Letter from Alfred J. T. Taylor to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, 8 July 1921

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VANCOUVER, B.C.

July 8th, 1921.

V. Stefansson, Esq.,

Ellison White Sevens Chatauqua Circuit, Pendleton, ORE.

My dear Stefansson,

I have safely received all your telegrams including your nightletter of July 7th from Weiser is just to hand. I have also received your letter of July 3rd enclosing cheque for $1,000. in favour of the new company.

Crawford arrived the day before yesterday, and I immediately procured for him three Canadian and three British flags. I also had prepared an employment contract, copy of which is enclosed. This fully satisfies Crawford, and I believe carries out your instructions. For obvious reasons we have made the contract broad in its nature and without a definite date of termination, having in mind the possibility that Crawford might be out of communication with us for a much longer time than we could anticipate now, and if the contract had a definite date of termination, it might expire at an awkward time.

I talked with Mr. Dennison of the Dominion Observatory, and he regrets exceedingly that he cannot oblige us with the meteorological instruments we desire. He would have to send to Toronto for these, and when I spoke to him there was no time to permit of this being done.

When your dayletter of July 6th arrived saying it would be followed by a nightletter, I made enquiries as to the "Victoria'' and found she was due to sail on her next trip on the morning of July 9th, and when we failed to receive any communication from you yesterday, and having in mind that Crawford would require to purchase the minimum and maximum, and wet and dry thermometers, as well as a camera and some films,

V. Stefansson, Esq. -2- July 8/21.

which would require the best part of a day in Seattle, I took it upon myself to send him to Seattle last night to make these purchases and to communicate with me this morning for further instructions ; so that, in view of your last wire asking us to hold Crawford in Vancouver until further orders, I shall instruct him to return to Vancouver this evening.

Meanwhile I am wiring you this morning, asking you to write to me with suggestions as to how Crawford's time can be best employed during the period he will be waiting in Vancouver. It occurred to me that he might with advantage visit the various Observation Stations, or if you had nothing special for him to do, I would keep him out of mischief with some routine work around the office. I could not very well afford to pay him for this work because I am overstaffed as it is, but it would not be a good thing for a young lad like Crawford to have to kick his heels for a month in Vancouver. In fact, rather than have him do this, I would send him out to my place to cut grass.

I interviewed Mr. Harrison, Manager of the Union Bank of Canada, yesterday, one of the best Bankers in the West, and a man who has always had a keen interest in exploration work. I told him we would do him the honour of placing the bank account of the Stefansson Arctic Exploration & Development Company in his hands, for which favour he appeared grateful, and he also expressed a desire to meet you at the first convenient opportunity. When Anderson returns on Monday, I will have the Bank account duly established. In the meantime I have advanced to Crawford $250.

On looking at the map I find that you are now quite close to Vancouver. I wish you could find it convenient to run over here for a day, for it would give us a great deal of pleasure to see you.

Looking forward to your further instructions, and without more for the present, I remain,

Yours sincerely, A J Taylor

AJTT : W Enc.