Letter from Joseph-Fidèle Bernard to Harold Noice, 02 March 1925
Date2 March, 1925
ms numberStefansson Mss-91: Harold Noice Papers, Box 1, Folder 2
abstractCorrespondence, newspaper articles, and other material related to the ill-fated 1921 expedition to Wrangel Island.
409 Eastlake Ave.,
March 2, 1925
Mr. Hurle Noise,
Friend Noise,
I am going to take the liberty of writing you at this time, to ask you for some information and I hope it will not be imposing on you.
First, I'd want to know if you recieved a letter from me mailed at Ketchikan, Alaska. When I came down to Ketchikan
in December I found there awaiting me a letter from you, telling me about some of your troubles and asking me for certain letters. I had copies made with a notary public's affidavit attached to each letter and I addressed them to you in care of Explorer's Club as you had instructed me to. You never acknowledged receiving it.
Since then from various hints that I have gathered from various parts of the country, I have a suspicion that you never received these papers. It is possible that they have fallen into the hands of your enemy. Please let me know at once together with any information regarding Wrangel Island affair and your connection with V.S., that you may care to let me know. You are and
have been accused of various things in connection with it that I know for a fact that you are innocent of. But the trouble is that only very few knows the truth. You might have made some mistake but we should not trouble ourselves over a mistake made unintentionally.
The native that you left on Wrangel are here now and I have won their confidence so they will talk freely. Now I must tell you they have had a dirty deal.
If claim is made on the Steffensen Exploration and Development Company, it is more than probable that V.S. will try to lay the blame on you, saying that you had exceeded your authority or something like that. But surely you have his telegram and writing to prove that you werehis agent.
It would be a good thing if those telegrams and writing could be in the hands of someone out here.
The Bureau of Education out here should be the proper people to take the matter in hand to look after the natives interests. But I will tell you frankly (mind you this is confidential) that I do not want to trust ^the^
Seattle heads of that Bureau too far. You might know that Mr. Lopp is no longer its head nor has he anything to do with it. If he had I would feel differently.
If you want to trust me with any copy of any evidence you may be sure that it will never leave my hand without your consent.
Now, Mr. Noise, I feel quite sure that within a short time something is going to happen out here and it is likely that I am going to be deeply involved in it. And now, you might see how important it is for me to know everything. Now, this is as much for your own protection as it is for the wellfare of those natives. Send me a statement and any evidence you may have. I again assure you that you can trust me with it.
Last Friday I was at the Seattle Chamber of Commerce meeting and dinner. The chairman announced that on next Friday, the 6th, Mr. Steffensen's secretary is going to give a talk on the eskimoes and their connection with Wrangel Island. I will let you know what he has to say.
I am going to register this letter so that I know that noone but you gets it and besides I will get someone else to register it in their own name so that noone in the Explorer’s Club will know who it is from. It would be my wish and to my interest that noone knows that I am corresponding with you.
If you did not reeeive my letter from Ketchikan, I will gladly forward you another copy.
Hoping for a favorable reply, I am
Sincerely yours,
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