Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-25
FUNSTON TELLS
0 F ALASKAN
EXPERIENCE

.-.
Speaking TO an audience which pack
ed Cooke Hall, General Frederick
Funston last night told Of his Early
Days on the Yukon" Famous for his
capture OF Aguinaldo in the Philip
pine rebellion, this adventure In the
snow and ice Of the Arctic circle Is
not widely known chapter in the IA
nous lighters life, but one which for
hardships Suffered and. bravery de-
manded should bring him gTea,er re
known ~
"In 1891 / was appointed special
agent for the Department OF Agrfcui-
ture and assigned to investigating
work in new country What my quail
iIcations for this position were, IS
hard to determine, unless that my
father was a congressman. and chair-
man Of the committee Of agriculture.
After years work In the Northwest
General Funston received orders to do
some special work In the then little
known territory Of Alaska. While in
The north he was also TO collect soraa
trash and other objects Of interest
for the Smithsonian Institute.
Sailing at once from San Francisco
on the city Of Topeka, he arrived at
Nome, the only city In all Alaska at
that time. Securing his companions,
& couple Of old adventures. General
Funston set out on the long and ts-
dious journey mp the Yukon over Nc
Dougall Pass and down the Mackenzie
river 10 the Arctic ocean, being the
flrst white traveller to ever accomplish
this feat.
Far up In tie mountains where q
small spring is the n source or the
mighty Yukon the party left the val
ley Of the river and headed for the
great divide. His white comrade had
left him at this time, and he must pro-
cure Indians to go with him. The Indi-
ans were afraid OF the .Huskiess or
Esquimaux who lived along the
shores OF the Arctic ocean, and it was
with great difficulty that General Fun
ston induced few OF them to make
the trip With him.
The most unique baseball league In
the world was the one which General
Funston found far in the northland
with its diamond on the ice Of the
frozen Arctic ocean. To keep their
men in condition during the winter
months of otherwise inactivity, the Of
ficers had organized baseball league
from the men of all the ships. THE
Shippers, . the First Cooks" Head
Stewards, Master Harpooners, First
0ficers. and Chief Engineers" were
some Of the names of the teams in the
league The thermometer always being
from twenty to forty-five degrees be.
low zero. the players were always
forced to wear their heavy fur mittens
during every minute Of play. conse-
quently the fielding Of the athletes
was not such that the big ieagus
scouts would snap them up, and sign
them on. The slippery. ice and bung-
hing mittens made long drives fea-
tur. 50 that score ran up into big iig--
iires. and sixties or eighties were not
unheard Of scores.
The Esquimaux never ceased TO
wonder at the sport and activity Of
the white men. Such crowds of them
would gather that It was found nee.
essary to rome on the side lines Of the
iamond and keep the rooters from in
terfering with the game. Thus with a
regularly organized league. rooters,
bleaehers and an impartial umpire
there was 8 full fledged baseball
league holding regularly scheduled
games far uD In the Arctic circle.
-Four deaths resulted from the heat at