Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1909-09-10

axis. 1 am reasonably sure, however,
hat when my observations have been |
and verified they will show |
that 1 hoisted a flag on a spot that
was for all practical purposes the
pole. 1t is, of course, possible that
there will be a slight variation of,
possibly, fraction of linear minute,
but l am certain that the spot which
l calculated to be the pole was at
least within revolver shot of the eX
act pole.
Stuck to Game ountry.
'ETo my mind, the biggest factor in
my success was the fact that instead
of travelling over the more direct and
usual famine route, relying upon the
food carried by the party, we stuck
close to the game country and were
able to conserve our own supplies
and literally live off the fat of the
land When we started out both men
and dogs were fat and in splendid
condition. Therefore we were able to
stand great hardships and travel at
top speed"
Questioned regarding his great
speed, DIR. Cook said: "The daily dis
lance covered on the northward trip
was slightly less than Is miles; on the
southwark trip it was 10 miles. This
is not an abnormal distance for Eski-
mos on the ice. They often travel so
or 60 miles with dogs. One of the
greatest advantages Of our trip was
that / did not take a famine route.
We had game for a long time, perhaps
for hundred miles. We fed our dogs
well throughout the winter in Green
land and ran them 400 miles, giving
them fresh meat every day. Thus we
brought them to the polar sea fat and
well used. We had the best men and
the best dogs.
"We lived entirely on dried meat
and beef tallow, reducing the food
problem to a science The last trace
of animals we saw was bear track
at SO degrees. Afterwards we did not
even see life in the water, except
algae The drift of the ice during the
southern trip was slightly south OF
east; the direction of the wind was gen.
orally south of west. We found sew,
eral of Sverdru's old camps. The rea
son we utilized silk tents on some ocea
we had not strength to build snow
shed. We had carefully figured and
planned everything so that there was
no surplus weight to be carried We
did not run short except when we went
astray.
"We brought 10 dogs back with us
the others having been eaten by theil
companions. We used the lasso, traps
and bows and arrows to catch game
It took two months to learn how tt
trap a moose. One of the men shot ar
Elder buck with an arrow.
No Life at the Pole.
"While, of course, we found abso
lutely no evidence of plant or ANNA
life at the pole, we found bear tracks
and evidences of life in the water al
the latitude of SO degrees. At the pole
itself the ice is practically the same
as throughout the rest of the arcit
zone, with the possible exception thai
it is more active. Our observation,
showed that the drift of the polar ice il
southeast while the direction of tn,
wind is southwest. 1t was the misun
Outstanding of these conditions at thu
outset of our return, that the ice diC
not drift with the wind, that caused IL
to go astray and delayed us on our re
turn trip.
81 will never attempt the feat again
1 have devoted good part of 20 year
to attaining my present success.
have won where others have lost thei
lives or health. 1 have retained no
only my life, but my health, and be
lieve now is a good time to stop.
"Right now the greatest desire o
my life is to see my wife and children
1t is my purpose to get to New York. ,
Asked pointblank if he had any 9th
err evidence or proof of the accom-
plishment of his feat than that o
which he had spoken, DR.. Cook replie
that he had not.
At the conclusion of the interview h
shook hands with the newspaper me
and was warmly congratulated for tn
splendid impression he had created i
the minds of all his hearers.-( Copy
righted, 1909, by the United Press.)
(By Charles p. Stewart