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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1928-08-05, Page 7• The e Far on of the North Pole My .Adventures As a Missionary in Eskimo Land By STEWART OF LABRADOR (Tho Rev. Dr. 5: 1L Stewart, who has spent the best part of his life in the icy wastes as a missionary under the auspices of the Colonial and Conti- nental Church Society.) • My parish is about 000 miles long! U has no great width, being spread along part of the coastline of North- ern Labrador, the interior of which land is uninhabited apt unexplored. Visiting my flock, therefore, is no light job, and my own church, at Fort Chino, often does not see me ' for months at a time. During those peri•• ods when I am travelling about the "parish" with my' dogs and sled, I leave my headquarters' congregation in the charge of an Eskimo lay reader, for I am the only missionary in that district. • I started work , as a missionary thirty years ago by leaving my native Ireland for New Foundland in response. ,to an appeal from the Bishop of that territory. After three years I was given the chance to go to Labrador, and there I have been ever since, *That I like the work is proved by the fact that I only left Labrador at (very infrequent intervals since. I am completely cut off from the world, for we only get news and stores once a year. If another war started immedi- ately after my return this time I should not know about it for twelve months. I My general "news agents and uni- versal providers" are the Hudson Bay Company, without whose assistance the work could not bo carried on. They bring nee stores- and letters whenever Fort Chino is approachable by sea. They cannot reach there by an overland route, because of the un. explored state of the interior-, and con- sequently they have to wait till the freeze-up breaks. As this. only occurs between August and November—often not for so long as that—you will understand why the mails and stores come so infrequently. Attempts are being made to keep us in touch with civilization by means of wireless, but even hero Nature seems to be against us, for the head- quarters aro situated in a "_pocket" where wireless reception is bad. After some months of experimenting with a set which came out with my stores one year, the only news we got through was a report that Dempsey had been beaten. Wo didn't even learn the naive of the man who was his victor! The average temperature of Labra- dor over the whole year is 24 degrees, but when the weather is chilly the thermometer drops to minus 60. * * * ,, o I find my Eskimos very -loving,. simple people, primitive in all their Ways. When I first lived with them, polygamy was rife. A man would sell his daughters to the highest bidder, and there was no marriage ceremony. By teaching them the rules of my Church I am gradually stamping out these practices. Of course, the language difficulty was a great one. Since there was no Written form of it, I had to learn by Word of Month, au.d a terrible task it was, I soon realized that if I was going to do any useful work I must have a written language, and teach them to read it. This meant evolving the ' simplest possible .scheme, and I set to work. It took me years, of course, and then the next task was to teach it. I ' selected some of the more intelligent of my flock, explained to them my ideas, and taught them in the most --direct way I could. I would indicate a sled, pronounce their word for it, and then point to the written sign. They picked it up wonderfully, and once they could read, found little diffl. culty in copying my signs, and thus learning to write. Those first pupils of mine became lay readers, helped to teach their fellows, and so well did the Eskimos take to the idea that now nearly all my flock can read and write. I feel sure that given adequate 'facili- ties for education, the Eskimos would prove to be a brilliant race. .I made arrangements for one particularly promising boy to go to a college in Newfoundland. He did extraordinarily well, won many prizes and high praise, and ultimately came back to Fort Chime, where he proved an in- valuable assistant to me. He died within six months, That 18 the tragedy, of it. In their native climate the Eskimos are lin- mune from the illnesses that worry other races, and live to a ripe old age, entenarians being quite con. But .take ake them away and they immediately become very susoeptib:e to tubercular. trouble, and generally succumb to it.; To educate the Eskimo at any of the recognized seats of learning is there- fore impossible. Needless to say, my life has not been without frills and adventures. On my jcurneyings I have more than once been saved from a premature death by my dogs. They have a won- derful ondetful sense which tells them in some uncanny way when they are near un- ;safe n•tsafe ice, and when they get this "mes- 1 sage" you cannot make them move the way you want them to. Once you 'get to know them, and realize how unfailing their ice sense is; you don't !try to urge them on, but let them turn off and go their own sure way. I had a narrow escape one day when' I slipped into a deep and treacherous !crevasse In the ice.. 