The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-09-09
Cook, the Hero Of the World.


ed II degrees and II minutes i'm the
search for the North Pole nineteen
expeditions headed by the worlds
first explorers have sought in vain
to reach the place that DR.. Frederick
Albert Cook has finally reached
These explorers have gone out from
every country and been followed by
the hopes and admiration OF their
countrymen. The expedition OF DIR.
Cook started out quietly and with
less advertising than has been given
to any other well equipped expedi-
ton. We did not know much about
his arrangements or what his plans
were or what instruments he took
with him. His simple, terse and clear
story of the trip with the terrible ex-
posures and difficulties, leaves little
else to be said. The story came SO
close on the heels of the unexpected
announcement but for its circum-
stantiality some might have doubt
ed. Peary has filed the public eyes
since Road Amundsen, of Norway,
discovered the northwest passage
and located the magnetic needle and
was royalty received in America two
years ago, being hailed as a descend
ant of the Vikings. Peary had dis
covered fertile land in the polar cir
| Gle and most men who were posted
looked to him. DIR. Cook was little
in the public eye, and outside the
scientific world few people knew that
he was making the journey that was
to give him Immortality. He has
done what has fired the ambition of
every explorer for five centuries.
DR.. Frederick A. Cooks whole ca
reer has been picturesque. He is a
self-made man. He was born in Cali
coon, Sullivan county, New York,
June 10th, 1864, and celebrated his
45th birthday somewhere in the fro
zen North last June. His father was
DR.. Theodore A. Cook, who came to
this country from Hamburg, Germ
any, about 1850 DR.. Cook is one of
four children, three sons and a daugh-
ter. Both his parents are dead, his
mother dying just before he made his
last dash for the pole. His father was
one OF the first physicians in the
almost wilderness where he settled.
DR.. Cook was six years old when his
father died. He was fond as boy of
exploration and would go off into
the woods always to an unknown
place, and endeavor to trace his way
back home by following the direc-
tions he obtained from the sun. At
school he always stood at the head
Of his class in geography and mas
tered every book on geography he
could obtain. When fourteen years
old the family moved to Port Jervis,
New Jersey, and DR.. Cook worked
out of school hours and managed to
60 to school. In New York later he
obtained employment in Fulton Mar
ket. By his own efforts he went
through college and studied medi-
cine. He gave up his place in Fulton
Market and purchased small milk
business. He enlarged the business,
personally getting up early to deliver
the milk, and by sacrifice managed
to get through the medical college,
graduating in 1891. Shortly there
after he went as surgeon in the Peary
expedition and that was the begin
ming of his expedition to discover the
North Pole HIS is a born organizer.
While in Brooklyn, he organized sew
eral social clubs in South Second
Street Methodist Church, Brooklyn,
of which he was a member. He had
a genius OF organization in whatever
he undertook and that accounts for
the splendid esprit du corps of bis
company. He does not impress one as
powerful physically, being 5 feet and
8 inches in height, and weighing Jag
pounds. He had explored the far
Antarctic in 1899 and made some
reputation.
The success of DR.. Cook is attribu.
ted to the fact that he timed his adj
vance to strike over the great ice in
the winter. Heretofore every explorer
who has struggled vainly to reach
the pole has pushed as far north as
possible during the first summer, es-
tablished winter quarters for rest
| during the long polar night and then
pushed onward with the opening of
the ensuing summer period. DR..
Cook revolutionized all this, and in
81 uOliS bGdhCu ITO lIlC ou LILO iuoS5
ment. In 1891 he had made his trip
as surgeon with Peary and did not
take his course without reflection
and knowledge of conditions. He
felt that the ice was firmer in the win
ter, and for that very reason, offered
comparatively smoother surfaces for
sledging purposes. He pinned his
faith to the idea that q winter dash
would not be baked so frequently by
open lanes of water and shifting ice
foes. He depended upon that fact
and upon dogs and sledges rather
than to small boats or the fickleness
OF seeking transportation by water.
The result showed that he had been
wise in bis view. His success is but
| one more proofthat men who succeed
must have the initiative and not fol-
low beaten paths.
Cook is Americas hero, and will
receive such a reception upon his re-
turn as will far exceed that rendered
to Dewey, thus proving that ''peace