[Ads-l] those danged Eskimos are at it again

[George Thompson]

I read in the NY Times just the other day an account of a recital at Town
Hall of Eskimo folk-songs rendered by a Canadian folklorist.  The recital
was introduced by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Arctic explorer, with a talk
full of information, wit and humor.  As the Times critic said, "It was
surprising to discover that the Eskimo uses 12,000 words in his ordinary
conversation, whereas Woodrow Wilson used only 4,500 in his Presidential
addresses."

Did I mention that this issue of the Times was from April 9, 1927?

Anyway, it is indeed surprising that a man with such an impoverished
vocabulary could rise to be the head of Princeton University.

GAT



Songs of Eskimos Given. Juliette Gaultier Heard in An Original Recital.

            The recital of Eskimo, Indian, and French Canadian folk-songs
by Juliette Gaultier de la Verendrye at Town Hall last evening was one of
the most interesting and original of the season. Miss Gaultier had the
good-fortune to be introduced by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Arctic explorer,
whose talk was full of information, wit and humor.  It was surprising to
discover that the Eskimo uses 12,000 words in his ordinary conversation,
whereas Woodrow Wilson used only 4,500 in his Presidential addresses.  ***

            NY Times, April 9, 1927, p. 17, cols. ?-?

-- 
George A. Thompson
The Guy Who Still Looks Stuff Up in Books.
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
Univ. Pr., 1998..

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