A Hundred Thousand Miles: Women Explorers in History

by Suzie Johnson

In 1872, in Stockton, California, a baby girl was born into a life of adventure. At the age of eight years old Harriet Chalmers explored the entire state of California on horseback with her father, including the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Quite an accomplishment for such a young girl, especially in the 1880s, and perhaps this was where her love of adventure began.

As her father was an adventurer from Scotland by way of Canada, and her mother the daughter of early California settlers, Harriet likely came by this love naturally. Her childhood was spent swimming, hiking, hunting, fishing and horseback riding. When she was fourteen she spent a year on horseback with her father, traveling through what was then known as the Mexican border-lands.

Young Harriet was quoted as saying she wanted to go to the ends of the earth, so it’s no small wonder her adventures did not end as she grew into a woman. In 1899 she married a man with her same same energy and zest for life. With her new husband, Franklin Pierce Adams, Harriet took an extended road trip through Mexico and California in their motor car¹.

Harriet Chalmers Adams courtesy of Library of Congress

The people of Mexico stole Harriet’s heart and after her honeymoon trip ended, she was already making plans to go back and immediately immersed herself in learning their customs. In 1904², Harriet and Franklin made a two-year journey through South America. Franklin was a mine inspector for the Inca Mining and Rubber Company but the couple funded most of the trip themselves. While in the mining camps they had hot baths and comfortable beds. In port cities they were able to enjoy fine dining, but they also spent a great deal of time poring over maps and planning out their next adventure.

During this two-year adventure, Harriet and Franklin climbed the Andes, walked the jungles, canoed through the Amazon, and spent time with the natives. They encountered rough weather, uncomfortable conditions, moments of fear, but their joy for the journey rose far above any discomfort brought about by vampire bats, harsh weather and hunger. Not only did they go back, but Harriet went by herself when her husband was unable to accompany her.

Harriet Chalmers Adams
courtesy of Library of Congress

The couple documented their explorations with photography, journals, and later with magazine and newspaper articles including The New York Times, National Geographic, and The Ladies Home Journal.

Later, Harriet would travel through Haiti, Siberia, Sumatra, the Philippines and every country in the world that was in some way connected with people of Latin ancestry. She included Asian countries in her travels to prove her theory that the Asian peoples were the first settlers in the Americas and that the natives were of Asian descent.

Harriet is quoted as having said to her editor at National Geographic, “What I would like most on earth to do is accomplish work which would reflect glory on the National Geographic Society, which has so befriended me.”

Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday
wikipedia.com

And what would a woman who loves life, adventure and her fellow man do when war breaks out? Become a war correspondent, of course. Harriet was one of the first women war correspondents in the First World War, representing Harper’s Magazine on the French front. She was the first woman allowed in the trenches.

After the war, Harriet and Franklin continued their travels. On a trip through the Mediterranean, Harriet fell off a sea wall and broke her back. Told she’d never walk again, she of course did. Once recovered, she traveled in Africa.

Harriet and Franklin spent their retired years living in different European cities. In 1937 after having lived a life of amazing adventure, Harriet died peacefully in Nice, France.

Click here to read a fascinating article in the August 18, 1912 NewYork Times about Harriet Chalmers Adams’s journey through South America

1One source states Harriet and Franklin decided not to take a honeymoon trip until they saved enough for a trip somewhere “exciting”. One source refers to their trip in the motor car as their honeymoon trip, and another refers to it as occurring soon after they were married. (I chose to go with the two sources that were written based on accounts in Harriet’s journals.)

²One source states this trip began in 1903 and two others state it began in 1904. Harriet began her diary in January of 1904 and ended it in May of 1906.

Every female explorer I’ve read about to date has written down her adventures. 

• What do they have in common with writers? 
• Or, should we ask what do we writers have in common with the women who sought adventure? 
• Are we creating the adventures we wish we were following?

Suzie Johnson’s debut novel, No Substitute, a contemporary inspirational novel, will be released by White Rose Press later this year. She is a member of ACFW, RWA, and is the cancer registrar at her local hospital. The mother of a wonderful young man, who makes her proud every day, Suzie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and naughty little cat.

