The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-13
that DR.. Cook heard of what Peary
had done.'
The Provision Story.

copenhagen, Sept. ia remark
able letter, giving DIR. Frederick A.
Cooks version of the trouble with
Commander Peary over supplies. ap-
pears In the newspaper Politiken.
The letter was written by DIR. Norman
Hansen. a prominent Danish physi-
clan, who several times visited Green
land to study eye diseases, which he
has made speciality Of
DIR. Cook told practically the same
story to one of his cloest American
friends just week ago, before Com
mander Perry reappeared on the
scene, but said that he did not in
tend to make 1t public because 1t
might lead to unpleasantness.
DIR. Hansen was with Cook for some
time In Greenland and returned with
him on the Danish government steam
er Hans Egede.
In his letter he says:
Now that DR.. Cook is gone am
no longer under any obligation to
keep silence and will exercise my
right to publish the story about the
mouse IN Annatook, story which DR..
Cook himself had too much delicacy
to relate to the world. write it ac-
cording to my memory, in the same
manner that DR.. Cook in Ededesminde
told 1t to me, and am fully con-
cinced that in no details are my recol-
lections wrong.
Or. Cook had built his house for
stores In Annatook, north of Etah,
and 1t was this depot which he start
ed to reach in February 1909 crossing
Smith Sound. 1t was pretty large
house, the walls being built of heavily
filled provision boxes, so that DIR.
Cook knew that when this important
point was reached, everything was
safe. He had before the start, ar
ranged with a young friend named
Whitney that he have the right to use
the house while hunting musk OK for
sport, in the winter of 19OS-O9
when DR.. Cook and his No
Eskimos, exhausted and half starved.
came within shots distance of the
house in Annatook, young Whitney
came out to bid him welcome, but In
side the house was a stranger, a giant
New Founldand boatswain, on watch
This man had been placed in DIR.
Cooks house by Peary. when the lat
ter passed Etah with his ship bound
north. Peary had given the boat
swain a written letter, which COM
menced with the following words:
This house belonged to DIR. Frederick
A. Cook. but DR.. Cook is long ago
dead and there is no use to search
after him. Therefore |, Commander
Robert E. Peary, install by boatswain
in this deserted house..
This paper the boatswain. who
could neither read nor write, exhibit
ed to DR.. Cook and the latter took a
copy of this wonderful document.
This copy, however, he does not in
tend to publish if Peary's course does
not force him to do so. DR.. Cook
game ME lively account of how the
young millionaire, Mr.. Whitney, dur
ing the whole winter was treated like
a dog by the giant boatswain and how
he had calmly witnessed the sailor
bartering DR.. Cooks provisions for
fox and bear skins for himself DR..
Cook also had to put good face on
the unpleasant situation. He had to
beg to get into his own house and had
to make compromise with the
boatswain.
"Dr. Cook made a present of the
house with all its contents to his two
faithful Eskimo, with the provision
that Whitney was to have the use of
the house as long as his hunting trip
lasted, but was compelled to let the
New Foundland boatswain continue
his watch. The boatswain, however,
received strict orders, not to ex-
change any more of the provisions or
guns.
ITO Mr.. Whitney DR.. Cook gave his
instruments and his observations, as
he thought these precious things were
safer there than on the long sledge
trip in the spring across Melville Bay.
but all his note books and greasy and
soiled records which have been so
closely written upon, he kept and
carried with him. To me, who under
stand but little astronomy, the rec
ords were written down so closely
and in all directions, were very hard
to read, but what is the record to us?
The two men, Peary and Cook. their
character, their conduct, that is what
interests us, and every little item
throwing side light upon their ma
lures Is valuable