Arizona republican., 1894-10-04
Didn't Like the Way the
 Captain Acted.
What His Private Secretary
 Has to Say of the Trip.
No Members of the Expedition Ever Invited to the Lieutenant's
 Quarters-Poor Menu.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
 PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Oct. 5-Since the
 return 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 expedition and
 the poor quality and quantity of the food he compelled them to eat.
 The interview had with Mrs. Peary in Washington in which she said she was at a loss to understand the com plaints, has caused much discussion here. and this afternoon the members of the party held a conference at the Bingham house to consider the advisa- bility of making a statement of their reasons for dissatisfaction. The confer ence was held behind closed doors and lasted several hours. At its conclusion the mem bers declined to state what had been decided upon, further than that it was not their intention to make answer to Mrs. Pesry's statements at this time. The party has not yet disbanded, how. ever, and a further consultation may be held tomorrow.
 W. T. Swain, was one of the party and went out with Peary as his private secretary, said:
 "We are under no contract with Peary, as regards dissatisfaction with his management. The only agreement that exists was made by us on board ship, while we were returning to Phila- delphia. We then agreed that we would say nothing unless Mrs. Peary opened her lips. This l see she did i yesterday. I consider myself at per feet liberty to speak. As for my con- tract with Peary, it has been broken re- peatedly during the course of the expe- dition.
 "He agreed that we were to be treated as gentlemen for one thing. I can say that Lieut.. Peary himself cer- tainly did not act as gentlemen among gentlemen. Mrs. Peary, I 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 arrange ments, and was due to insufficient pro- visioning in the beginning:
 reakfast-Cornmeal mush. sprink- led by Peary with sugar with a spar ing hand bacon with all the fat fried out of it; an occasional spoonful of Boston beans from out of a can coffee.
 Lunch-Boiled seal meat, tasting like stale mutton favored with coal oil; cornbread ; tea.
 D1uuor-holuueer meat, when we could get it; seal meat when we couldn't; beans occasionally, and don't omit -one-half a slice of white bread coffee.
 "On Sunday evening, as a special treat, we had for dessert one can of tomatoes among the party.
 "What Peary and his wife had we don't know. They lived apart, and none of us was ever, during the whole . time, invited to their quarters.
 "Peary treated us to lot of red tape and autocratic rule, that had serious sometimes. I am lame on account of it. He would order us to go on seventy-fve mile sledge journey to procure food for his dogs and only c give us an hours warning, when half T day conld have been accorded. The f hour did not suffice to dry our fur stock s lngs, and we ran the risk of frozen feet.