You can visit her website at http://www.susandianejohnson.com; her blog at http://suzieswritingplace.blogspot.com, or her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/suziejohnsonauthor

Resources used:

Ahead of Their Time: A Biographical Dictionary of Risk-Taking Women by Joyce D. Duncan; Greenwood Publishing Group, Copyright 2001

Presenting America’s World: Strategies of Innocence in National Geographic, 1888-1945 by Tamar Y. Rothenberg; Ashgate Publishing LTD, Copyright 2007

Harriet Chalmers Adams Got Around by Penny White

http://voices.yahoo.com/harriet-chalmers-adams-got-around-5278587.html

New York Times, August 18, 1912; Woman Explorer’s Hazardous Trip in South America

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50615FB395F13738DDDA10994D0405B828DF1D3

Top Ten Female Adventurers http://listverse.com/2011/10/05/top-10-female-adventurers/

Theatre On The Hoof

by Anita Mae Draper

One of the projects I'm working on is set at the turn of the century in the North-West Territories  (NWT) in what is now officially the Province of Saskatchewan. (Not to be confused with the present day NorthWest Territories above the 60th parallel aka arctic.) The NWT is where the NorthWest Mounted Police were formed in 1873. Yes, those stalwart men in red serge and white pith helmets who were the forerunners of today's familiar Mounties.

Michal Janus, NWMP, Fort Walsh, SK, 2011

Last summer, I toured Fort Walsh in the southwest part of the province where the geographic anomaly, Cypress Hills, is located. It is over the border (and a bit) from the infamous Fort Benton, MT which played a role in the Mountie history.

An event that helped shape the Canadian West was the arrival of Sitting Bull and his band, fresh from the June 25, 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn, which is also known as Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer's Last Stand. Sitting Bull led his people across the U.S./Can border which they called, The Medicine Line.

Major James M. Walsh, officer in charge of Fort Walsh, took, a sergeant and three troopers and rode into Sitting Bull's camp and demanded to speak to Sitting Bull. That began a relationship between the Mountie and the Chief that would last for years. I won't relay all the dramatic events here, because you can read about it on websites like www.historynet.com/sitting-bull-and-the-mounties.htm.

In 1881 when Sitting Bull finally surrendered and returned to the U.S., a small band of Lakota refused to go back. They wintered in the Wakamow Valley in what is now the city of Moose Jaw.

For 3 years during the 1980's I was posted to the airbase at Moose Jaw. At that time, there was a Wild Animal Park in the Wakamow Valley where we could go see cougars, bobcats, bears, etc. Hubby loved to visit in the evening when the animals were prowling. He could make the bobcat growl just by the way he looked at him. It was a private park, however, and the owners sold the land and shipped the animals away. For decades, the beautiful valley lay abandoned, in disrepair, and open to vandals.

That is all changing. I'm thrilled to announce that on July 1st, Burning Sun Productions is using the natural ampitheatre of the Wakamow Valley as the setting for the live Theatre on The Hoof production of A Real West Show. Based on the beginnings of the NWMP and their relationship with the American guests who crossed The Medicine Line, the production will show the splendor, gravity, and bravado of that historic era.

The Wakamow Valley clean-up has begun. Restroom facilities are being constructed. The actors are learning their roles. Horses are being chosen for the production as well as to pull the wagons that will transport guests from the parking lot, across to the open-air theatre.

I volunteered to help spread the word through social media. This project is very important to me for several reasons:

• the relationship between Sitting Bull and Col. Walsh was based on mutual respect. Our children need to know problems can be resolved without bloodshed 
• people learn and then remember easier when they can visualize the event 
• I'll have a chance to take pics of Mounties - strictly for research, of course 
• I need horse photos, too 

Official 2012 poster for A Real West Show, Burning Sun Productions

I found a video to give some details about the NWMP/RCMP, and their uniforms. It's quite interesting, although long, but the final couple minutes are talking about the Legion uniform and can be missed IMHO.



Have you been to a live production like this, or one of the Passion plays, etc? What are your thoughts/memories of the experience.

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Anita Mae Draper is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan, Canada with her hubby of 30 plus years and 2 of their 4 kids. She writes stories set on the prairies of Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. Anita Mae has semi-finaled in the Historical Romance category of the ACFW's 2011 Genesis contest and finaled in the Inspirational category of the 2011 Daphne du Maurier, the 2011 Fool for Love, the 2011 Duel on the Delta and 2009 Linda Howard Award of Excellence contests. Anita Mae is represented by Mary Keeley of Books and Such Literary Agency. You can find Anita at http://www.anitamaedraper.com/

Happy Father's Day

By Lisa Karon Richardson

Modern society has given fathers a bad rap. Fatherhood has been undermined as a valid role for a generation or more with men being portrayed as dim-witted and lazy in much need of guidance from their long-suffering wives. Of course this mindset has become so accepted that it is the norm.

It’s a shame because fathers play a vital role in raising children who are emotionally and mentally well-rounded. I was blessed to have an amazing father who lived out his Christianity. His example has guided me. My husband is also a great father to our children.

But what of those who may not have been blessed in that way.  

Studies have shown that when the “unchurched” are asked to describe God, people most often ascribe to Him attributes of their own fathers. That’s all well and good if you had a good father, but how does that work for those who had an abusive dad, or whose only experience with a dad is television portrayals?

