Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-09-10
PEARY'S BIG SEND OFF
Thousands Cheer as Explorer
Starts For North Pole.
EVERYBODY MOST OPTIMISTIC

EVERYBODY MOST OPTIMISTIC
Commander of Expedition Confident of
Getting Farther North-Vast Guam
titles of Provisions on Board-Larae
Assortment of Useful Presents For
Eskimos.
Undoubtedly every one aboard the
Roosevelt, Commander Robert e.
Peary's arctic bound steamer, felt a
thrill as the big weather beaten vessel
pulled slowly out of the recreation
pier at the foot of East Twenty-fourth
street, New York, the other afternoon
at l O'Clock, while from the shore thou
sands of voices gave lusty cheers for
the intrepid explorer as he started on
his third quest for the north pole. AS
the ship passed up the stream she was
saluted by three whistles from every
craft that was within sight.
From early morning until sailing
time the crew were rushing about, pill,
ing in as fast as they could the strange
LIZ hi1GSSlitlllSOuS SulSO lHdI SOCS ~
make up an arctic equipment. That
the crew will not starve is certain to
any one who saw the enormous number
Of boxes and bags containing food of
all kinds.
TT amt all salt horse, either" the
arctic fodder to a science now, and
we can have u spring vegetables
out Of thin tins, We see, on Christmas
day at the pole, when VIC get there,
and it's sure we get there at that"
Every one from Commander Peary
to the bo's'n are optimistic regarding
the success of the venture. Com
mander Peary said:
"This certainly has been a splendid
send off. l am deeply grateful for the
honor. We are ready for the trip. l
have done entirely too much work in
that country to be certain of anything,
so I'll not promise anything before /
start, except that I am going to put
into it every bit of energy, moral, men,
tai and physical, that 1 possess.
81 feel confident that in any case |
shall carry the American flag farther
north than ever. Unless the %unfore-
seen happens | shall plant the stars
and stripes at the magnetic pole.
The Roosevelt has been thoroughly re-
paired from her last struggles With
the ice, has beer fitted With two new
boilers of 500 horsepower each, making
her now an ADLER ship as regards
power than she was three years ago.
She is, so far as we are able to make
her, equipped to meet any emergency.
If conditions are no worse in the next
season than they were during the last
voyage I shall hope to accomplish the
object of the expedition and return in
about fifteen mcnths-that is, in Octo.
Der, 1909. I am prepared, however,
for q stay Of three years."
Huge bouquets Of roses and other
flowers filled the cabin in which Com
mander Peary will spend much time
during the next year. The cabin is
comfortable and as we'll furnished as q
similar room On a big ocean liner, and
it is far more homelike. Nor will
l14CAS DC lNAiliS DoOhS L III away
the tedious hours when the Roosevelt
is winter bound in the northern ice
fields. The publishers of New York
have seen to that. They all Clipped in
to furnish books for the explorer and
his crew. All told, more than 200 vol
umes have been slowed aboard the
vessel, and they represent almost
every type of literature and every
large publishing house in New York.
Among the stores on board the
Roosevelt are 10000 pounds Of flour,
10000 loaves of bread, two tons of cod
fish, 200 cases of beans, $500 gallons
of oil for fuel and lighting, 200 cases
of tomatoes and several hundred of
brown bread.
An important part of the cargo on
the Roosevelt is the large assortment
Of useful presents that Commander
Peary is taking north for his friends
the Eskimos. He knows everybody in
the tribe except the babies born since
his visit, and not q person has been
forgotten. The presents are all staple
things, for on his first expedition to
the polar regions Commander Peary
found that the Eskimos desired only
those things that were useful to them.
They cared not for beads. fancy
clothes or toys.
81 am taking a lot of things for my
faithful friends up there" said Com
mander Peary. "Some Of them are
presents pure and simple, while the
rest will be used in paying them for
the services they render me. 1t would
be ridiculous to offer them money.
They have no conception of the unit
Of value. am taking the men such
things as guns, ammunition; knives,
steel shoes for their sledges. hammers,
hatchets and other useful tools. Those
are the things they desire and prize
the most.
"For the ONE l have large guam
titles Of needles, thimbles, scissors and
mirrors. They do not want beads, nor
do they have any desire for the fancy
u Iy-I ~ -