Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-10-01
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Al JOHNS
Hunter Gives His Version
Of Pole Controversy.
WAS BOUND TO SECRECY

Dr.. Cook Told Him He Had Reached
the Earth's Northern Extremity,
but Pledged Him Not to Tell Com.
nnander Peary-Reiterates State.
ment That Peary Refused to Allow
Cooks Belongings on Board the
Roosevelt.
ST. Johns, N. F., Sept. 29.-The Arc
tic vessel JEANNE, with Harry Whit:
ney, the New Haven big game hunter.
on board, has arrived here from the
Greenland coast by way of Indian Har.
Dor, Labrador.
Mr.. Whitney was questioned regard
ing the statements made to him by
DR.. Cook in Greenland. He said Cook
arrived at Annatok in April of this
year and declared that he had reached
the North pole year before. He
pledged Whitney, however, not to tell
Commander Peary, who was to be in.
formed only that Cook had gone far
ther north than Peary's previous rec.
ord, 81 degrees minutes. Continu.
ing, Dr. Cook told Whitney that he
had accomplished all he expected to
and more besides and that he was
through with the Northern country.
Whitney did not communicate the lat.
ter part of this statement to Peary.
Continuing, Whitney said that Cook
had complained to him of Peary's TAX
ing over of his house and stores, but
declared that he had suffered no I'm.
fairness.
After spending two days at Anna.
tok, where Cook first met Whitney,
Cook started for Etah. Whitney &C.
companied him. Cook remained for
three days at Etah organizing for his
trip south to Upernavik.
Cook Had No Time to Lose.
The doctor had figured out rightly
the date that he would likely get to
Upernavik and when the Dundee
whalers on the Danish storeships
would reach there and he argued that
he had no time to lose He planned
originally to take two EsKimos and
two s.edges, but one Eskimo fell sick
ac2d this made it necessary. for him to
crt down the luggage he could take
Win hin south.
DR.. Cook consequently asked Whit.
ney TO take charge Of the instruments
With which Cook had made obserwa-
tons at the pole. There were three
cases. one containing sextant. an
other an artificial horizon and the
third an instrument which Mr.. Whit
ney said he could not recall. It pos
sibly might have been a chronometer
Cook left no written records with
Whitney that Whitney is aware of.
There may have been some records,
however, in the other boxes in which
Cook packed his clothes and his per
sonal effects, but Cook did not ten
Whitney especially that he was leav-
ing any written records with him. Mr.
Whitney was very positive about this.
After Cook departed for the South
Whitney resumed his hunting. He
SOOn OVCA SOOh . wv IShAA1OSs HLu'
kishula and Arwalalv, to show him
the country where Cook had shot
musk oxen. This the two men did
and Whitney bagged all the oxen he
could carry out in his sledges. He
said he found these two Eskimos to
be quite satisfactory in subordinate
capacities, but he knows nothing of
their value in dash across the Polar
sea.
Did Not Tell Peary All.
! Mr.. Whitney said that last month
when Peary, on board the Roosevelt.
reached Etah from the North after
the winters work there Whitney in
formed Peary of DR.. Cooks arrival in
April, adding that Cook had told him
(Whitney) to tell Peary that Cook
had gone beyond Peary's farthest
north. Peary. made no comment on
this. Whitney said he was rot asked
an yother questions by Peary. So far
as Mr.. Whitney is aware Cooks Eski-
mos never admitted that while with
the doctor they had only progressed
two sleeps" from land
The day the Roosevelt was leaving
Etah for home Whitney informed
Peary that Cook had entrusted to
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