'I must explain that there is a great difference betweeu high and low tide along my rpart of the coast—some- times as much as fifty or sixty, feet. When the tide is up, the masses of ice are welded together, as it were, held in one tight pack by the support- ing water, so that all one can see is a huge Ice -field. As the water falls, the ice falls with it, remaining solid until the bot- tom of the ice touches the sea bed, Then, as the water still recedes, the huge bergs heel over just as a ship does when the tide leaves it. The result is that fissures appear all over what was previously an unbroken sweep of ice. It was into one of these fissures that I slipped. There was a considerable depth of water at the bottom, but fortunately I wedged just before get- ting to it. There I lodged.. r a * * * * You can see the awful position I was in. No one was within miles of me, and I had nothing with which I might havecut footholds in the glassy sides of the ice. Even if I had had some such tool I could hardly have used it, for any movement might have dislodged mo and sent me down into the water just below. Yet—the tide was just beginning to rise. The two bergs which now lean- ed away from each other, forming a huge V, would slowly come together, closing in remorselessly till they crushed me. In a few hours there 'would not be so much as a crack to 'show where the fissure had been. Never before or since have I thought so rapidly—or so hard—and ultimately a hope came to me. • At present the two sides of the V gaped so wide that I could get no pur- chase with my elbows to raise myself, but as they came together I might turn that very threat of a terrible death to good account. It seemed hours before Iaws able to raise myself at all, but at last the sides at the bottom of the V had come in enough to enable me to lever myself up a perceptible distance. Then began a long fight—Nature against my good judgment and endur- ance. It lasted some three hours, but inch by inch 'I won my way upwards, till at last, half dead with exhaustion, I dragged myself 'over the brink of the crevice, the mputh of which was now but a wide. Skillful Navigating 'PLANES SEEM A BIT TOO CLOSE FOR SAFETY Three day -bombing squadrons of the Royal Air Force carried out practice evolutions at Hendon. Aerodrome for the annual air pageant. This fine view shows wing evolutions by day bombers, How Long Will Your Job Last ? By. SIR OLIVER (Many people—statesmen, reform- ers, authors—have attempted to fore- see h Briain of to -morrow and tell us how much of nalonal Iife ids we know it will prove permanent. In this im- portant article, writer for "Answers"' (England), one of he foremost think- ers of our times forecasts the future of empIoyment, business, transport, and wealth from the point of view of the• man in he street.) In hese days of an enlarged suf- frage, when the feminine half of man- kind is assuming more and more con- trol, and breaking out into activities in what to our grandfathors . would have seemed surprsing directions, it may be worth while to look round and take stock of our position. Taking a survey of the activities of mankind 'having a permanent character; they have been pursued froia the earliest times and are likely to be continued to the remotest posterity. Others have a more temporary character. They have arisen in consequence of present circumstances, and are un- likely to continuo for ever. LODGE,_ F.R.S. the soil, at the expense of solar en- ergy. All our energy is derived from the sun, and the surface of the earth is the only way of receiving it. Gardening and farming must there- fore continue as long as the planet lasts; though the tenure of the soil, and the right of mankind to work on it, may in some distant future be altered almost beyond recognition. At present the newcomer to the planet has no right even to stand on it, unless he pays' someone else for the privilege, except, indeed, on the King's high road. Even there he is liable to be moved on or to be con- victed of being without visible means f 'osupport. Too Many Tongues , What other occupations 'are there 'likely to be of equal permanence? Well, first tbere is locomotion, con- ducted first by human muscles, then with the aid of animals, and now with the help of machinery All this must evidently continue and develop; peo- ple must move from place to place, and develop the resources of various parts of the earth. Another occupation which' must be permanent al the communication of mankind with cue another, beginning with ancestral sounds, gradually , growing into Ianguage (unfortunate- ly into far too many languages), and blossoming into writing and the me- chanical reproduction of writing— printing, and now recently tele- graphy, t6 the development of which. we can fix no assignable limit. In freedom of speech women have never been deficient; and I hope that some day they will contrive either one, or perhaps two, universal languages, through which the inhabi- tants of all countries will be able to understand one another. That would bo a great blessing and conduce to- wards better understanding of one another's habits and aspirations. Language renders possible not speaking only, but the reading and writing of literature. Well, there must always be readers and writers ad literature, now that it has begun; and though literary occupations do not go back to very remote antiquity they aro likely, in some form or other, to be permanent. Exploring Nature's Secrets Again, there always must be peo- ple who work in laboratories, and ,who make calculations, seeking to explore the deep things of Nature and discover the secrets of phenomena which, though always existent, have previously been hidden from the mind of man. This