The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-16

judge for themselves if he is telling
the truth
At least three men on the Mount
Mckinley expedition were far better
fitted in every way to take charge as
director than was DR.. Cook. Prof.
Herschell c. Parker of Columbia Uni
versity has a reputation as a noun
tain climber. having climbed many of
the noted Swiss peaks Cook was
positive novice at the game. The
professor stood by my side one day
when we were trying to find a ford
ing place across a roaring glacial
stream. Neither of us liked the looks
( of it,
Armstrong" said he, the world
/ at large thinks a man foolish who
climbs mountains but If he were to
drown trying to ford river to reach
the mountain, what would they say Of
him." Steve Brodie came to my
mind and | wondered if he had sclil-
/ oquized so profoundly while walking
4 to the bridge. Later there was no
/ danger Of the professors drowning.
for he put on a patent rubber lined
vest which by blowing on the rubber
I tube, could swell the vest to an enor-
nous size, and the crossing was safe
/ ly made.
Belmore II Browne the naturalist,
had been schooed in this method OF
roughing II. He surpassed Cook so
far and could plan things so much
better that after a few days he be-
came the real leader of our party.
Browne was the sunshine of our par
ty, and it was a positive JOY to travel
with him.
II. w. Porter, the topographer, did
some work on that trip of real value
He mapped country, part Of which
was unknown, persistently kept at
work and seemed at home in his sur
roundings. He was a little hard of
hearing, seldom speaking, but genial
withal. and always the same dear old
Porter.
Cook In the Role of Hero
No one can travel with a man long
in Alaska without knowing his man
and the writer having been in arctic
ice north of the Arctic Circle. along
both the Alaskan and Siberian coasts
to his sorrow and hearts content,
knows Cook would not venture out or
SlEUA Ol ldilu vi ouNH Nv w 81 49,
world and few millionaire dollars
thrown in. With the instance of a
great advertiser he timed his trip 10
the pole, had the perseverance TO keep /
hidden with the natives until the !
world would think him lost
The physiological moment arrives |
he lands in Europe and sets the world /
afire-he had made it ready 10 burn; |
he now applies the match. 1t might |
have been smothered at first but it |
got too great a start in Europe. 1t |
never would have gained such
sweep If it had been started first in !
this country, which no one knew bet !
ter than Cook Nothing can stop it |
now It must burn itself out,
All sought a hero, He came to !
them meekly, worn out and In rags
They embraced him in a frenzy of
Peary abused him, called |
him liar. Cook returns a soft ans
wer, saying he believes Peary is hon
est and If Peary claims to have reach
ed the pole he (Cook) believes he did.
Peary continues his abuse until our
meek and lowly hero declares he is
willing TO divide the honor with his
Can you beat that sort
Of stuff? 1t never was known to lose.
and Cook is past master at handing
II out.
All of us who were with Cook know
he does not tell the truth when he
The one man, Barrill who
was with him half way up the noun |
tain, and several others have made
oath that his story is false
Still the people will not listen All
they are willing to comprehend is thar
their long suffering hero is again be-
ing abused.
They doubt the oaths of these men, |
they think they are jealous OF Cook,
or in league with Peary TO discredit
him or are doing it for money. Too
bad. When a man is capable of per-
petrating such huge joke on the
American people, isn't is a shame to
spoil it?
Armstrong Issues Challenge
However, If the good people some
day really get anxious TO know the |
truth and will outfit an expedition to |
Mount Mckinley, Alaska. the writer |
would willingly take charge of it and |
guarantee to bring back indisputable |
witnesses in the shape of photo |
graphs that will forever prove or dis
prove Cooks story that he climbed to |
the summit of this. the highest nom
tain on the North American contin-
ent.
1t will be recalled that Cook pub !
lished pictures taken when he was on
the summit of Mount Mckinley show
ing the surrounding small mountain |