FROZEN NORTH

Hokitika Guardian, 1 February 1932, Page 1

FROZEN NORTH

LONELY LABRADOR COAST. THE GRENFELL MISSION. A I'CK LAND STL'DENT RETURNS. ••Primitive and wild though iile in northern Newfoundland is, there is a lure about it, and I. would like to go hack again,” said Mr 11. L. Willeox, a medical student, son ol .Mr ami Mis W. Willeox, of Papatoetoe, who returned to Auckland by the motor sliip Ardenvohr from New \ ork. Mr Willeox i s in the sixth year oi his studies, which he hopes to complete at the Auckland Hospital, for twelve months Mr Willeox was house surgeon, under Hi' G. S. Curtis, ol Poston, at St. Anthony Hospital, Northern Newfoundland. The liu-.iiitai is on,, of the group established .n North'erii Newfoundland and Lahrador by the Sir Wilfred Grenfell Mission, the ai tivities of which have been a prominent feature ol Hie in that purl of the world for -10 yi-nrs. r lo date i.heie ni'e, in addition to the >St. Aninony Hospital, three hospitals in Labrador and one in Cnmlian Labrador under the control of the mission, which also conducts several schools, orphanages and an industrial work centre.

Mr Willeox \v s a member of the crew of the City of New York wlk-u that vessel went 1o Little America to I,ring hack the-Dyrd expedition, and is the holder of the Congressional. .Medal, presented to all membe-s of the expedition. Last year he accompanied an expedition which earned out a- combined aerial and land -'■nr', iw of a section of tS- Northern Lab-ado'.' coast. It was arranged hy S : r Wilfred Grenfell, and war under the < ha,ge of |)r Forbes,, whose yacht Hamah was specially equipped for the l impose. The geologist, of the party was Mr .). O’Dell, uho was a member oi the Hritish party wlueh attempted to climb to the top of Mount Lverest.

T.li. PREVALENT

Mr Willeox said that the St. Anthony Hospital and tin* nursing sil '- tions attached to it covered an a-ea r,l op;) square miles, and its I unction Mas to treat the li-hermen in toe territory, many of whom were m very straitened cjreumsta: ces. 'luher, uosis was the prevalent disease, hut the value of the hospital tre itmciit was lost when the men returned to tm.eir homes and resumed the food that t'•'<■> were accustomed to. The averagejmuual nt'iinher of in-patimts was nti. and out patents 3<)!H>. A s the IYoh-u rivers prevailed -attgaiion I rum Dei - cutter to May, the winter trav-Umg was done by dog team, and Hy Gat liieMiotl Ml- Willeox visited _! "O'.m: reiniiarlv tr.ivel'-y nn".v mbs. I m results of the work of the mi-'mm uenerrllv had iron remarkable. and Mr Willeox paid a glowing tribute to pi,,. d-riving force behind the call ' '• Sir Wilfred Gi'enfelL whose- pu'imioa! vi.il-; through the territory wove u wonderful inspiration to worker., along lb" coast. . . . . Referring to the im"n. imlmdiy > ;he mli ih.Hants of NurEli' ft. Newfoundland, lisliirg, -Mr V " li ' ux fl,at the urinei’ al market lot " ,l ' l end was the . Mediterranean. Hut t salmon industry had reee:.tl\ bon l ' en in hand, and a factory sleau er I'm, St. John transported the Inn m a fro’/.mi condition l-o Lng'mml. wlm.v it arrived in a fresh state. There wee possibilities of great development m that market. SAC! N ATION OK Lir!v

■ | tliink I 1 !•«-* nl:i >’ NVw /j4 ' a ' i mi r who tins «'orko,| m timt krrtoi'.v.’’ said -Mr W :11 ' - ' V 1, ;IV( . hi'cn And,r lams, Iml it v or tin- mon miviioo,i ;iro c ‘ n "i (l ’i;" or Amorioims. I (!<> «"t "' v , w j|l o„ lmck to Now !'oiumlli'ii'll,„t it is u life tl.ai vaimi! "!>! •’'> t‘> jMivoni' who likos tlio hiii nl 1 11 s ! ‘‘ There is <|ilito ! i.sriii “ that frozen nortli, i.mi <■ very tjml v van him ', r t Iho lv a ton truck to o l '^ l I'.(> 1 molv wil I rml ink 'sjiit: on'' const' of I ,11 hl'illlo,' -O' Is fovovo.- tl-o call of the north nml the w H.