How does one move from the formal acknowledgment of a father to running into the arms of our Abba Daddy?

I wish I had more answers on that score.

All I know is that the Word invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good. The more we experience relationship with Him, the more we discover for ourselves what He is all about. He calls himself Comforter, Counselor, and Advocate. I can attest that He is all those and much much more.

If you know God as your Abba, I hope you will take time to tell him how much you appreciate him today. If you don't know HIm that well, I hope you will draw closer to him. I guarantee he is ready and waiting to draw you into relationship. And he won't let you down.

Being a Daddy is hard work, and they don’t get nearly enough credit. My hat’s off to all the dads who love and support their families. You are heroes.

What is your fondest memory of your father? If you didn’t have a great earthly dad, do you think that every colored your perception of God?

Influenced by books like The Secret Garden and The Little Princess, Lisa Karon Richardson’s early books were heavy on boarding schools and creepy houses. Now that she’s (mostly) all grown-up she still loves a healthy dash of adventure and excitement in any story she creates, even her real-life story. She’s been a missionary to the Seychelles and Gabon and now that she and her husband are back in America, they are tackling a brand new adventure, starting a daughter-work church in a new city. Her first novella, Impressed by Love, part of the Colonial Courtships collection, is coming in October, 2012 followed shortly thereafter by The Magistrate’s Folly in November.

Romans 8 - Under Clear Bright Skies

 ^{by Dina Sleiman}

^{Romans 8}

^1-2With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death. (The Message Version)

All last month I meditated on one chapter of scripture: Romans 8 in the Message version. Some days I would read the whole passage, sometimes half, others only a few verses. I meditated and mulled over those words until they really became alive to me. So I thought I’d do a series about Romans 8 to share with all of you. It’s rich with truth and light that will set you free.

Let’s begin today with verses 1-2. Plenty to chew on there. I will break it down piece by piece.

With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved.

What dilemma is this? Perhaps the very dilemma of fate? Chance? Or is it our ultimate fate as fallen human beings. A fate separated from our glorious maker. Perhaps even eternal separation, which would be the appropriate result of our sinful state. But with the arrival of Jesus, the slate is wiped clean. We are reconciled to our heavenly father. No longer pawns of fate—of Satan, the enemy of our soul—but beloved children. A royal priesthood, ambassadors of Christ to the dark world around us.

Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud.

I know I’ve lived too much of my life under a low-lying black cloud. Even as a believer. What about you? Do you ever feel oppressed, depressed? But that’s not the plan. Christ has set us free from that. We no longer have to live under that darkness. But what is the condition? We must enter into Christ. The light of the world lives in us, shines through us. He is more than capable of dispelling that darkness. As we soak in His presence the darkness dissipates. As we speak His name and declare His word the darkness must flee.

A new power is in operation.

At the cross Jesus conquered the enemy. Satan lost his power. Death was defeated. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. And He’s given us the keys to the kingdom. As His ambassadors, His children, He’s given us the power. Yet too often we feel powerless, defeated, and broken down. We must put on the full armor of God that we might stand against the assaults of the enemy. We must fill ourselves with the word of God so that we can not only withstand any attack, but even be on the offensive for the kingdom of God.

The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

And here’s the best part. The Spirit of life in Christ blows in like a strong wind, clearing the air of that black cloud. Can you see it? Can you feel it blowing crisp and clean across your skin. Take a moment to close your eyes and picture this scene. Picture the black cloud in your life. Name it. Then watch the Spirit of life blow it away and clear the air. We are free from our original fate. Free of the brutal tyranny we were born under. Free from a life as slaves to sin and death. Free to serve Christ in all His liberty and grace in clean air under bright skies. Why don’t you take a moment to dance in spin in that freedom. I know I will.

Thanks for joining me today for this foray through the first two verses of Romans 8. Come again in two weeks when I’ll continue with this study. And please take a moment to share your thoughts, impressions, and experiences from these first two verses.

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Dina Sleiman writes lyrical stories that dance with light. Most of the time you will find this Virginia Beach resident reading, biking, dancing, or hanging out with her husband and three children, preferably at the oceanfront. Since finishing her Professional Writing MA in 1994, she has enjoyed many opportunities to teach literature, writing, and the arts. She was the Overall Winner in the 2009 Touched by Love contest for unpublished authors. Her debut novel, Dance of the Dandelion with Whitefire Publishing, is now available at amazon and other online and ebook distributors. Her latest novel, Love in Three Quarter Time, will be the launch title for the new Zondervan First imprint. Dina is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. She has recently become an acquisitions editor for WhiteFire as well. Join her as she discovers the unforced rhythms of grace. For more info visit her at http://dinasleiman.com/