Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1916-12-21
NEWLANO OF COLD
FOUND IN ARCTIC
Metal More Plentiful Than In
Alaska, Says Lsdsn.
EsklM0s HOLD THE SECRET
Swedish Explorer Brings Back Golden
Hsrpoon Head to Prove Discovery.
Oh Also In Abundance In Far North.
Bullets Made Of Precious Metal, Hs
esys

Bringing tale of n land where gold
In moro plentiful than II IL In Alaska.
Christin Lcdcn, young Swedish ex.
plorer. has returned 10 this country
afsr three years spent IN the arctic.
AZ evidence of the truth " his story
lie has harpoon hcad hammered out
of gold by the natives of camp since
wiped out BY disease. lie has also
several specimens Of gold bearing
quartz brought TO him by Eskimos.
who dared many dangers IN order II
get them Ledcn said he had visited
land where the ground was NO full OF
oil that IN the warm months the smell
OF Il hlled the mir
Mr. lcdcn's explorations carried him
over thousands VI miles IN the country
northwest OF hudson hay. lie went
n.onc aud llxel NJ pd Irayplcd With The
natives and ~ one ~ them. uc visit
ed the Iglukiks. near Fury and Hecla
straits; the KJnipc,us. between the
Great Fish river md Chesterfield IN.
let; tho Nc,chiiiks, near nooiha and the
magnetic pole. aud the Eivisliks. near
the Wager river lIls outfit was ship
ped by boat 10 Fort Churchill, IN Hud.
son hay. which was the starting point
OF his travels,
Psriious Search For Gold.
Just where tue gold and oil are Mr..
Ieicn will not say. The place where
the gold II TO bc found he did not visit,
because to have done 30. he said,
would have meant another two years
IN the far north. The territory was
described TO him by some Eekimos,
who told him Of q great hill that had
been 80 split that the different strata
were uncovered. Here the reddish yel'
low metal could be seen. Mr.. Leden
persuaded some Of those Journeying
north to search out the place.
The Eskimos that went In to nnd Il
had asterriblc time" he says. "Their
dogs died. and they had to win their
way back TO the place where I was
staying through terrific weather. They
attempted to bring back several large
specimens Of the gold, but conditions
became 80 had they had to throw them
away.
! "One very old man told how his
grandfather. the p0ssessor OF an old
fashioned big bore gun, had found
/, yellow metal that he had hammered
out to mako bullets The stories OF
the Eskimos would indicate that gold
is up north In greater abundance than
In Alaska. The natives. Of course. have
no idea Of its value"
Mr.. Ledcn's expedition was planned
with the Idea OF making a. scientific
survey OF tho country and Its people.
He said hc believes tho Eskimo had u
common ancestor with the American
Indian, lie bascs his opinion chiefly
on their folk lorc and their music He
took photographic outfit into the far
north, and ho brought back many rec
ords OF Eskimo music.
Have Wonderful Language.
"Tho Eskimos have n wonderful Ian.
guagc," hc says. 1T Is hard TO master
because tho snmc word win express so
many different things, depending upon
tho infection, the pronunciation aud
relative position, II is much the same
as tho Indian language, There IL the
same similarity In their myths and In
their poetry.
Each individual composes his own
songs nnd by thcm gives expression to
his feeling, Their instrumental music
IL entirely confined TO the drum"
Travelling with the notlves, says Mr.,
I.cdcn was not only full OF peril, but
required tho utmost diplomacy. The
natives 0ro supcrstitlous and they have
/ firm belief IN good aud bad spirits
A white man IL considered moro OF
knI upl.ll finn "A sy,n1 aim nhI iliu