Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-10-03
DEDRICK AND EsKIMOS
Explorer Chose Life With
Them From Sense Of Duty.
DIR. COOK EXPLAINS THE TROUBLE
Why DIR. Dedrick Remained In FrOzen
North After Leaving Peary-Onend-
ed ut Being Relieved of Command
J of the Natives.

North After Leaving Peary-Onend-
ed ut Being Relieved of Command
! of the Natives.
DR.. Frederick A. Cook Of Brooklyn,
speaking in behalf of DR.. Thomas l..
Dedrick, gives the following details of
the latter's various misunderstanding
with Lieutenant Peary, the arctic ex-
plorer:
1.-The Peary arctic expedition consist
ed of three men-Lieutenant Peary,
DR.. Dedrick and Matt Henson, the col
ored man, who has been with the lieu
tenant for long time. or course, as
matters were, there could be no such
thing as a lieutenant commander, al
though it was Peary's original inten-
ton to place DR.. Dedrick in charge OF
the natives. Later Lieutenant Peary
found that he could assume charge Of
the natives himself, and after that at
different times he transferred that du-
ty to Henson. Out of that grew the va
rious differences between the explorer
and DR.. Dedrick which finally led to
the resignation of the latter.
What may be termed the real tr0u-
BILE developed after the acceptance Of
Dedrick's resignation by Lieutenant
Peary. Several days after that event
DR.. Dedrick, through a sense of duty,
came to the conclusion that it was his
duty to remain in the arctic with the
expedition. He reasoned also that to
return to civilization and leave Peary
alone in the north without medical aid
would place him in an unenviable posi-
ton before the public.
Just prior to the departure of the
Eric for home DIR. Dedrick refused to
60 on board the vessel, and Lieutenant
Peary asked Mr.. Wyckoff and myself
to go ashore to persuade the doctor to
accompany us home. We agreed, and
for four long hours, with cold arctic
wind playing up and down our backs,
we tried to get the doctor to return.
We told Dedrick that we did not see
any special reason for him to stay up
there, since the acceptance of his resig-
nation made it perfectly honorable for
him to return home. In addition we
did not see why he should remain in
that desolate country among the ma
| tives, living OH raw meat and wearing
such garb as Is worn by the Eskimos.
| We advanced all kinds of arguments,
but it was no use, and he could not be
shaken in his determination to remain
behind. Dedrick thought it would not
be right to leave Peary.
I'VE at last gave up the attempt to
persuade him to come home and con-
cluded that there was something
wrong with his judgment. OF course
DR.. Dedrick is sane, and the course he
pursued was simply his idea of justice
and good faith.
when we offered DERRICK food and
clothes from the Eric, of which we
had an ample supply, he refused to
not think it would be right to live 9th
erwise than did the natives with whom
he was going to spend his time.
FINALLY DR.. Dedrick consented to
come on board the Eric and talk the
matter over again, provided we would
give him his liberty if he should stick
to his determination to stay behind.
After our return to the Eric Lieutenant
Peary said to let Dedrick talk the
matter over with Mr.. Bridgman. Final
ly Lieutenant Peary said to let him
stay and told us to give him anything
that he needed, which we offered to do,
but which he again refused to accept.
after leaving the expedition Ded
rick lived with the natives. about forty
miles distant from Peary's camp,
which was just across Smith sound, at
Cape Sabine. That winter he made
his way over the ice to Peary's head
quarters and offered his services,
which Lieutenant Peary declined, and
he returned to the native settlement"
DIR. Cook was asked to explain DR..
Dedrick's statement about Lieutenant
Peary's refusal to give him food.
II differ with DR.. Dedrick on that
question:" replied DR.. Cook, land l
think that he should have taken the
provisions we offered him during the
summer when we were there with the
Eric. DERRICK that winter did 60 to
Lieutenant Peary and offered to buy
some provisions, and Peary refused to
accommodate him. l can easily UNDER
stand that action by Lieutenant Peary,
for he had his plans made for the dash
for the pole, and can see how it was
that he did not have an ounce Of food
to spare.
You must remember that these three
men had been in the arctic three long