The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-02-16
GIVES THAT ARCTIC
REGION HIS PRAISE
Stefansson Puts O. K. On
Far North Land
NICE COUNTRY, YES
1t Should Be Ironed Out BY
Civilizing Hand of
49, Man

While Vilhyalmer Stefansson was
delivering his lecture at the Armory
last evening he had an Appropriate
setting for his story. The wind
howled and at times sounded like
what might be an Arctic thunder
storm. But the explorer did not re-
late his personal experiences or tell
any thrilling tales of adventure Of
his travels in the north. He only
| told of the wonders of the country,
the great opportunities awaiting the
coming Of man to develop them and
open it up for civilization. He be-
lieves that the opening up Of these
great regions will be as important
for the world as the opening up of
America after its discovery and that
these regions are the hope and re-
lief from the overcrowding that is
menacing the over crowded coun-
tries. He deplores the present pre-
| conceived notions and superstitions
regarding the Arctic. They have
been handed down to us from our
forefathers, in books and in imagin-
alton" said the scientist. The nAe-
thern regions are not uninha bitable, "
| he declared. AT their coolest they
are no colder than many of the
countries inhabited by agricultural
people.
Already a solution of the shortage
of meat has been solved by the
breeding of the domestic reindeer
which multiplies by the thousands.
He proved that the Arctic sea sup
piled food even more abundantly
coppermines, platinum mines and oil
"pUf YoiGn cattle and Ghann1
the farmer asks me. You can, but
the reindeer can live in the cold
without barns and thrive and every
one likes their meat. They are ship
ping reindeer by the hundreds to
America for the big hotels. But you
cannot colonize Alaska, they say,
bit is too cold. The worst gale I ever
saw was not in Alaska but state
in America. II SHOWS up there to be
sure, just as it does here, but the
snoF sweeps away and blows into
the ravines.
THE summers are delightful and
there are grassy prairies and $50
varieties of blooming flowers OF
yari cofored and brilliant hues. "
These were shown on the screen.
I'm summer we have butterflies and
bumblebees and MOSQUITOES just as
you have here. But all the natives
like the winter best and l did my
| self, when the ice begins to thaw
| it is chilly and rain sets in and the
ice begins to move, when you are out
hunting, you may find your ice home
has moved twenty miles since morn
ing The Eskirnos are the most hospit-
able, courteous and kindly of peo-
ple," he said ''and their only fault is
their lacking of education. The west
has gone its way and Alaska is the
hope of America" To Stefansson the
future.
Clever Man Is Explorer
One of the joys of newspaper re-
| porter's life is interviewing noted
people, professional people and PEG
| pie who do things worth while. To
chat with such a man as Vilhjalmur
| Stefansson, the explorer, scientist,
philosopher and author should add
some years to reporters life. He
is different, unusual, possesses such
delightful pecularities and tells such
fascinating tales of wonder. and
charm that one sits like Desdemo-
And did Stefansson order whale
blubber, seal steak, 'kaktat' and
oiled soaked bird feet for dessert,
last night for dinner? He did not.
He ate pork chops instead THE
meat like best Of all" said the ex-
plorer, lis seal steak dropped into
cold water and boiled until it is
medium done. Then the man who
| looks more like poet than an ex.
plorer. yet who has endured what
few men could stand, told of his
meat diet in the far north and Of
| the eleven and one half years spent
in the Arctic. But the explorer does
not call his journeys in that country
hardships, they were pleasant ex
| periences" and never at any time he
says has he endured suffering as has
been written of him.
Stefsnsson Wanted To Be Poet.
At one time StefanSson wanted to
| be poet. He read all the poets and
later on some of his poetry appeared
in the college papers. And then he
| talked of his many years Of delight
full experiences and friendship with
Peary, the explorer. 1t was through
Peary that he was sent on one of
| his scientific expeditions. Ny first
ambition? The explorer laughed. LAS
| far back as ] can remember 1t was
to be Buffalo Bill and to kill Indians.
That was when l was a boy in
| North Dakota. l was born near
Winnipeg, Canada, and when just a
h1u we UON6u 10 the |DdhOLdS.
walked three miles to school in
binding billiards. and our neighbors
were fifteen miles apart.
"Then my ambition shifted and my
ideal was to become Robinson
Crhsoe That is an ambition that
never left me. Twenty years later
II discovered lands and stepped
ashore on islands where human foot
had never trod. | had in reality the
thrills of my boyhood imagination.
At this time there was no indica:
ton that | was to be led eventually
| into the career of polar explorations
! shot geese, hunted rabbits and
birds just, as any other boy, and al
ways loved a shot gun as far back
as can remember. But more valu-
able than anything in fitting me for
life of hunter In the Arctic was
my being buffited by the Dakota
climate" When Stefansson was
eighteen he and three other boys
started a ranch and built a cabin on
the top of high hill. Here II was
he experienced one OF the most
bowling blizzards In all of his ex-
periences. Then the other boys de-
cided to become lawyers and doctors
and Stefansson decided to become a
poet.
Wearing a seven dollar suit of
clothes he took the first train to the
state university in North Dakota.
| Later on he went to Harvard and
w2t graduated from there and also
l1he Universities of Iowa and Mich
/ InterAsted In Mar