The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-08
DANES HONOR COOK.
GIVEN OVATION IN COPEN-
HAGEN.
Thousands Cheer Him When He
Lands and Enthusiastic Welcome
Extended by King and Danish Gov
eminent Oficials-ReceptiOn and
Dinner Given by Crown Prince.

/
on the arm Of the crown prince Of
Denmark at 10 O'Clock this morning
unshorn and looking like a sailor be-
fore the mast. He sat down to din
ner at 8 o'clock tonight In the city
hall, the guest Of a brilliant company
Of the capitals most distinguished
men and women. He was arraycd In
evening dress provided by the kings
tailor.
The hours between these events
were the busiest Of DR.. Cooks life.
They were hours Of speech-making.
hand-shakinE bowling to clamoring
crowds, and then after addressing the
pdopis. whexelmost tore him to pieces
in their eagerness to see the discov-
erer Of the pole. DR.. Cook was the re-
| cipient Of formal welcomes at the ho-
tel, where he Is the governments
guest. Later he lunched with DR..
Maurice F. Egan, the American min
lister, being piled necessarily for an
hour with questions. He went through
| hundreds Of kilograms. including con-
gratulations from geographical So
| cities Of several nations, explorers and
friends. offers of exploitation, rang
| ing from books to music hall engage
| ments, and then hurried to the palace
and gave the king and other members
of the royal family a long account
of his adventures.
Returning to his hotel he received
| battalion of correspondents, who
| subjected him for another hour to
| merciless cross-examination, demand
| ing explanations of all the criticisms
that have been leveled against his
claims.
These questions DR.. Cook answered
with the best temper, frankly and
fully. Whatever may be said Of DR..
Cook elsewhere, he is regarded here
| as modest, frank man.
The banquet was held in the mag
nifcent municipal building, 400 per-
IL.
There was preliminary reception
in the lofty and spacious entrance
| hall. The company marched upstairs
TO the air of the "Star Spangled Ban
| ner."
The speeches teemed with compli-
ments to Dr. Cook The mayor of
Copenhagen said that the name was
| once more enrolled among the great
| explorers. Minister Egan briefly pro-
posed a toast to the king of Den
| mark, and the corporation president,
| in proposing a toast to the president
! Of the United States, spoke of the
pride that must be felt by the nation
| which could boast that it was her son
| who first planted the flag where no
human being had ever before set foot
DR.. Cook replied in a few words to
the compliments, modestly saying:
II thank you very much for the
warm and eloquent words but l an:
unable to express myself properly. /,
was a rather hard day for me, but
.,<ver enjoyed dry better. The Dare
ave taken no active part in polar ex-
1lorations but they have been o!
much Importance as silent partners in
almost every Arctic expedition in re-
cent years. The most important fac
tor in my expedition was the Eski
mo dog world and I can not be too
thankful to the Danes for the care OF
the Eskimo, and now they also have
instituted mission at Cape York.
Had I not met with the right Eski-
mos and the right dogs and the right
provisions, I could never have reach
ed the pole. 1 owe much to the Dan
ish nation for my success"
A telegram was read conveying the
congratulations of the king of Swed-
en- for "a brilliant deed, of which the
American people may rightly be
proud" TOasts to Mrs. Cook and to
the Eskimos of the party were drunk.
Two hundred students in vi m
marched in when the compan. re-
turned to the grand hall and gave
DR.. Cook rousing cheer. They in
sisted upon a speech and sang songs.
A noteworthy feature of the banquet
after DR.. Cooks acceptance in the
| morning was that the applications for
seats reached into the thousands.
| The most detailed account of his
polar journey as yet given by DR..
Cook was gained from him by large
body Of newspaper correspondents
! whom he met this evening. Or. Cook
at the. request Of the correspondents
| consented to answer all questions.
| L. xuho