occupation is of comparatively recent growth, but it must have an illimitable future. I hope, too, that there will always be people who meet, either in West- minster or somewhere Ise, to riscuss, not party politics, but th welfare of the State, the good of humanity, the spread of education, the relieving of distress, and all the other perman- ent ingredients of real politics. And so long as we have bodies, liable to accident and disease, they must be a profession for atending to those bodies; though I hope that gradually the doctors will more and more be able to keep the body in Health rather than ptit it in the way of restoration when damaged; and that injuires, though doubtless not al.; Breaking Fashion's Tyranny Clothing and housing began, so to speak, in an early chapter of Genesis, and must continue ithout intermis- sion. The houses of the future may be more convenient, better- supplied with labor-saving devices and less crowded together. Clothing, especl-' ally male clothing, may be more artistic. I can imagine women' taking a con- siderable part In the design of homes, and almost altogether controlling clothes. I can also readily imagine a reolt against the extraordinary ex- pensiveness xpensiveness of their own clothes, and a determination* to regulate the vag- aries of fashion according to their own and not trade requirements. But there must always be people occupied in the building of houses and the making of clothes. Till the Sun Grows Cold Again, there must always be tillers of the soil. Agricultural labor is an ancient and honorable occupation, which began with Genesis and must continue till the fading of the sun; for all nturiment must come out of King George's Historic Yacht to End Racing Career ' in Fall Cowes, Me of Wight.—The white wings of King George's famous old yacht Britannia were unfurled recent= ly for the last yachting season of its historic career. His Majesty loves the old cutter, which was commissioned. by King Edo ward VII, while he was still . the Prince of Wales, so we'I'l that he had its picture put on his Christmas cards last year. The Britannia's racing career has been fulfl of triumph from the time when she took the wafter thirty years ago. In the first season she started winning races, and beat the celebrated Navahoe in three starts out of five. The next season saw her win nine - tenths of the races she entered, and beat the Amnt`hrican yacht Vigilant in twelve races out of eighteen. In the S'MAT TER POP—By Payne To`' FCiN I ASK y •'t oW coMl� -4 U s E:S-A 'lel FF'E,`R ¥`ROM fourth year of her career a new yacht, Meteor II., checked Britannia's victo- rious progress., and in 1909 King Ed- ward sold her, but regretted it later and bought the craft back. King George had the yacht convert- ed to a pleasure boat, but in 1911 she was again put into racing trim, and apart from the years of the great war, when she was laid up, the odd vessel has been winning prizes right along. Yachting men, while expressing great satisfaction at this lead from Ring George, are also regretting Ms majesty's decision not to race the cut- ter again next year. If the plan is adhered to the Britannia's last race will be e,t Dartmouth on September 1, and the regatta committee of that town has deckled to ask the King or a member of the royal family to sail her. '`1J tJ -\ E 5 5 A S S 1 +1;64 CLI`Rie +} 15 Tt4 IL. Pcbl' E F•!' 4 5 G L r'4'D +}'i` VJA e S 1-r, r'a N4 \r-44 N 4' S SAO) i"t' +1-AuC•,St,lbowK1,AW 71 WkI E N 45.'s Ge A'R e.be pu'CS t -T '13E'rwEEr i 44 v 161 60s l4 o`r's 13E G o t 1,1 o 14 C'02 A xoN6 'rrtMe..)`1SUT y0U'R@ 'j? 5'r owe `Yi* T'S t•1 -r up 6110N11114I together, t. notbe deliberately billeted. AD/ rate l °rtsh In'il''eti 'lei." War Has Had its pay At present catastrophes axe 'arouglet about sometimes crlminally, uonie- times virtuously ---•that is to say, from, a . sense of duty, as in war, when the calamities purposely inflicted are given the sarcastic style of "caeual ties," and doctors and nurses aoeain- pany the instruments of destruction illogically to patch up elle miseries purposely produced. here in this oconpatiozi of war we come across one which snag; back into remote antiquity, bat to which we surely need not assign a far dis- tant future That is one of the oc- cupations- which have bad their day, and may cease to be . Looking at the other occupations in which men and women engage, there are many prevalent at the pro - sent time which did not always exist, and which apparently need not al- ways continue; though some are un- doubtedly both ancient and perman- ent, and involved in the very being of humanity. Of these the most specially wo- men's occupation, the rearinfl and education of children and the man- agement of the home, is surely as permanent as agriculture itself. But a multiude of men and women at the present day are engaged in oc- cupations which are transitory. I cannot imagine posterity satisfied! with hanging on to even improved: straps in still more numerous under- ground tunnels. Nor do I see people for ever flocking into a city to sit all through a fine day in a crwded office writing figures do deadly uninterest- ing so-called "books." Juggling with Wealth Industry and commerce—yes, they must continue; but .bookkbeping I am doubtful about. The operations of financiers are, I expect, not always beneficial, Money, and especially in- terest on money, and the device of limited companies for its invest- ment are comparatively modern