The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-20
COOK DID NOT
 TELL OF FIND Met Peary's Party at
 Etah. BoAISWAN TELLS STORY Describes Cooks Visit to Supply
 Station. He'd Only Two Esltimos and No Dess --Forced to PaH His own
 sIedge and Was tsls Exhausted.
 

the discovery of the North Pole today on the arrival of the steamer Tyrian, from Battle Harbor, where the corre- spondents learned from two members of Commander Peary's expedition that Dr. Frederick A. Cook had met them at Etah and had mentioned nothing of dfs- covering the pole.
 When Harry Whitney. George Nor ton and Larned went to Etah on the Erik to bring provisions for Commaf,d- CT peary. both Norton and Larned turned back and Whitney obtained per mission from Commander Peary to re- main at the Etah station. Commander Peary stationed John Murphy. e boat swain of the Roosevelt. aud William Pritchard, assistant cook of the Rooss- welt. at Etah. to guard the stores. Murphy. telling of his experience ct Etah said to the newspaper men:
 Commander Peary told me to ec ashore at Etah to guard the stores. Vhich saw taken from the Roosevelt and the Erik. Prltchard was with me. Some time last spring a white man came into camp and Mir. Whitney told me that 1t was pr. Cook. He did not stay long in camp and soonswent away. Cook looked tired. and worn out and said he was hungry. had an arKu- ment with him. as he claimed that some of the stores that we were guard Ing belonged to him, He only had two Eskimos with him and as all hIs dogs were dead. the doctor had to pull his own sledge."
 Icskimos Tell story
 Pritchard said these Eskimos told him they had been way, way north.
 None of the Peary party at Battle Harbor would discuss what informa. tion had been learned from Harry Whitney, as Commander Peary had given orders that the Cook controversy must not be mentioned. It was com monly reported. however. that Peary had some differences with Whitney, who decided that, insteed of returning to Sydney on the Roosevelt, he would do some shooting Is Greenland. Friends of nr. Cook here pointed out that when Commander reafg. on his return from the pole. seat for Profess sor McMiilan. who had gone to estab- fish a base of supplies at Cape Morris Jesup. he did not mention in his letter to the professor anything of his dis covery of tho pole. Tie message. which was made public by Professor McMillan at Battle Harbur. read:
 "Steamship Roosevelt, April 3s, 1909. "Hy Dear McMillan:
 Arrived on board yesterday North. ern trip was entirely satisfactory. There Is no need of Greenland depot. Captain came on board on the 24th. Concentrate all your energies on tidal observations and line soundings north from Cape Morris Jesup. Use intended supplies for me for-this purpose.
 Commander Peary"
 Thsuk Words SiEuineent.
 The adherents of Commander Peery assert that the words in the message northern trip entirely satisfactory. indicate clearly that the expedition a tN@
 Professor McMiiian said at Battle Harbor that he had seen Harry Whit ney at Etah, and that Whitney did not tell any one of Dr. Cooks reported discovery of the pole.
 It was in an old sail and stores loft In Battle Harbor, Labrador. that Com mander Peary told the story to score or more of correspondents of his jour ney to the pole. He will head no more trips to the Arctic, nor. for that mat ter, to the Antarctic. His work in the Ice fields is finished.
 "I have accomplished the ambition of my life" said the commander. "l shall always be interested in Arctic exploration, but it must now be left to younger men,"
 Commander Peary often broke his narrative to cali upon Professor Don aid McMiilan. naturalist and geoiogist, of the expedition, to relate some inci- dent of the trip. No less interesting than Peary's dash to the pole were the discoveries of Professor McMiilan of relics and stores of seven previous Arctic expeditions. those of General Greeley in l8Sl-S4: Commander Haii in 1871: the Amundsen exploration party of 1908; Sir John Lockwood's ex- petition; the exploration party of Ad- mirai Sir George Mares, in lS75-76, and the expedition of Commander Peary in 1898 and 1900.
 Commander Peary did no fencing with his interviewers and prefaced the 'inquistion" as he called 1t, with the statement that he had made his posi- ton clear in reference to the Cook con troVersy in earlier dispatches, which had been sent by wireless to the Asso- ciated Press. To the bombardment of interrogations, the commander replied in a clear voice and couched his an- swers in terms that left no mistake in their meaning.
 Pays No Attention To Fakes.
 T shall pay no attention to fake sto- ries, or any side issues," said Com mander Peary. that are put out to dIs- tract from the main question. Has cook been at the Poler"
 Do you think 1t possible for any man to fake observations to prove that he was at the pole?" he was asked.
 "In the opinion of Admiral Melville. U. s. N, Admiral Sir George Mares, R. N. and myself. yes," he responded quickly.
 Then he continued:
 'T do not care to speak of other -ob- servatIons in view of what I claim, and won't say anything more until. the statement signed by another is offered, when I will submit my statement"
 The story of Christmas Day in the Arctic was delightfully."- pictured by Commander Peary. and as he told of those hours with the members of the his face. usually stern and drawn, relaxed, and he smiled ire. uuently Some athletic contests were arranged by Professor McMiIlan and a running course of seventy-nve yards on the Ice and snow was laid out be- aide the Roosevelt, which then lay in the ice cradle at Cape Sheridan.
 Christmas Day falls in the dead of the Arctic night and to light the rae ing path little whale oil lamps were set on snow mounds at intervals of fifteen feet. Tn the fiickerfng. yellow light. this weird company. hooded and rarb. ed fin the heavy furs of the north gathered and appiaMded Che contest. ants. %NBe1 married women and ProfesAcr MrAEiIt