stefansson-wrangel-09-09-010-001

AUGUST 21, 1922.

Dear Taylor:

As you see by the enclosed telegrams, I have
authorized Crawford to send a 500-word story to the "Province"
and have instructed him to send a more confidential message of
about 100 words to you, covering the business part.

I think Brown should have a telegram awaiting Craw-
ford in Nome, giving him some instructions as to how to send the
message to the "Province" and what kind of message it is to be.
In 1914 McConnell, of the the Karluk party, tried to send out a press
despatch (according to my orders) from Nome but was unable to do
so because they would not take a message unless it were prepaid
or unless a newspaper wired to Nome saying that they would pay.
The real reason why McConnell’s message was not transmitted was a
personal one but still the refusal to transmit was based upon
rules which the Nome wireless station keeps or breaks as they like.
I knew the reason why the Nome station did not want to send out
the McConnell message and I do not know any reason why they should
similarly want to hold up Crawford’s message. Still, you had
better be on the safe side.

In editing the message at Vancouver for transmission
to the rest of the world, I suppose Brown will weave in a short
resume of our enterprise and the public spirited motives back of
it. In addition to that he can add interest to the story by
having a paragraph about Joseph Bernard, the captain of the Teddy
Bear. If you look in the indexes of "My Life With the Eskimo"
and "The Friendly Arctic’’ you will find several references to
Joseph Bernard (who must not be confused with Peter Bernard - Joe
was Peter’s nephew). As I know you have both the books, I shall
not repeat what the books tell.

Joseph Bernard is one of the best-known arctic
navigators and the relations between us have been long and friendly.
As you see from "My Life With the Eskimo," he came into Coronation
Gulf in 1910, a few months behind my party,. The reason why he came
was that he had heard of our going in and that gave him the idea.
His ship, the same Teddy Bear which he has now and of which you will
find a photograph on page 336, was the first power ship to enter
Coronation Gulf from the west. The only other power ship had been
Captain Amundsen’s Gjoa which came from the east in 1905. Before