The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-28
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 27
GPHE interview sent ont from WASH
ington with Mrs. Peary in


ington with Mrs. Peary in
which she expressed surprise
that any member of the ex-
pediton to Greeland under her hus-
bands leadership should have found
fault with the quantity or quality Of
the food, excited the ire of the dissatis.
lied mem 6ers of the party and they
vented their feelings somewhat freely
today,
They considered themselves release
from their pledge of silence to Peary
by Mrs, Poary giving an interview,
and they were in favor of answering
her. However, after some further talk
among themselves, they decided to
await any further disclosures by Mrs.
Peary before they laid their case be-
fore the public,
Despite the decision not to make
Joint statement in conversation one of
the members of the party could not
prevent his fesling Of bitterness toward
Peary from giving itself utteranee.
He said: "The msmbers of the main
expedition went with Peary with the
understanding that they were to re-
main two years Their experience OF
his methods for single year sufficed
them. and that experience accounts for
their coming back on the Falcon. They
found that everything was red tape
and that as regards glory. their com
mander wanted Ito hog" it all. The
lieutenant and his wife had their own
quarters and every comfort obtainable; ;
the others had to forage for them
selves. The fact of the matter is, the
expedition was all Peary, and nobody
else. Peary had given them their op-
tion of staying two years, but when
the auxiliary expedition arrived he
asked for volunteers to remain in
Greenland with them. Every soul of
them, except his servant, decided to
come home, first, because there was not
much food. and next, chiefly because
they didn't want another year of red
tape and autocraoy.
Before the Falcon sailed, however,
one of the party changed his mind and
agreed to stay with Peary, because, he
said, the lieutenant had agreed to
teach him civil eng ineering, The oil
Of which Mrs Peary speaks. was lost
through her husbands csrelessness.
PRIVATE sECRETARY's STORY.
W. I. Swain, who was one of the
party and went out with Peary as his
private secretary, said: 1--WE are uu.
der 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 Philadelphia. We
then considered that we would say
nothing unless Mira. Peary opened her
lips, This | see she did yesterday /
consider myself at perfect liberty to
speak. AS for my contract with Peary,
it has been broken by him repeatedly
during the course of the expedition.
HE agreed that we were to be treat.
ed as gentlemen. For one thing, l can
say that Lieutenant Peary himself Ger.
tainly did not act as gentleman
among gentlemen. Mrs. Peary, 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 tine outcome OF the Pearys'
arrangements, and was due to INSULT
cient provisioning in the beginning:
Breakfast-Cornmeal mush sprin.
kled by Peary with sugar and with
sparing hand; bacon, with all the fat
fried out of it; an occasional spoonful
OF Boston beans out of can coffee.
Lunch-Boiled seal meat, tasting
like stale mutton favored with coal
OIL corn bread, tea.
Dinner: Reindeer meat when we
could get it; seal meat when we
couldn't beans occasionally, and
don't omit this-one. half q slice of
white bread and coffee. On Sunday
evening we had as a special treat one
can of tomatoes among the party
What Penry and his wife had we
don't know. They lived apart, aud not
one Of US was ever during the whole
time invited to their quarters Peary
treated us to lot of red tape and au-
tocratic rule that had serious eonss-
quences sometimes. am lame on ac-
count of it. He would order
some of us to go on q seventy.
five mile sledge journey to procure food
for his dogs, and only give us an hours
warning, when half day could have
been accorded. The hour did not suffice
to dry our fur stockings 9nd we ran
the risk of frozen feet MY toe, which
lanes me, was frozen in just that way.
And one thing l can add, no Arctic
can ever succeed which |
takes woman along TO hamper it,"