The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-09-24
HAILED AS POLEHNDER
DR.. Cook Is Given a Tremendous
Welcome in New York City.
OVATION is GIVEN PEARY
Cooks Rival Arrived in Sydney and
Announced That He Brought
Back the Pole"

New 1OrK ClIy.--.l nave come IFOn
the pole. have brought my story
and my data with me. have not
come home to enter into arguments
with one man or with fifty men, but
| am here to present clear record
of piece of work over which have
right to display certain amount y
of pride.
Il am perfectly willing to abide Ia
the final cerdict Of this record of cor
petent judges. That must be the Id
word, and that alone can satisfy NDa,
and the public.
Furthermore, not only will my re-
port be before you in black and white,
but | will also bring to America hui
man witnesses to prove that / have
been to the pole
Such is the sum and substance OF
the first message Dr. Frederick A.
Cook brought home in person to
America, answering his critics the
world over
The steamship Oscar II had pur-
posely been held back not to disar-
range the reception plans Of the Arc
tic Club of America, but she nosed
her way into Quarantine an hour too
sNcI1J hAO1 CYClyDOuy lUuba LIZ OOOA.
A speck in the distance began to
assume dimensions. Presently, it was
recognizable as the tug bearing Mrs.
Cook and her two daughters. Quickly
the tug came alongside, and, while
the heavy swell running around her
tenders against the plates of her big
sister, DR. Cook clambered nimbly
down Jacobs ladder and withno con-
Germ for the cameras trained on him,
made rush for his wife. For the
moment, he even missed the children,
who stood a few feet away until his
wife silently led him to them Then,
az he lifted his youngest daughter
to shoulder, the silenc, watching
crowd chat lined on the rails of the
Oscar IL broke into a storm Of
cheers.
Brown, positive, patient, tactiturn,
DR. Cook endures the business of be-
ing hero with courtesy, but no en-
thusiasm AS he stood beside Brad
ley, his hacker, the contrast was APP
parent, Bradley looked the typical
man about town, barbered, tailored,
polished, immaculate and Indifferent.
Cook, a little i'll at ease, smiled con-
tinually in an odd sort of way, as a
man wholly sure Of it, but not so GER
tain of the impression he was making.
1t was a good impression, though
here, as abroad for the crowd liked
his simplicity, which seemed to carry
conviction. fs ,..N
AS he stepped, ashore, it was no.
ticeable that no representative of the
nation, the state or the city was there
to greet him. Bird s. Coler president
of the borough of Brooklyn, had well
coined him on the Grand Republic for
that borough, but the City Of New
York sent no official representative.
Sydney, N. S-Commander Robert
f. Peary will accept no invitations
to receptions and no public honors
until the question of the discovery Of
the North Pole has been decided by
scientific authorities. This he made
known in the following statement
which he gave out for publication:
Acting upon the advice Of General
Thomas Hubbard and Herbert L.
Bridgman, president and secretary, re-
spectiyely, of the Peary Arctic Club,
! wish to express my thanks to my
friends for their kind offers and inyi-
tations and also beg to say that |
have decided not to accept any in
yitatfons to receptions or any ovations
until the present controversy Is set
tied by competent authority"
Commander .Peary supplemented
this briefly. He was asked when the
public was likely to get decision on
this subject, and he replied:
II do not know, but what / have to
say will not be very long delayed.
Whether my statement will be issued
in one week or two weeks depends on
circumstances,
Eleven times have left Sydney
for the north" said the commander.
"Once / brought back TIE largest me-
teor ever found; the asst time
brought back my farthest north rec
oyd, and this time l have brought
back the North Pole"
When the Roosevelt lay at the city
wharf an eager throng of sightseers
visited the ship and went through her
from stem to stern. Souvenir hunt
ers carried away everything possible,
and many valuable records and data
belonging to Professor Mcmillan we're
lost. The missing books are of i'm
mense value and cannot be replaced,
but the authorities are issuing pub
lie appeal for their return.