The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-15
GLOOMY WHILE
IN THE NORTH
PEARy DESCRIBES ms FEELINGS
IN HOUR OF TRluMPH.-sAlp
THAT HE HAD TO GIVE up.

Tells Audience at National Theatre Of
Arctic Expedition Pictures Of Es.
quipo Life in Frozen Region, Laugh
ing Babies and Beauty, Polar Bears
and Musk Oxen.
Washington Herald.
Commander Peary was greeted by a
representative audience at the new
National Theatre yesterday. and fire.
quentiy applanied as he told Of the
successful EFFORTS OF his party to plant
the Stars and Stripes nearest the
pole
Fortunately Mr.. Peary had good
camera with him, and the views shown
on the screen were OF deep interest.
The maps were great aid to the audi
ence in following the course of the
lecture. In part. Mr.. Peary spoke as
follows:
Before society whose founder and
first president, Gardiner G.. Hubbard,
was an old personal friend of mine, a
society Of which / have been for years
m honorary member; which has re.
centiy honored me with the magnif.
cent Hubbard Gold Medal, and whose
distinguished President Moore and
able Editor Grosvenor, are my friends,
feel that 4 am talking ina family cir
Gle.
wnen We Own the Top of the Earth.
TO the popular mind there has
been given the satisfaction of know.
ing That the Stars and Stripes stand
first, and that we possess a new
worlds record in field in which the
most enlightened nations of the world
have been striving to emulate each
other for three centuries.
And I do not wonder at 1t, for all
are aware that any effort that repre-
SCENTS a manly test of brains and body
IS a distinct asset to any nation; and
they and you and l know that when
the wires tell the world that the Stars
and Stripes crown the north pole ,ev-
cry one Of us, from child to contena.
rian. from farm laborer and deliver in
the mines up to the FIRST gentleman"
IN the land. will pause for moment
from consideration OF his own individ.
nai horizon and life interests to feel
prouder and better that he is an Amer.
lean and bysproxy owns the top of the
earth.
Feels Blue Nearest the Pole.
tsnoon of April 81 we had reached
a point which my observations show
ed to be in 81 degrees and minutes
north latitude. the nearest approach
yet made to the pole. 1t is perhaps
an Interesting illustration Of the in
congruity of human nature that at this
time. when It might be thought that
my feelings should be those of exulta.
ton only, they were, as matter of
fact just the reverse While I en-.
deayored to be as thankful as possible
for what had accomplished, still the
mere fact of breaking the record fell
SO far short of the splendid jewel to
secure which 4 was straining my life
out that my feelings were of the In
tensest disappointment. and this. com.
bined, perhaps. with the physical ex-
hanstion resulting from our heart
breaking race on half rations. gave me
The deepest fit of the blues"
Thus Commander Robert f. Peary
described his feelings at the time
when he had set the record for all arc.
tic explorers He told how, after a
killing dash across the arctic ice pack
from the latter part of February to
April 81, he looked at the drawn faces
of his men. the skeleton shapes of the
dogs and the scant provisions on his
siedges. and was forced to turn back.
after cutting the margin of endurance
as narrow as possible
Types Of Esauimo Lift.
The sterioptlcan views with which
the lecture was Illustrated were re-
markably good and were great fac
tor in making the story clear and in
calculating the situation about the
pole Pictures of Esquimos were es-
peciaily interesting, showing women
with animation in their faces, quail.
fly that seems to be absolutely lack
ing In the average picture of these
people.
Laughing babies, dressed exactly as
are their fathers and mothers. were
shown, and one remarkable type Of
feminine beauty, the daughter of Il
chief. with whom Peary had become
acquainted during former trips to the
north. Pictures Of the animals which
are found in the arctic regions show.
ed Strengthening musk oxen. huge
polar bear, large white arctic hare.
and some beautiful specimens of the
snow-white arctic deer.