Milton Galle: Just a Kid
Milton Galle’s hiring by the Stefansson Exploration and Development Company LTD. was primarily due to Lorne Knight and Fredrick Maurer’s vouching for him–the three were acquainted previously. In a confidential letter to Mr. Fitzgerald, Stefansson describes Galle as “an inexperienced man” in comparison to E. L. Knight and F.W. Maurer. Both men had been on a year-long expedition with the company the year before and were “good and tried”. With the hiring of A.R. Crawford, Stefansson made another crew call based on something other than skill and experience: he later admits that his attorney’s advised him to have a “Britisher” lead the expedition.
Galle’s lightheartedness towards the expedition is illustrated in correspondence with Stefansson during their time in Nome. He describes having fun training Knight and Maurer to evade outsider’s questions on the group’s business dealings. Despite his inexperience, Galle demonstrated commitment to the expedition, writing Stefansson, “from tomorrow on and I aim to plow right in for better or for worse”. He ultimately displayed competence in his ability to trap and hunt. Later, as Crawford explored the group's option for evacuating Wrangel Island, he recommended Galle. He writes to Steffanson, “Maurer and Galle are both good workers and have done their best. I would recommend Galle especially for the trail”. Galle ultimately hears about the rescue expedition back to Alaska through chance remarks from the others, once again illustrating his position more as a laborer than as a valued, fellow expedition member.