Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-09
TWO HAGS 1T THE NORTH POLE

u IIIue.'
1t Is doubtful IL history furnishes a
more dramatic episode than the break
ing the news TO DIR. Cook that Peary
had realized the goal of his life's am.
bition and repeated struggles.
Dr. Cook was seated at a dinner sur.
rounded by explorers and correspond
ents in the pilded ball room of the
Tivoii Casino. Around his neck was
hung a garland of pink roses, accord
ing to the Scandinavian method of
h%onoring heroes, which, the explorer
wore blushingly, and with visible en-
barrassment.
Several speeches acclaiming him
had been given and repeated toasts to
him drunk with clamorous cheers.
Amid this scene, a whisper went
around that Pcary had planted the
stars and stripes at the pole. Cook
was perfectly cool and unmovcd. He
made q striking speech in which he
paid high tribute to the work of
S~verdrup, who sat near. to whose dis.
%coveries he largely owed his success
to John r. Is adley. who had financed
the expeditiou; TO THE intelligence,
endurance am iaithfulness' Of the
Eskimos who had assisted him in the
preparations: aud those who had &C.
companied him
Whole story to Come Out.
h whole story of the expedition,
he said, has not come out and will
mt fnt. op ,t,,., ,,-,, ,,.II 4. ....- l.
installments; but only when 1t Is COM
pleted.
DR.. Cook did not permit the
whispers which came to his ear of
Peary's succ'~s to move him in the
least, but win he had finished he
was surround by correspondents,
who looked TO some sign OF emotion;
but the explor"r said s%milingly:
81 am glad"
Asked II thor" was any probability
Of Pcary's having found the tube cOn.
tanning his record, DR.. Cook replied:
Il hope so, bur hat is doubtful on nc.
count Of the drift"
DR.. Cook added: Commander Peary
would have rCa'h he'd the pole this year.
Probably Will" was in the Artic re.
gion last year, his route was several
hundred miles east of mine. We are
rivals of coursc but the pole is good
enough for two.
That two mon got TO the pole along
different paths" continued the ex-
plorer, SHOULD furnish large additions
to scientific knowledge. Probably other
parties will reach It in the next ten
years, since every explorer is helped
by the experience Of his predcces.
sors; Just as S%verdrup's observations
and reports were Of Unreasonable
help to me. | a say nothing more
without knowing further details than
that | I'm glad OF It."
Friends Although Rivals.
While DIR. Cook was conversing
casually with American friends, the
possibility Of the denouement which
electrified the world was laughlingly
suggested. Er. Cook remarked:
1T is quite possible that Peary will
turn up now. He is about due to get
back, if he carries out his plans. We
have always been friends while. of
course, we are rivals in the attempt
to find the pole; but we have been
friendly rivals"
Those who have had the best OBJ.
%portunities to become acquainted with
DIR. Cook her" believe that he is not
likely to inter into a controversy
with Commander Peary.
Sverdrup who came here for the pur-
pose of consolidating DR.. Cook was
most Interested in the news that Peary
had reached the pole. Sverdrup Is a re.
markedly taciturn and reticent man.
He said; There is nothing | can
say about this particularly, except that
IT is most important and wonderful. 1t |
seems to me that America Is doing |
wonderfully, if two Americans are the
hrst men to get to the pole, after
such a long struggle by SO many
men Of different na%tionalities."
st. Johns, n. F.-COmmander
Robert +. peary, who announced
that he had discovered the north pole
on April 9th of the present year. found
no race OF DR.. Frederick A. Cook,
who reported to the world five days
ago that he made the same discovery
In April OF the preceding year. This
news reached here through Captain
Robert Bartlett of the Roosevelt,
Peary's ship, en- route to Chateau Bay,
Labrador.
captain Bartlett telegraphed to re.
latives here that Peary had found
nothing to indicate that DR.. Cook
a reached the pole. While Peary