Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-22
D. K. e. HoNoRs PEARY
Brothers Greet Explorer
Uproariously at Dinner.

(New York Tribune)
We hail Commander Peary. Theta's gall
liant son and bold
Who carried to the furthest North the
crimson. blue and gold:
He comes from Maine. and rides the
main like a Viking bold and free.
In Ieroland he's hero. and he's a loyal
Robert E. Pearv. We
Believe you will achieve your goal
Nail our banner to the Pole.
Robert Il. Pcary, We
Drink to your name and lasting fame.
Brave d. X. E.!
Thus sang q hundred and fifty
"DeNes" last night to their guest of
honor, Commander Robert E. Peary,
who planted the azure, gules and or
and the lion rampant alongside the
American c1lOrs when he reached his
fartnest north. 1t was at the annual
dinner of the Delta Kappa Epsilon
fraternity in New York city in one of
che Louis Quatorze dining-rooms of
the st. Regis. Commander Peary was
the guest of honor. but he shared that
distinction with Whitelaw Reid, the
American Ambassador to the Court of
st. James. who was long president of
the association which the New York
alumni maintain and which has 500
names on its rolls representing all of
the AZ chapters scattered over the
country.
Commander Peary was graduated
from Bowdoin in 1877, and is a member
of the Theta chapter of D. X. f. Mr..
Reid Miami. Sc, belongs to Kappa.
The others at the speakers table were
Judge Holt. Yale. 81, Phi; General
Horace Porter, representing the army;
the Rev. Arson Phelps Stokes. Jr.,
Yale. SO. Phi; Edward l.. Pratt. Yale,
81, of Phi. and Colonel John j. Nc
Cook, Kenyon. 80, Lambda.
Or the list Of speakers was this toast
of Jack Londons for Commander
Peary: "a health to the man on the
trail this night! May his grub hold
out; may his dogs keep their legs:
may his matches never miss fire"
The explorer had a smooth trail
when he spoke. Judge Holt saw to
that when he introduced him. Plenty
of people, he said, asked what was the
use of finding the North Pole. Some
more asked what was the use of liv-
ing anyhow, he said, which provoked a
blase undergraduate to demand q rea-
son, which wasn't forthcoming at all.
Then the POSTMASTER told the things
which Commander Peary might have
been had he not become an explorer
'He might have become broker
and attended to wash sales in the
street." said Judge Holt. "He might
have become 4 lawyer and defended
defrauding bankers. Or he might
have been financier and kept stud
farm, If he had money enough-if he
hadn't, he probably would have be-
come sot. Also, he might have be-
come physician and established a
parctice with old ladies with chronic
complaints. So Arctic exploration
justified itself when it saved him from
these paths"
After the singing of the song to
Peary and few ringing cheers, the
commander began the story of his
dash. He said in beginning:
"If whatever have done to solve
the greatest of all natural problems of
today has added the slightest to the
laurels of Delta Kappa Epsilon, that is
my personal tribute to you In return
for your appreciation. carried a
Delta Kappa Epsilon pin to the furth-
est north and brought it back to the
boys at Bowdoin who gave it to me.
took Delta Kappa Epsilon flag,
which had been given to me by the
Chicago Alumni Association Of the