Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-09-10
THE NORTH POLE FOUND.

THE NORTH POLE FOUND.
The North Pole has been discovered.
This is glorious news. That it has
been discovered by an American is still
more glorious. For years this goal has
been sought. Many have persisted in
the attempt, but at last it has been
located, and an American flag placed
thereon. Just think of Old Glory fly
ing at the mast head of the world. The
finder of the pole is Doctor Cook OF
Brooklyn. He was comparatively I'M
known the day before. Now he is the
''lion" of today. But in the midst of
the joy the finding of the pole has
created, there come the doubling Thorn
asses. They ask all kinds of perplex-
ing questions. They want to know
how he can prove he found the Pole.
He brought back no splinters from it.
He did not photograph it with the
American flag floating therefrom. He
found no adjacent stone on which to
carve his name and thus establish his
claim as against the next explorer.
How then can he prove his claim p? He
says he stuck small brass rod down
i'll the hole possibly where the pole has
so long stood. But if the surround
ings there are sea of moving ice the
brass rod will doubtless be shifted
badly before Peary reaches the covert
ed spot. Then too the foot prints OF
DR.. Cook may be obliterated by new
fallen snow before that time. One
thing that can be said is, ''Who can
disprove his statement ?" Even ii in
after years traveller reaches the spot,
the spot where stands the real pole,
how can he tell that DR.. Cook was not
there before him? The brass rod may
be gone. Old Glory whipped to sherds
by the merciless winds, and not a
shred or fiber of it there on the pole,
the footprints of DR.. Cook and his two
Esquimo guides, as well as those of the
dogs, may be all obliterated, and still
who can say, DR.. Cook is romancer
or even a faker or fraud. He never
was here?
Another interesting question arises.
Whose is the North Pole Does Uncle
Sam own it by right of discovery, by
benevolent assimilation, or any of the
other ways and means by which he
has added to his once rather small
holdings? If the Pole belongs to I'm
Gle Sam, as we trust it does, it may
prove of inestimable value, it will en-
able those who advocate larger army
and navy to justify their demands.
"Where the American flag has been
planted who is there to haul it down?'
said Mr.. Mckinley. Seeing that the
American flag has been placed on the
pole, the pole must be fortified and
guarded. Dreadnaughts shoCld an
Choir near, lest the japanese or per-
chance some other agrarian people
suddenly covet the prize and attempt
to seize it. By all means lets build
some more battle ships, lets also add
to tho strength of the army, and guard
this new possession as becomes so great
a nation.
One thing Dr. Cook has done. He
has put quietus on Arctic expeditions
In the interest of the world if not OF
science this is great accomplishment.
Pole or no pole let's sing his praises.
Since the above was written, Capt.
Peary, another arctic explorer, has tel,
egraphed that he has also found the
North Pole Whether he found Cooks
flag floating there we do not know, but
he says he enabled" one there himself
We await further news from him.