The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-28
THEPEARY EXPEDITION
Dissatisfaction Among the Men
Who Have Just Returned.
THE LEADERS AUToCRATIo RULE.
w. r. Swain Declares That Lieutenant
Foary Did Not Act rs GontIeman
Among Gentlemen A MeaKer Food
supply-No Place for q Woman,

PHILADELPHIA, Sept 2s.-Siuce tho re-
turning Of the Peary expedition from
North Greenland on Tuesday last there
have been stories of dissatisfaction on the
part of the members concerning Peary's
conduct of the enterprise, and the quality
and the quantity of food he compelled
them to eat A universal reticeuce las,
however, been observed in consequence of
the ironclad agreement by which Peary
bound them to silence before the expedi-
tion started The interview bad with
Mrs Peary in Washington. in which she
said she was at a loss to understand the
complaints. has caused much discussion
here, and yesterday afternoon the mem
bers Of the party held conference at the
Bingham House to consider the advisa-
bility of making a statement Of their rea-
sons for dissatisfaction.
The conference was bold behind closed
doors and lasted several hours. At its
conclusion the members declined to state
what had been decided upon further than
that it was not their intention to make
answer to Mrs. Peary's statements at this
time. The party hns not yet disbanded,
however. and further cons lltation may
be held
w I. Swain, who was one Of the party,
was less reticent than the others. Indeed
he expressed his dissatisfaction in no un.
certain language To reporter MIR,
Swain snid:
1--WE are under no contract with peary
as regards dissatisfaction with his man.
agemcnt The only agreement that exists
was made by us on board ship while we
were returning to Philadelphia We then
agreed that we would say nothing unless
Mrs Peary opened her lips. .-a
This | see she did consider myself
at perfect liberty 10 speak As for my
contract with peary it has been broken
by him repeatedly during the course of
the expedition.
"lle agreed that we were to be treated
Us gentlemen, for ore thing. can sag
that Lieutenant Peary himself certainly
did not net MS n gentleman among gen
tlemen. Mrs, Pcary, ! see, has something
to say about the food. Let me give you
our menu during the last two months of
our stay, while we waited for the relief
party This menu was the result of
Peary's arrangements, aud was due to in
sufficient provisioning in the beginning
Breakfast: Cornmeal mush, sprnkled
by Peary with sugar, and II sparing hand;
bacon with all the fat fried out an occas-
ional spoonful of Boston beans out Of q
can: coffee
Lunch: Boiled seal meat, tasting like
stale mutton favored with coal oil; corn
bread; tea
Dinner: Reindeer meat-when we could
get il, seal meat when we couldn'f; beans
occasionally, and-dont omit this-one-
half a slice of white bread: coffee
"On Sunday evening, as special treat,
we had for desert one can Of tomatoes
among the party
what prary and his wife had we don't
know They lived apart, and not one of
us was ever, during the whole time, in
vited to their quarters.
"Peary treated us to lot of red tape
and autccrat.c rule that had serious con-
sequences sometimes, ] am lame on ac-
count of it. He would order some Of us
to go on scventy-fiye mile sledge jour
ney to procure food for his dogs, and only
give us mn hours warning, when half
day could have been accorded The hour
did not suffice to dry our fur stockings,
and we ran tho risk of frozen feet My
toe which lanes me. was frozen in just
that way.
And one thing ! cnn add-no Arctic
expedition Gun ever succeed which takes
woman along to hamper il"