The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-09-23
HENSON.
TELLS THE sTAOH At;Ir5
;, 10 THE Nc s. 11ss$y
w.. ~. = - - III .{s
Peary's; Inseparal H,a
%'been With His 1Sy Ore
20" "oI lis Trips lents,2 4,
: Battle Harbo1 bs, sls.-l
less telegraph, &, M; nv
Sept: 15.-'we stsr I. Y Z. 81

~ APoo 1"AS0 ~ tAo NOTLn K0tOf5Sa
said Matthew Henson, Commanders
Robert E. Peary's colored lieutenaitt
and the only other civilized man., No.
cording to Commander Peary, that
ever reached the Pole. Henson to-S
night gave the Associated Press mn,
account Of the one night and two
days he, and Commander Peary and
four 'Esquimos camped at ninety de-
grees north latitude. Henson per-,
sonally assisted in raising the flag.
He led the Exkimos in the cheers
ana an extra cheer for "OId Glcry',s
was given in the Eskimo tongue. $.
| We arrived at the pole Just be-
fore noon on April 6. The. party
consisting of Commander Peary. my,
self, four Esklmos and thirtysix
dogs, divided into two detachmentSs
; headed respectively by Commander
Peary and myself. We had left the
last supporting party at eighty-seyen
degrees, tifty-three. minutes, where
we separated from Capt. Bartlett.
who was photographed by the. cona-
mander. l kept ia personal diary
during this historic dash across the%
Ice field. Our first task on M ffteacni11tg
the pole was: toShS assSaat#or igloos, saa
our taking accurate ohRsrSationa atS I
confirm the distance Travelled ) fro1ns
Cape Columbia. Haviaer semplssss
the snow house, we had dinner.
which included tea made ON our Iii. /;
cohol stove, and retired to rest.
sleeping one. night at the North Pole.
The Arctic sun was shining when
We aWoke and I found the command B
er already up. There was only wind
enough to blow out the SMALL; faaga.
The ensigns Vaasl-eate
fnoon froany ten poles and ssssssss
fish lines" - -, ! - S.a.g :sfss
For twenty-three years ON every.
trip Matthew Henson has BEEN the 4
companion both In trials and fFa4s
umphs OF the most noted OF Arctic
explorers. Before the sailing Of tie
{ Roosevelt ship which carried the
party to the north, and which Is now
returning to American waters and
will arrive within a month, Com.
mander Peary l8ft ,thlA biography 0g
Henson, together with the roster Of
his entire crew: /. Me-
Matthew HENSON, Commanders
Peary's personal assistant, was born
of Negro parentage at Washing tofi s
D. c. August s, 1857. He was IA
years Of age, 5 feet, 10 inches In
he1ght, and weighs $50. pounds. AZ
the early age Of eighteen he first
came in touch with Commander
Peary in his work. in Niearagua
Already Matt has Knocked about con-
siderably, having made trip to.:
China as a cabin boy. He has been
with Commander Peary on every
one Of his, trips, and has been Id
Commander Peary'b employ either ,in
the Arctic regions> or at home al
most continuously Tor the last twenty
yeSRs. Since the last expedition he
mas remained a board tha& Roosevelt
In the capacity of ships husband.
| Although OF tropical origin, Matt ia
at much at homerin the Arctic ias any
one Of the darkssRinned Eskfmos
| themselves, and IL of valuable as
sistance In all the field work; Matt
Is married and leaves wife Mt hiss
home In New York City anxiousiy
awaiting his return. @., Y n
The New York World, speaks In
the following glowing terms OF the
services and character Of this Negro
who reached the North Pole With ita
discoverer, under the caption; h
"Peary's Man Friday Whom Exp1or--ts
er Calls Bravest Man Ever Knew. =
Matt Henson has been the explofs
er's constant compahion on ali of his
trips to the far north. =. III, ,f|3<
Who Ia Matt Henson? He ia
Peary's man Friday. He ia q crack
shot, blacksmith, good carpenter,
better cook, can do more with a
bunch OF swapping, fighting sIeigh
dogs than the "huskies" themselves.
can handle q boat and even figure
tout "a days work." as the reckoning
of ships position at noon Ia called.
He has been Peaty's constant oons-
pan1on for twenty-three years, not
only In the vast silences of the north (.
but in the steamins malaria laden
jungles Of Nicaragua. ~.
Henso Is not full blooded Me-
gro. He has a tinge of white blood
in his veins. A native of the Eass-
ern Shore Of Maryland, he ia an
tough as drawn wire nails and ia an /,
active as fine steel spring. He is
an ideal type for arctic work. Here
Is what Peary said of the faithful
black: H.
He is the bravest man have en-
er known. Fear IL not ia his compo-
sition. would not go north With I
out him." kAnssn s.,>% a0g@