Letter from Vilhjalmur Stefansson to Alfred J. T. Taylor, 21 August 1922

I have been sending you a good many telegrams lately
that have been written in various telegraph offices and I do not
have copies of them.

On account of the uncertainty with the Government,
both as to what they would do for us and as to what position they would
take regarding the ownership of Wrangel Island, I never felt in a
position to write a letter of instructions to those members of our
party who might care to stay there another year. On August 17th
I sent the enclosed two wires, which will give you an idea of how
the case stands now.

Friday I had a wire from Sir Edmund Walker, saying
that he had wired to his Vancouver bank a $500. credit for our
Company. He knew that we were in a difficult position to get money
and explained to me when I saw him in Toronto the other day that
he would have liked to help in an enterprise of this sort but that
between the heavy taxes and the increasing size of the family he has
to support (28 grandchildren) he is now really a poor man. As to
his being “poor,” I heard the same thing from his friends in the
university faculty. He has been one of the main supporters of the
University of Toronto but it is well known now that he is no longer
in a position to give them much. As Sir Edmund did not send this
until several days after I had been in Toronto, I do not know whet her
he means it for a loan to be paid back when I can or whether he
means that he will take that much stock in our company to help it
along. I shall write him to find out as soon as I know what the
Government attitude about the ownership of Wrangel Island is and
whether we get a lease.

I sent you my personal check for $1000. about a week
ago.

I heard direct frost Mr. Cory that "arrangements are
being made” for advancing us $3000. Mr. Cory knows that this is
to be sent direct to our company in Vancouver. I hope it has
reached you already.

Not knowing what the attitude of the Government would

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be, I felt we had to decide something. Accordingly, I went as
far as the telegrams show to try to make arrangements for contin
uing occupation another year.

I am writing you a separate letter about the story
which Brown has asked us to authorize Crawford to send to the
"Province."