The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-01
BREWER TRUSTS
 EXPLORER COOK
Yale Professor Says He Himself Would Disappear Under Same Circum.
 stances.

William H. Brewer. professor emer- | itus in the Sheffield Scientific school porter of Dr. Frederick Cooks claims | in the North Pole controversy. was
 asked by a reporter last evening what he thought of Dr. Cooks recent dis
 appearance from view and it's bearing
 on the claims.
 ''It I were in Dr. Cooks place." said
 Prof Brewer, 'T should have done the
 same thing long ago. Dr. Cook has
 been bothered beyond all patience by newspaper men who have nothing else
 to write about just now; has been
 called up at all hours of the day and night and has finally taken the only
 means of securing peace until the yer
 dict of the University of Copen- hagen.'
 Don't you think that the enthusias-
 tic reception of Cook by the Danes will
 prejudice. ever so slightly. the findings
 of the University of Copenhagen?" the reporter asked.
 "Copenhagen is the best place the
 rcords could have been sent to. The
 university is entirely fair and inde- rendent and win not hesitate to decide that as 1t may" added the professor. many people have already made up their minds that Cook is a fa<ir and nothing will ever swerve them" Professor Brewer was unwilling to say more than he has hitherto about the Pole controversy. but was willing
 to talk about the Mt. Mckinley climb. which. he said. would never have been heard of again but for the dispute over the other matter.
 ''BarriH Is a liar either way" said Prof. Brewer. flor he lied when he said he climbed the mountain or else he is lying now. That Is an affidavit from a liar who said he was offered
 sums for 1t. and it was secured by in
 terested parties.
 i'.I believe that Dr. Cook reached the top of Mt Mckinley and also reached
 the Pole. It is just to believe every
 man tells the truth until he is proven a liar. I have known Dr. Cook for | fifteen years and believe him essential | ly truthful. and shall continue to do so | until he is proven a liar.
 Cook either climbed Mt Mckinley or honestly believed he did That 1t is possible. to believe one has climbed mountain and yet not to have reached | its summit I know. to be very eP sy
 Mt. Mckinley pointed out to me when there was doubt as to which was Mt | Mckinley. have camped within nine miles of Mt St. Elias for two weeks and been unable to see the entire | mountain at one time. and unless you | can see tho entire mountain 1t is inn possible to plan your route up it. On | this Hartman expedition ft was fre- | ouentiy impossible to locate noun | tains.
 Tn 1864 I was in charge of a party l In the Sierras and ascended Mt. Brew CT. from which we saw plainly Mt Whitney. the highest peak in the United States outside of Alaska Clar- l ence King. a member of my party. with some men. soon after set out to climb Mt. Whitney. He reached the | summit and wrote of the climb and the
 wonderful view in his book on the Sier-
 ras- In 1873 another party climbed
 Mt Whitney and found an altogether different altitude and observations, | showing that King had climbed some other peak. the real Whitney being hidden from him by the clouds: so in
 later editions of his book he added an appendix acknowledging this. althourh he honestly believed at the time that
 he had climbed the mountain That this may have been the case with Cook is possible.
 '+I advised Cook against his first at- tempt telling him that his ascent of Mckinley depended largely upon luck -as to weather and other conditions. no matter how strong the party. If | fy Cooks records next summer their success in the climb will depend large | ly upon luck whether they even hit the right mountain. let alone find the rec | ords Cook left there.
 Tn 1883. as an example, I climbed Mt Brewer on July 2. and went onto the peak again the next day to show
 King Mt Whitney: On this second under a pile of stone. Since then hundreds have aScended the mountain including large excursions of the Sierra club Yet. although all these men | had clambered over Mt. Brewer the records I left were not found again | until 1896, and then by merest chance"
 For these reasons. and others less | important Professor Brewer finds
 Cooks claims very probable. and de- clares he will believe in him until pr. 1 Cook is absolutely proven a liar.