The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1909-09-09
An American Reaches North Pole
DIR. Cook Succeeds in the
, Greatest Achievement
the World Has
Ever Known

the merciless searching questions of w.
M. Stead, the veteran British journalist,
and dean and spokesman of the CORE
spondents corps, admitted that unless
his astronomc observations and the cor
roborative obs<rvations by his two. Es-
quimo companions is accepted as such,
he has no positive proof of his right to
the title to the discovery of the North
Pole.
So frank, straightforward and CON
vincing were the answers of the daunt-
less scientist that at the end of an
hours grueling he had satisfied the be-
lief of every man present at the inter-
view in the truth of his assertions that
he planted the Stars and Stripes on the
long coveted northern goal on April 81,
1908.
DIR. Cooks statement, the first de-
tailed account he has related of the
achievement which has startled the
world, was a graphic recital made under
the most cruel and most unfavorable cir
cumstances.
After a day, strenuous enough to tire
Roosevelt, DIR. Cook, in the face of
discouraging skepticsms which would
have snatched away his laurels almost
before they were bestowed, was called
upon to clear away an international in
credulity which seemingly barred his en-
trance to the hall of fame.
He succeeded in the effort
Calm and imperturbable, though wine
ing under the cruelty of thrusts which
even the tactfulness of Stead could not
mitigate, DIR. Cook modestly and with
delightful unassumption met every in
quiry with directness and frankness
that quickly won all his hearers.
He Is Congratulated
At the conclusion of the interview he
was congratulated on all sides, and
everywhere were heard expressions of
favorable comment on his modesty and
sincerity, and the belief was expressed
that the scientific worlds verdict will
be that he won the prize vainly sought
for centuries.
Il realize, gentlemen" said Dr. Cook,
in addressing the newspaper men, shat
despite the fact that l have nothing to
gain from Misrepresentation of actual
facts, and on the other hand have every
thing to lose, that the nature of my ac-
complishment of April 1908, when
planted the flag at latitude 90 degrees
north, calls for proof to the scientific
world
Has Esquimos' Word.
Il understand that in case of this
sort my reputation and my past count |
ed for naught, but | believe that in
carefully prepared diary which l kept, |
and in the painstakingly accurate as
tronomic observations which / made,
will be found the proof demanded by
the world. Corroborating this will be
the evidence of the two brave and UNI
complaining companions of my trip, the
Eskimos Etuishaak and Ahwalah, whose
names were previously misspelled.
81 am told that our trip to the pole
has been branded as unscientiic and
mere unprecedented, sportsmanlike
event. While ! plead guilty to GER
tain amount of the spirit of the sports
man, | am not willing to admit that
my expedition was unscientific. 1t is
true that | did not have the elaborate
paraphernalia or all instruments that
could have desired had it been possible
foC me to carry more luggage.
Had Some Instruments.
81 was, however, equipped with an
up-to-date and complete set of naviga-
ton and astronomical instruments.
had three chronometers a pedometer and
watch and used each of the instru-
ments to check the records of the 9TH
ers.
"As a result, it is my opinion that
there were few really serious errors and
my calculations and observations were,
for all practical purposes, correct. My
work in making observations of this ma
ture was, of course, not confined to
this particular trip, as 1 had plenty of
experience in this line on previous
Northern expeditions. My watch was
the only one instrument to get out of
order.
But, in addition to the proof fur
nished by my notes and observation fig
ures, | think that when the final time |
comes more credence will be given to the |
statements of my Eskimo companions |
than the public now seems to give.
Trusts Eskimos.
"The artless honesty of these sturdy |
men, savages though they are, is we'll
nigh proverbal. / am satisfied that 10
scientific man who is acquainted with
the Eskimo and his traits will place so
low a value on my intelligence as to |
presume that / would pin my hopes of
proof in such an issue as this to a lie
concocted by me and placed in the
mouths of these men. Furthermore, the |
average white man underestimate the
Eskimos intelligence in matters per-
tanning to the Arctic.
"'fhe pole has long been the great UNI
known and great unattained of the Es-
kimo as well as of the white man. And
the Importance of the quest for the
frozen goal has long been appreciated
by these mortimer. An Eskimo is
better Judge of Arctic conditions and