The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-07-24
PFARY SANGUINE OF
SCCCESS-LAST ATTEMPT

Frederick Doyd STEVENSON III hdrpefs
VIII he make It?
| asked him this question the 9TH
er day. He turned In his chair and
looked at me. The muscles In his
face half relaxed. Peary seldom
smiles.
Il hope to make 1t" he said qui-
city This will be my last attempt.
I believe 1t will be successful
Despite the softness of his voice
one felt the conviction of conquest.
He gave no promise, no hint of the
breaking OF the Far North record
In 1906, when he advanced within
200 miles of the goal. There was
no Boosting OF past achievement; no
specializing on future glories.
Peary is perhaps better qualified
than any other in this quest of the
pole. He began 1t twenty years ago,
and on each of the seven Journeys he
has made to the arctic zone he has
been pushing farther and farther
north. In his heart Is the confidence
of success on this eighth journey.
THE beginning and the end of a
polar expedition may be expressed In
one word" said the commander.
THAT is food. II is not the cold.
1t Is not the exposure, but the failure
Of supplies that wrecks the enterprise
Three things are actually needed for
food In the north: pemmican-a
dried meat that can be made into
SOUP ship biscuit, and tea. Tea II
stimulant, so one can get along
without that; ship biscuits are a lux
ury, so one can get along without
them; But pemmican Is a necessity
In the arctic region"
But q man who confesses to have
eaten raw dog with a relish may not
be generally considered as a purvey-
or OF tempting menus.
DOG meat?" Peary repeated
why one who can eat hog meat or
Graves the delicacy of Limbnrger
cheese can have nothing to say
against dog. To be sure, the hind
leg of an overworked dog Is little
tough and rank sometimes, but a
man who has eaten mutton stew In a
cheap restaurant cannot complain
nor Is he apt to complain when the
cravings of his appetite attack him
with the thermometer 70 degrees be-
low zero. The dogs readily eat their
)
and this, to a great extent. solves the
problem OF feeding the animals.
have considered the question OF tax
ing dog biscuit with me on my dash
to the pole; but while the Siberian
dogs will eat 1t, the dogs which use
on my expeditions--practica all
wolf--will eat nothing but meat"
How about alcoholic drinks?' !
asked.
The answer came decisevely:
mo man can drink alcoholic
liquor who goes to the north. II
would mean death to the man and
a menace to the expedition.
And smoking?"
THE man who Is dependent on his
cigar or his pipe might better remain
at home. Why, ! should as soon
think of taking a man who had to
have piece of pie ever so often.
The personnel of your men Is the first
consideration. Upon them depends
everything. In the first place, they
must be of cheerful temperament and
not subject to fits of the blues, and
every man must understand that he
must meet the greatest hardships and
self-denials. He must be willing to
suffer cold and hunger, to forego
sleep-in word, to be ready to sac
rifice his life, II need be. for the sue
cess of the undertaking.
Have you found such mem"
He nodded.
Yes; for the most part they are
the same men who went with me be-
fore. / can trust every one Of them
under every circumstance.
Peary has been so long In the arc
tic game that the question of dress
for the north has ceased to concern
him. While on his sledge trips he
sleeps In the open air on the Ice in
a sleeping bag OF fur, clad only in an
undershirt. When he arises he hasti-
ly pulls on pair of drawers which
have frozen during the night. his
trousers and socks are filled with
snow, but he puts them on undaunt-
ed, and quickly thrusting his feet
into a pair of kamiks, or shoes, also
filled with snow and ice, and pulling
on big fur overcoat, he is ready for
his days journey.
"One does not mind the cold In
the north" said he. "The tempera-
ture ranges from so degrees above
to rs below zero, and II a man takes
care of himself he need suffer no in
convenience on account Of the wealth
er. There Is really no danger of
freezing to death In the Arctic zone"