in- ventions. All the intermediate juggling with commodities, this intervention be- tween the real seata of ndustry and their sources of revenue, has grown up almost in our own day; and I doubt very much whether posterity will be satisfied with all that unpro- fitable, or, at any rate, very remotely profitable, work. In financial specula- tions women have indeed •sometimes dabbled, but usually, as I think, to make a mess of them; and I hope that for the most part they will con- tinue to abstain. There is too much of permanent value in this world for them to be deflected into merely tem- porary directions. No Sudden Change Though truly those who live at any one period must adapt themselves to the period in which they live. And if they can indirectly and by influence seek to change the condtions of their period gradually into something bet- ter, they must not seek to change things suddenly or rebel against what so many at any one time think right and proper, For the moment, and with their outlook, doubtless it is right and proper; but in every period tbere are some who take a ionger view. What other occupations are there which are of doubtful permanent use- fulness? As long as private prop- erty exists, and is handed from one generation to another—though how long that will be I do not know— there must be lawyers to regulate the transaction. Again, there must al- ways be people to exhort their fellow- men to good conduct and a wider and more spiritual outlook. Look in the Shops Seafaring men there will always be, but that is part of locomotion. But let the ships convey produce and not armaments, or rather let our aim be in that direction, however slowly and cautiously we may. proceed. For the rest, we might walk down a street of shops and consider how', many of the objects displayed are useful and helpful to humanity, and how many could be dispensed with, We need not take a too utilitarian' view, for man does not hive by bread Mone; and when he bas discovered some secrets of Nature he naturally likes to apply them to his comfort and convenience. Existence is a complicated affair,' and we must proceed with the cue - rents of our time. But occasionally 1 it may be well to think which of the , Currents are,,,likely to be permanent,' and which can be gradually diverted, so that our energies can be better em- ployed. Excites Motordoi With Fancyideas No Gears, " No Clutch, .No, Springs, No Bumps, No Skidding IT USES BRAKES t Speed Regulated Entirely by' Pressure on Accelerator England is excited over a nevi' wrinkle in automobiles—a car without! gears, without clutch, without springs, that's cooled by steam and that is, guaranteed against road shocks and skidding, Col. W. Bishop, builder and owner of the unique automobile, is showing it, while large crowds gather where' ever It stops, "All you do," says Col, Bishop, "is to start the car, accelerate and the car moves off. There is no clutch to operate, "The speed is regulated entirely by the pressure on the accelerator. Take your foot off and the car free -wheels." Free -wheeling is comparatively new in this country and the continent, and is practically unknown elsewhere. This is a system of transmission by which a novice can drive without fear of clashing gears. The speed changes are automatic, in accordance with the speed of the engine, and when the en{ gine is slowed down to idling the motor is disengaged and the car is said to be "free -wheel." "The only ordinary thing about this • ear," adds the colonel, "is that it stops with the aid of brakes." The steam cooling system is one which automotive engineers have been considering for adoption for quite some time. It is said to main- tain aintain a consistent, efficient temperature no matter what the weather may be outside, Another feature of this unique auto, mobile is an automatic locking device on the wheels, which keeps them from sliding backward down a hill. A mys- terious differential in the rear is said to do away with skidding. The wheels are suspended independ- ently, springs are replaced by rubber buffers and the steering is Independ- ent to each of the front wheels. The last feature, it is said, eliminates wheel wobble. "This car is the result of seven years of experimentation," says Col, Bishop. "The various devices can be fitted to almost any car. These will be licensed separately to manufactur- ers for their use as they see fit. "It is not intended to market cars like this one." He: 'Toes the moon ever make you' feel sad? She: Only when I'm out with a dead one. The waiter coughed apologetically, 'If you please, sir," he began. "Well, Benskin," enquired the amiable diner, 'what can I do for you?" "Well, sir, I'm going to ,leave this restaurant, and the boss won't give me a character. I thought perhaps you'd say as I was honest --I've :ml ways served you here, sir." "But I dor,'t know anything about your. lamely," aid the diner. "011, but I'm awfully honest, sir, really." "Ail right. then; said the diner, "I'll say you're honest, Give me pen and paper.' The deed was done. "Oh, thank you, sir,' said Benskin, clutching the charaeter in his hand. Then he bent low and whispered in the customer's eari "Come here to -morrow, and I'll wangle you a meal for nothing." "I'm awfully sorry, Mrs, Blunt," drawled the fashionable youth, "that I forgot your party last Friday!'" 'Oh," remarked Mrs. Blunt, innocent Iy, "weren't you there?" MANNE1k of ONE haltiO tl-A 1ST?ou ci+r-r Li? 14'p a R -7-/A N "1