The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-03-23
WAS LIKE ICE
peay Found Atlanta Even Frostieg Ihaa
the Arctic crde-
SMALL CROWD HEAR Him

And it " as as SOlU Us III ACC DeES
from the Frozen North Seas
The Reception Which He Did Not
Receive Indicated That He Had
Reached Furtherest North
Some idea OF the frigid treatment
given Commander Peary last week
| may be inferred from the following
account OF his reception from the
Journal:
Peary doesn't look like liar.
He doesn't talk like braggart.
| That he is brave man he lrcTed
| beyond cavil Wednesday night by
appearing at the auditorium-armoEy.
for it is doubtless II any dauntless
| explorer ever encountered hardships
in the cruel. frozen north. half so
hea-t-rending or pitiful as the recep-
ton accorded Commander Peary IN
Atlanta.
Atlanta. the most hospitals city
in the south. deliberately shut her
doors in his face. Peary has not
seen the real Atlanta at all.
The small. uudemonstrated. chill
" crowd that huddled together in
the centre OF the desolate autitorium
came here skeptical and went away
unconvinced.
4, Poor. pitifui Peary.
The lecture was advertised to he
gin at $50 o'clock. when that hour
arrived. a few hundred impatient
people were scattered among the va
cant seats in the vast amphstheatre.
occasionally stamping the feet and
clapping-to keep themselves warm.
| The minutes sped. The cold and
impatieace increased Have you ever
seen the brethren and sisters wait
ing for the late parson at a Wednes-
day night prayer meeting In small
| town? That IS what the scene sug-
gested.
Presently upon the barren stage
appeared F. L. Seely and Commander
Peary. Mr. Seely said he didn't
known whether his speech ought to
be an Introductory address Of well
come or an apology. Il turned out
to be an an apology.
Then Commander Peary arose. AT
the same instant a couple Of hundred
people arose in the galleries and
stampeded for the lower ioor. They
mad. more noise than small .lrth-
quake.
Mr.. Feary stood bis ground. How
ever the demonstration was not hos
tie. 7: was not riot. The people
w,r. SIMPLY seeking better Eea's.
At length Commander Peary be-
gan 20 speak. Before he had talk
ed Ave minutes he had convinced his
hearers tha, he had an interesting
story to tell His hearers Continued
&c doubt. but ceased to disii &c TIC
explorer.
Not one vo-j did he sav OF Dr..
Cook. not one word Of Governor
Browns criticism or Mayor Maldox's
unwiIlingness to welcome him. The
spirit OF rough. ungentlemanly brag-
sadoc:o which has been attributed
| to nim in more than one newspaper
! report was pleasantly lacking. He
Jared upon nobody.
After exhibiting two or three
maps showing the location OF the
north pole with adjacent lands and
Icy seas. he plunged directly in med
las res and told the story OF HI, lat
est and last expedition IN the from
north He was not argumeutative
or melodram!c. A splendid eollec-
tion OF intensely interesting photo
graphs, poorly thrown upon the
screen. constituted the principal fea-
lures OF the evening. Practically
everything he said was IN e1plana-
ton Of the pictures.
The only reference he made to the
popular doubt that he had reached
the pole was short statement tend
ing to refute the objection that he |!
had made more speed after he LEI:
his supporting party than he had |
made with It. In the first place. in
alI arctic exploration. said he. the
final dash was necessarily more rap
i'd. It was supposed to be. That
was Why the last stage was always
called the dash for the pole"
"A regiment could progress at =
certain speed. said he. A picked
company from that regiment could
go still faster. A picked squad from
tina. company could mako still bet
ter time. and the crack sprinter OF
that squad could 80 the fastest OF
all. The last dash he said. was made
in that way. with the In
cunbrance Of supporting parties and
heavy baggage left behind.
Commander Peary was heard with
intense interest. but there was no
when he flashed upon
the serene his picture OF the stars
and stripes nailed to the top OF the
world" and there was no ovation
after the lecture ended.