stefansson-wrangel-09-34-031

Written before any real reading + research-
- a memory job.

Re: VILHJALMUR STEFANSSON---HAROLD NOICE---
ADA BLACKJACK---FRANCES ALLISON

Statement by John Allison

Harold Noice, (at one time my brother-in-law), com-
manded the rescue expedition to Wrangel Island. He returned
with only one survivior of the party long overdue for relief
or supplies. Stefansson, at that time, happened to be low on
funds with which to finance the trip and had therefore let the
matter drift. The survivor of a party of five, was the Eskimo
woman seamstress, Ada Blackjack.

Though Noice had been Stefansson's right hand man on
Arctic expeditions for a number of years, this Wrangel Island
affair culminated in a permanent rupture between them while
Noice’s reputation as a competant explorer seems to have been
permanently ruined.

RE: BLACKJACK DIARY
It seems to me that publication of the Blackjack diary
with background material might run into serious trouble unless
there were a tremendous amount of research, lawyer work, etc
done. A sister of Stefansson's and his widow survive (as of
1962). The widow is librarian of the Stefansson collection and
archives at Dartmouth College at Hanover, NH. Stefansson was
considered, according to the NY Times, the greatest authority
n the world on the Arctic regions-- 24 books and 400 articles
on the subject of the north.

Stefansson had a powerful personality--very smooth,much
savoir faire and charm. Told me that with a few simple rules
to follow, and a knowledge of firearms, that I could exist
in the Arctic as well as here. - and that's hogwash!