Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1912 — LIFE IN LABRADOR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LIFE IN LABRADOR

They call Dr. Wilfred T. Grenfell “the hero of Labrador,” and some even would make a martyr of him. But Dr. Gren-

fell hasn’t the least sympathy for the hero business, and as for the martyrdom—well, you can look at Dr. Grenfell and see that he has a more than ordinarily good time in this world, which for him lacks a lot of being a vale of tears, and that Labrador, where Dr. Grenfell has been a medical missionary for twenty years, is by no means the cheerless spot most persons usually imagine it. Dr. Grenfell’s work mainly is among the deep sea fishermen of" Labrador; and the missionary and hospital side of it is widely known. At present there are five hospitals maintained in his work and a hospital steamship, an orphanage, a tuberculosis open air hospital, some Schools and a lot of similar institutions. All of which keep things moving lively for Dr. Grenfell. As he put Jt, he has a “rattling good time,” and he sayß so convincingly. Also he says there are lots of worse places than Labrador. He won’t mention any names, but he will say that when in Florida recently he became weary of cement Walks and strolled off into the woods to watch some beautifully colored birds, and Accumulated a marvelous supply of “chiggers.” “And I can tell you,” Dr. Grenfell added, “In about twenty-four hours I was quite ready to go back to Labrador, where such things as chiggers are properly refrigerated.”” One doesn’t mind the cold np there, anyway, Dr. Grenfell declares. Tcan fancy,” he says, “that the recent 20 below here caused much more suffering than the long cold periods in Labrador. There are no sudden changes there, either, as the surrounding sea keeps the temperature quite uniform in season. I have seen it as cold as 35 below, but never colder. Then we dress for it, -you know, and really it is not at all unpleasant!’ Dr. Grenfell is deeply interested in the future of Labrador, which is the subject of his talks. Conservation is needed, Wing to the business tactics es the Hudson Bay company and the great French Fur company, which divide the territory. Dr. Grenfell doesn’t attack these companies unreservedly. He says, in fact, that they Ore not half bad, only their Idea of business is opposed to conservation, looking only to getting as much as possible out of the present. An to what Labrador will eventually raise on Its 400,000 square miles, Dr. Grenfell believes it will he reindeer, for hides and meat. He has a herd of his own, for experiment. The progenitors were imported from Lapland, partly domesticataed. "There are plenty of native deer in Labrador,” Dr. Grenfell says, “but yon would have to chase the beggars all over that 400,060 square miles to herd them, which would be unsatisfactory.” The domesticated deer are handled much like cattle on a ranch. Dr. Grenfell started with a herd of 250, has sold 50 at one time and 50 at a»

other, to start other herds, has maintained the herd four years and now has 850 deer, besides having used for food all the surplus stags. “They multiply very fast,” Dr. Grenfell says, “and I believe the territory available would support eventually three million deer. That would mean an export of one million annually, which would be no small factor in trade and would give Labrador a standing as a productive country. That in what we are striving for. We also are about to try experiments with certain kinds of alfalfa, which experts believe will grow in that soil and climate. -Much of the success of domesticated deer would depgpd on some plentiful food for them.? « Dr. Grenfell wouldn’t even hint at it, but persons who know him and his work are free to say no man ever worked harder or more effectively for a country than he has for Labrador. As for Dr. Grenfell, he will just tell you that in religion he prefers to ask a man, not what he believes as to a hereafter, but what he is going to do here; that Labrador is a very good place; that there is a lot of work to be done there, and that one may have a rattling good time doing it “Oh, I’m a confirmed optimist,” Dr. Grenfell says. “If the ship sinks I probably will go down with It —but only after a good bit of swimming.”