Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-09-29
They WERE HUNGRY.
And Peary Was Net Good Prssider They
Say.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept 2S.--The interview
had with Mrs Peary in Washington i
which she said she was at a loss to under
stand certain complaints, has caused much
discussion here, and yes,&.iay afternoon
the members of the Peary party held a
conference to consider the ACCESSIBILITY of
making statement of the occasion for
dissatisfaction.
The conference was held 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 has not yet disbanded
however, and further consultation may
b. hrlI.
w. Il. Swain, who was one Of the party
and went CIT with Pcary as his private
secretary, said: 1--WE are under no contract
with pcary not TO find fault with his man
agcment The only agreement that ex-
lists was made BY ug on board ship while
we were returning to Philadelphia. We
then agreed that we would say nothing
ualess Mrs. Paary opened her lips This
see she did yesterday. l consider myself
AT Perfect Liberty to Speak.
GAS to my contract with Pcary, it was
broken by him repeatedly during the
course Of the expedition. lie agreed that
we were to be treated as gentlemen, for
one thing. l can say that Lieutenant
Pcary himself certainly did not act as a
gentleman among gentlemen. 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
outcome Of Peary's arrangements and was
due TO insufficient provisioning in the be-
ginning.
breakfast Corn meal mush, sprinkled
by Pcary with sugar and sparing hand;
bacon with all the fat fried out Of it; an
occasional spoonful Of Boston beans out of
"a can; coffee.
"Lunch-Boilei seal meat, tasting like
stale mutton favored with coal oil; corn
bread; tca
"Dinncr-Roindccr meat, when we could
get it, seal meat when we couldn't; beans
occasionally, and--don't omit this-onc
half II slice of white bread; coffee
con Sunday evening, rs a special treat,
we had for dessert, one can of tomatoes
among the party
''What PCary and his wife had we didn't
know. They lived apart, and not one of
us was ever, during the whole time, il.
vitcd to their quarters
No Pity For Humans.
"Pcary treated US to a lot of red tape
and autoCratc rule that had serious con
sequences some times. am lame on &C
count of it. He would order some Of us to
go on n 7j-milc slcdge journey to procure
food for his dogs, and only give us an
hours warming, when half u day could
have been accorded. The hour did not
suffice to dry our fur stockings, and we
ran the risk of frozen feet. My toe. which
lanes me, was frozen in just that way.
And one thing | can add, no expedition
can ever succeed which takes Il woman
along to hamper it,"
Ii is understood that Professor Il. G..
Chamberlain of the University of Chicago,
who accompanied the auxiliary expedition
as gcologist, has secured valuable data
bearing on glaciers. Between July 25 and
Aug. 26 he made q personal examination
of II glaciers, and he was Lieutenant
Pcary's guest at Anniversary lodge for II
fortnight. The other members of the re-
lief party say he was really the only scien-
tist who learned all he went to see.