The San Francisco call., 1909-09-20

iildheS me UeiiSNe IN nlIn now he was
willing to sacrifice his life for the
achievement"
Speaks With Authority
While now engaged in the urban oc-
cupation of managing the coast depart
ment of the Metropolitan life insurance
company and living with his family in
comfortable apartment at 2090 Fell
street, overlooking the park panhandle,
Taylor was at one time scme what of an
arctic traveller himself. At the age of
20 years he was quartermaster in the
United States navy and was the young
est member of the crew of the u. S. S.
Thetis, under command of the then
Commander w. S. Schley of Spanish war
fame, sent to the far north in 1854 to
the relief of the Lady Franklin bay ex-
pedition, under command of Lieutenant
A. w. Greedy, now major general in the
army. Rear Admiral Uriel Sebree, COM
mander of the Pacific fleet, was first
lieutenant on the Thetis. Taylor remem-
bers vividly the plight in which they
found the seven survivors of the original
q men in the Greedy party.
That arctic experience led to Tay-
lor affiliating himself with the Arctic
club. He was close personal friend
OF Doctor Cook, who founded the
club, and the two families were inti-
mate. Taylor also knew Commander
Robert N. Peary, and while he does
not doubt the achievement nor the
word of the naval pole chaser, he does
not entertain the personal admiration
for Peary that he has for Cook.
Believes i'm Both
'I have the highest admiration for
Doctor Cook and I presume that am
prejudiced in his favor" said Taylor.
while / do not doubt that Peary
reached the pole, neither have I the
slightest doubt that Cook did, too
Cooks friends believe in him. He is
a modest. unassuming fellow, and his
present attitude is typical of the
man. He does not want to shove him
self into the limelight. He Is a
splendid fellow. with the respect of
every man who knows him. But to
meet him Is to admire and believe
him.
I'm that respect he Is the opposite OF
Peary. I have had no close connection
with Peary, but he is reputed to be
man who believes only in himself.
That he is a great explorer and an en-
ergetic man is not to be questioned
h ~ ryn1r a.
that Cook had been ahead of him. For
ten years Peary has been a profess
sionaI pole chaser. If there is such a
thing-and there is, for Peary is it.
Prior to that time he made no preten-
sions of finding the pole. but during
the later period he had DEVOTED him
self to that end. He has spent about
$500, 900 searching for the pole 1 be-
lfeve that George Crocker contributed
$50, 900.
Reputation at Stake
so you see Peary had something to
defend. He had raised all this money
in contributions, and when another
fellow went UP ahead OF him without
any preliminary trumpets and beat
Peary out. Peary would naturally feel
sore.
Cook and Peary had been reason
ably close personal friends. know
personally that Cook has stood by
Peary in private matters, when he need
not have done so. Cook believed IN
Peary.
But the two men are nearly oppo-
site in every phase of character, save
in bravery and energy. Cook is mod
est, unassuming, desiring to keep in
retirement. Peary always blared his
way with trumpets.
Cook is q fracticing physician in
Brooklyn. But every summer the fever