The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-10-09
T financial Backing Will Largely
Come From New Sources
This Time.
"TRIP TO COST s25o,ooo
horris X. Jesup Is Confident Plenty Of
Money Will Be Found to Back
the Coming Effort to Lo-
cate the Pole.

ington that R. e. Peary, the Arctic ex-
plorer, has asked for and received
three years leave of absence from the
navy department for the purpose Of
IVenturing again into the Polar regions,
with the object Of reaching the pole,
has aroused much interest hereabouts.
1t has also caused considerable sur
prise, at least among some of Mr..
Peary's friends, who had imagined that
for several reasons the explorer had
given up all idea Of doing any more
polar exploring and would settle down
to the less hazardous life of q civil en-
glneer.
1t was learned from a good source
that very few of Mr.. Peary's hackers
had made any plans for assisting him
in any new enterprise and that the
financial support for the trip outlined
in his letter applying for leave of alb
sence would, in all probability, come
mostly from new sources.
Mr.. Peary, In an interview in Wash
ington, when questioned about the
financing Of his trip, said that it would
be done by the Peary Arctic club Of
New York. While this is the name as
sumed by the group of men who con-
trtbuted to pay the expenses of the last
trip, 1t does not therefore follow that it
is from those same men that assistance
Is to come in the present instance. 1t
is more than likely to come from Nor
ris K. Jesup and his friends not hith-
erto associated with Mr.. Peary's work.
Friends of Mr.. Peary assumed at
once that Mr.. Jesup had made good a
promise which they said he had made
on Mr.. Pearys return last fall. That
was that he, with others, would de-
fray the explorers expenses should he
desire to try again for the elusive pole.
The Peary Arctic Club.
The Peary Arctic club, which paid
!,
was not an incorporated body. There
were twelve or thirteen men in the
group, including Mr.. ,Jesup. James j.
Hill, e. G. Benedict, G.. F. Wyckoff,
Henry Harper Benedict, Clarence Sea-
mans AM tIerbert L. Bridgman, who
was secretary CT the socalled club.
While a majority Of tha men paid $1,000
Il year, some Of them, including Mr..
Jesup, paid double that.
The so-called Peary Arctic club was
not an incorporated club, and it may be
said to have been dissolved when the
debts incurred my Mr.. Peary's last
trip were all paid. That trip cost in
the neighborhood of $1EG, 600 and the
last bill was paid some time ago. The
gentlemen who paid these bills had no
exclusive right to the name of Peary
! Arctic club and un Loubtedly that name
/ will be preserved and used by any new
! financial hackers Mr.. Peary may have
/ secured.
When, Mr.. Peary returned last fall
| very few of the men who had assisted
| him were enthusiastic enough to ex-
| press the hope that he would try again.
| This was with no intention of dis
crediting anything that Mr.. Peary had
accomplished. There was one excep-
| ton, and that was Mr.. Jesup, who in
formed Mr.. Peary that if he ever felt
| like trying again he would try and see
him through fina ancially.
Plenty Of Cheerful Givers-
Mr.. Jesup said that, in addition tc
! what he would give, he believed that
I when Mr.. Peary had signified his will
! ingness to once more go on quest for
the pole he could easily get 100 mem
| bers of the chamber of commerce to
give $1,000 each, and thus form the
i membership of new Arctic club. That
| would mean 100000. Mr.. Peary esti.
mated then that he should need from
100000 to $250,000 for another trip, but
| he did not at that time seem to think
of going again.
The reason, it was said, that Mr
Peary's estimate for his new trip is sc
much in excess Of the last one is due
to his desire this year to buy some
what better ship and to keep, this shiI
in the Arctic regions throughout his
.sojourn there, instead of sending hel
back, as was done last time. Mr.. Peary
announced last fall that if he ever die
go again it would be only on condition
| that he could keep the ship at his base
| Of supplies.