The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-13
PEARY CONFISCATED
COOKS PROVISIONS

Copenhagen. Sept. PA remarkable
letter. giving DR.. Frederick A. Cooks
version of the trouble with Com.
rnander Peary over supplies appears In
the Politiken The letter was written
hv DR.. Norman Hansen. a prominent
Danish physician who several timos
Visited Greenland to study eye dis
cases
DR.. Cook told practically the same
story 20 one OF his closest American
friends Just a week ago. before Com.
mandcr Peary rcappeared on the
seeno, hut said he did not intend to
mako Il public because 1t might lead
4, unpleasantness.
DR.. Hansen was with DR.. Cook for
,me time In Greenland and returned
.lth him on the Danish government
.eamer Has Egede.
Now that DR.. Cook has gone" he
sritos, II am no longer under any OBJ
dgation to keep silent and will exercise
ny right TO publish the story about
the house in the story which DR. Cook
had too much dclicacy To relate to
nc world. / write II from memory,
81 DR.. Cook told II to me. and I am
aully convinced that in no details are
nv recollecdons wrong.
Story Of the House.
'Dr. Cook had built his house for
stores In Anatook. north OF Etah, and
Il was this depot which he started to
reach in February. 1909 crossing
Smith sound. IL was a pretty large
house. the walls being built of heavily
filed provision cases. so that DR..
Cook knew that when this important
point was reached everything was
safe. He had before the start given
permission to young friend named
Whitney to use the house while hunt
ing musk oxen for sport In the winter
OF 190S-O9.
when DR.. Cook and his two EskI
mos, exhausted and half starved, came
within q short distance OF the house In
Anatook. young Whitney camc out to
bid him welcome. but inside the house
was a stranger, a giant Newfoundland
boatswain. on watch. This man had
been placed in DR.. Cooks house by
Pcary when the latter passed Etah
with his ship bound north. Peary had
given the boatswain a written order.
which commenced with the following
words:
Said Cook Was Dead.
This house belongs TO DR.. FTcder.
ick A. Cook, but Dr. Cook is long ago
dead and there is no use TO search af-
ter him Therefore T. Commander
Robert E. Peary. install my boatswain
in this deserted house.
This paper the boatswain, who
could neither read nor write. exhibited
to Dr. Cook and the latter took a copy.
This copy, however, he does not In.
tend 10 publish II Peay's course does
not force him to do SO. DR.. Cook gave
me lively account OF how the young
millionaire. Whitney, during the whole
winter was treated like dog by tho
boatswain and how he had witnessed
the sailor bartering DR.. Cooks pro-
visions for food and bear skins for
himself DR.. Cook also had to put
good face on the unpleasant situation.
He had 10 beg to get into his own
house and had TO make a compromise
with the boatswain.
"Dr. Cook made a present Of the
house with all Its contents to his two
faithful Eskimos. with the provision
that Whitney was to have the use OF
the house as long as his hunting trim
lasted, but he was compelled TO let
the boatswain continue his watch. The
boatswain. however, received strict or
ders not TO exchange any more Of the
provisions or guns.
TO Mr.. Whitney DR.. Cook gave his