The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-02
.DR. RUSK|N TELLS
 OF ARCTIC NIGHT
 AND ITS HORRORS
Famous Traveller Says the Eskimo Can See in Places Where White Man Is
 Helpless

Birmingham people will have an oppor- tunity today and all the rest of this week to see the great frozen arctic, for Dr.
 Ruslxin has brought that land of desola-
 tion to Birmingham through his motion picture camera machine.
 Few people realize," said pr. Ruskin. what it means to go into the arctic and spend the long winter night, which com mences on October 20 and ends on Febru-
 ary 21, the following year."
 What do you do to pass this time
 awayr he was asked.
 That's the trouble" said Dr. Ruskin
 finding something to do so as to pre- vent ones losing his mind If you con- template making a long northward march you are compelled to stay in the arctic
 during the months of blackness so as to prepare for your journey. Sleds must be
 made, dogs, and men gotten together, seal, walrus bear and other food sup
 plies collected as well as fur and oil for fuel. Most of the fur clothing is made during the winter months by the Eskimo
 for during the summertime they are too
 busy hunting animals for their winter |
 kimo differently than white man. The
 Eskimo can see 10 times as far as a
 white man over the ice and snow. He
 has double sight so that during the
 winter time, the Eskimo can venture out
 by the light of pale sickly looking
 moon. At times during the winter
 months of darkness, the Eskimos gather
 together and hunt the Walrus, which
 they find on the ice, If we go, we either tie ourselves to an Eskimo or to an Es- kimos sled. It is impossible for white
 man to see well enough with safety more than six to eight feet ahead of him. Often times, dogs and sleds go head long down big ice cap, into a deep de- pression which results in the death or dogs and men. The Eskimo is exceed ingly skilful with his spear and harpoon, and can kill walrus 25 feet away. "One of the sights that white man
 never forgets in the far north is the su- perstition of the Eskimo It Is indeed pitiful sight to see these people, during the black night, huddled together along the ice ribbed rocks, sitting there for hours at time moaning, chanting and singing, for they believe they are in com munication with the spirits of their de- parted friends The Eskimo has no re- ligion. They believe in spirits absolutely. They believe that when they die, their spirit departs into a polar bear, a seal, the walrus or most anything, and that at certain periods they can communicate with that spirit. So that when they hunt during the summer, they perform many curious ceremonies, quite disgusting to a white man, in the belief that they will please the certain "god' that controls the certain fish or animal they are after, | and that that god will be pleased and | allow them to capture their prey. 1 We pass our time during the long | black winter night as best we can. We play musical instruments, cards, read 1 to one another, attempt to write, but most of the time are compelled to get up a wrestle or punch one another so as to prevent ourselves from falling into an unconscious sleep. It is impossible to heat your snow hut so as to keep it com- fortable. The thermometer will usually register about 40 to 60 degrees below zero inside.
 'I have brought this land of ice and snow to Birmingham without any of it's discomforts or displeasures, in series of the most wonderful motion pictures ever obtained in that far off land. We hope our efforts will be appreciated, for have made it possible for every one to see this great northern country and hear my description of it."
 Commencing today at 3:30 and tonight at 8:15 Dr. Ruskin will present his last trip to the arctic at the Jefferson thea