east
from Cape Tcheliuskin. The Jeanette
was lost in 1881, at a point 400 miles
east of Bennett island, after drifting
in a Extraordinarily direction for
1.-TWO years. In 1884 objects believed to
Ihave been from the wreck Of the
Jeanette were picked up on the south
| west coast. Of. Greenland. It was upon
| the current which conveyed these
| relics that Nansen relied In his expe-
\ dition with the Fran during which he
achieved his farthest north in April
1885.
The presence Of land in these re-
lgions was not unexpected, although
1.-THE expeditions Of Nordenskjold, Nam
sen and Toll passed through what are
NOV known to be comparatively mar
lrow straits without leaving any rec.
ord of any such discovery. "
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