Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-09-16
back from the surrounding hills

back from the surrounding hills.
! The Thomas drew near to the Roose-
welt. The steamer looked little the
| worse for her second trip to the polar
regions Along the rail were gathered
the members of her famous crew.
among them the redoubtable Cant
Robert Bartlett who was at once
recognized.
! Capt. Bartlett invited the Thomas TO
lay alongside and the correspondent
to come on board without delay. The
correspondent clambered over the
Weatherbeaten bulwarks and proceeded
direct to the cabin to meet the man
who has stood upon the apex of the
world
The commanders greeting was cor
dial. ''This is a new record in news
paper enterprise" he said, "and I ap-
preciate the compliment"
Says He Has Cook Nailed.
The correspondent at once began
questioning the explorer regarding the
merits of DR.. Frederick A. Cook 5
claim to have reached the pole. The
commander declared he would not
further discuss this subject until the
main point, whether Dr. Cook had act
ually reached the north pole or not
had been decided by others. He then
dictated the following statement to the
Associated Press for publication:
I am the only white man who has
ever reached the north pole, and L
am prepared to prove it at the proper
time. l have already stated publicly
that Cook has not been 10 the pole.
This l reaffirm, and / will stand BY it,
! but | decline to discuss the details of
! the matter. These will come out later.
! | have said that Dr. Cooks statement
that he had reached the north pole
should not be taken seriously, and
that I have him nailed by concrete
proofs to support my statement In
six months you probably will get the
| whole story. It would not be policy
! fer me to enter upon a full debate
with the subject as It now stands. To
do so I would be giving cut much in
formation of which other uses could
be made. | intend to wait until Or.
Cook has issued his full authorized
statements. Up to the present time
there have been only newspaper aC-
counts of DR.. Cooks alleged polar
trip, and these may or may not be ac-
curate. When DR.. Cook has time to
issue a complete authorized version
Of his journey it will be the proper
opportunity for me to make public the
information which I have. After that
the jury-in other words, the people
and the scientific bodies of the world
will pass judgment on the matter,
and there will then be nothing left of
DR.. Cooks case, but his own assertions
that he has reached the north pole
In the meanwhile il is my determina-
ton not to deal with debates for the
| reasons already stated.
Commander Through Exploring.
Commander Peary was then asked
if new land could have been discovered
! in latitude 81, longitude &C. In reply
he shrugged his shoulders and said it
was quite possible an unknown CONT
| nent existed further west He refer
ired to the land discovered by himself
on previous trips that had no yet
| been explored.
Asked what would be the interna-
tional effect of planting the stars and
stripes at the north pole Commander
Peary said he had notified the secre-
tary of state that he had taken pos
session of the pole in the name of tie
United States, and that it remained
for the secretary to decide what that
meant. He said he had left records on
the ice at the pole. Commander Peary
is done with active exploring. He VIII
| continue TO take an interest in arctic
and antarctic exploration, but from
his home and he declared he would
| withdraw from field work.