The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-12-28
S1.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
BORN IN POVERTY,
AMBITION MADE
DIR. COOK SUCCEED
having Won His Medical Degree, He
Jumped at the Chance to Go
North With Peary.


q = = = % q q q
The man who has ACCOMPLISHED
what daring explorers for centuries
have striyen to do was known in Sui
Ivan County. New York, where he
was born, as a "Callicoon Dutch
man." and for years was a partner
in the milk business with his brother.
DR. Frederick Albert Cook. physi-
clan, surgeon. scientist and explorer,
comes OF Pennsylvania Dutch stock.
the family name being Koch. His
father, Dr.. Theodore Albert Cook.
settled with others of the same stock
near Callicoon, a station on the Erie
Railroad in Sullivan County, and
there DR.. Cook was born forty-four
years ago. His father died when lie
was very young. He got his first
schooling in the primitive school
house at Hortonville, two miles from
Callicoon and later in the public
schools OF Brooklyn, to which his
family moved in his boyhood. and
where he has since lived when not
trying to reach The North Pole or
the South Pole, or engaged in other
scientific expeditions. lie got his de-
gree Of NJ. D. at the University of
New York in 1890 when twenty-five
years old.
From boyhood DR.. Cook was inter
ested In scientific explorations and
in 1891, after struggling a year to
build up n practice, jumped at the
chance to go to the Far North as
surgeon with Peary. That FIRST trip
gave him the Arctic fever and fired
MIN with ambition to be the first
man TO reach the North Pole.
In 1921 Dr. Cook was in charge of
an expedition for scientific research
along the coasts Of Newfoundland
Labrador and Greenland in the
steamer Miranda. The party includ-
ed ffty-four scientists and students.
All that this expedition planned was
not accomplished, an accident to the
Miranda forcing it to return at a
date earlier than had been fixed.
The years 1S97-S-9 he spent on an
Antarctic expedition on the ship Bel
gica, commanded by Capt Adrian de
Gerlache. On that expedition the
Belgica drifted more than 1000 miles
In the ice fields. The most southern
point reached wAile fast in the ice was
40 degrees. Much new land in Wen
del Sea was discovered and active
volcanoes seen.
Returning from his south Polar
trip, DR.. Cook devoted himself to geo
graphical exploration in this country
MS particular aim being to ascend
Mount Mckinley the highest noun
tain IN North America and The most
conspicuous of the Alaskan range II
is 20,400 feet high, dome shaped and
with two SUBMITS about two miles
apart
In 1908 DR.. Cook made his first
attempt to scale Mount Mckinley.
and like all his predecessors, failed
He reached height of 11.4O0 feet.
a little more than half the way TO
tn summit.
In 1906 he made a second and sue
cessful attempt, profting by the ex-
perlence gained in his first venture.
He had TO endure all manner of hard
ships.
1t was in 1892 that DR. Cook mar
ried. His wife-and to her BELONGS
much of the credit of his achieve
ments-was Miss Mary Fiden Hunt.
They have two children. both girls
$500 'NNA' ~ WHO are seven and
eight years old respectively.
Mrs. Cook has contributed her
share to the success of her husband
as an explorer. without complaint
she has remained at home. caring for
their children. while he has been
away. Her anxiety and worry for his
SAFETY have been most keen. as more
i1an year has elapsed at times with
out her receiving a single word from
MIN Her anNieties have not been
confined TO worry for his safety. The
Cooks are not rich. The explorer has
no fortune, not even a competence.
Since he lett New York in tie sum
r@er Of 1907 Mrs Cook has had 10
bear not only the strain of not know
ing whether her husband was dead or
living, but also OF finding way for
keeping the little <amny together
Or Cook has had many bonors
thrust upon lin for his achievements
III has been decorated with the Or
der Of Leopold of Belgium. with the
gold medal oil the Royal Society. Rel
GUM, and with the silver medal of
the Royal George Society. Belgium.
lie Us q member Of the American M
tionai and Philadelphia GeograDbicaI
Societies and oil the Kings Comfy
Medical Society.