stefansson-wrangel-09-34-033

Blackjack -3-

ice to Wrangel where Noice found that all 4 men had perished
except the Eskimo woman. Noice told me that three 2 of the
men in the party were mere boys---late teenagers in search of
adventure with no knowledge whatsoever of survival in the
north and that Stefansson should not have allowed them to take
part in the venture. Lorne Knight, the eldest of the four
had had Arctic experience however. I believe Knight may have
been 28 or 30 years old. One of the four Three of the lads made a desperate
attempt to walk the 125 miles across the ice to Siberia. He They
waswere, of course, never heard from.

When Noice returned with the rescue ship fromto Nome, there
followed a good deal of publicity concerning the affair. Some
of this was critical of Stefannson while considerable praise for
Noice was noticeable.

Harold Noice had, at the age of about 26, written a book,
"With Stefansson in the Arctic”, published by Dodd, Mead & Co.
in 1924. The story is well done and factual---I have a gift
copy from Harold inscribed to me from him. It's worth reading.

It is likely that Stefansson forsaw another book by Noice
concerning the Wrangel affair, and that he realized it might
perforce, put him, Stefansson, in a bad light. I'm presuming
also that Stefansson's friendliness toward Noice began to wane
at that time, or to assume the aspect of threats. That there
were threats later, Noice told me.

I might state here that explorers in the early part of the
century depended for livelihood on selling syndicated stories,
or diaries and books for publication, and on lecture tours. In
some cases they received grants from governments or had wealthy
backers. Among many there have been refuted claims and bitter