The independent-reporter., 1910-02-17
new YORK REWARDS
LIEUT.. PEARY
Commander Gives Check
to Antarctic Fund
The Honor Due Names Great Expl0r.
er Begins to Be Understood.

Before an audience of more than
5000 persons in the Metropolitan OPP
era house Tuesday night Commander
Robert e. Peary, discoverer OF the
North Pole, was presented with
SIC, 900 check on behalf of the citizens
of New York, but instead of retaining
it for himself the commander an
nounced Immediately that he would
contribute 1t towards the South Pole
expedition as planned by the National
Geographic society.
The check was presented to the
commander by Governor Hughes of
New York, at this, the first national
testimonial in the explorers honor
Accepting the gift Peary advanced to
the front of the stage and said:
Here is check for $4,000. This
check will be deposited, tomorrow, as
joint contribution Of the members
of this audience, the officers and COM
mittee of the Civic Forum and myself
toward an American Antarctic expe-
dition for the purpose of exploration,
and scientific investigation and to en-
ter the stars and stripes In splendid
manly international race for the
South pole with our British cousins,
than whom there are no finer foemen
In the world"
The audience which greeted the
commander, was representative and
enthusiastic. The gathering was held
under the auspices of the. Civic Forum.
President Taft telegraphed that he
was sorry that he was unable to at
tend, but that he sincerely hoped that
Congress will take some substantial
notice of the great achievement of
Commander Peary."
Governor Fernald of Maine also
sent his regrets and the greeting of
the 100000 men and women of his
(Peary's) own state"
The assemblage adopted a resolu-
ton, presented by Seth Low, former
mayor of New York, setting forth
that this meeting respectfully and
earnestly petitions the Congress Of the
United States to make some special
and appropriate recognition OF the
achievement of Commander Peary in
reaching the North Pole and winning
for the United States the prize SO
earnestly striven for century after
century, by great company OF brave
and adventurous men,"
Peary delivered his illustrated lee
ture showing his progress to the pole
and Captain Bartlett spoke briefly.
When the doors we're thrown open at
745 o'clock hundreds of persons were
waiting to enter and until past $50
o'clock the stream kept up and filled
all the seats.
The house was draped in American
flags and the footlights we're buried in
furs and skins, relics, of Commander
Peary's Arctic trip. The sled on which
he journeyed to the pole was in the
center of the stage and the stars and
stripes that Peary raised at the pole
hung above. When Governor Hughes
led Commander Peary on the stage
the audience rose in body and cheer
ed as the orchestra played "The Star
Spangled Banner" In the command
er's party, occupying seats of honor,
were three of the Roosevelt's crew,
Captain Robert A. Bartlett, master;
Dr. j. w. Goodsell, surgeon, and
Charles Percy, steward, and Captain
George Bartlett fthe relief ship Eric.
Others on the stage were members
of the honorary committee of 80 who
arranged the testimonial, including
Charles B. Alexander, Henry Clews,
r. Fulton Cutting, Thomas H. Hub
b@rd, Jacob H. Schiff, Robert J. Col
lier, Seth Low, Isaac H. Seligman,
Paul M. .Warburg. Stuyvesant Fish.
Adrian H. Joline, Theodore P. Shonts,
Hugh J. Chisholm, Ebert H. Gerry,
John Harsen Rhoades and Egerton L.
Winthrop. Jr.
The committee had guaranteed Pea