Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-22
CUOK'S CONFESSION
Remarkable Statement Nnde by the
Explorcr--Whnt Happened to


to uncertainty regarding his claim to tn,
discovery of the North Pole. After 9
detailed and remarkable account OF the
mental processes which he underwent
on his Arctic journey, Dr. Cook, with a
remarkable degree of self-nnalysis, de
scrbes the process of conviction Of fna
attainment which grew upon him. In
stead Of repeating the day by day &C.
count Of his travels over miles OF ice
DR.. Cook dcvotes himself chiefly to wha
Is remarkable mind journey.
DR.. Cooks confession. which Is an
nounced rs human document of OK
'raordnary interest and Importance. IL
presented by Hampton's. which publish
ed commander Peary's story, The Dis
coVrrN of tho North POLE on its owr
merits coming after mysterious Sc.
cNlSioh for an entire year, during which
uhr y" hns had lttle to 81. but reflect
ana arrive at conclusions, Or Cook o..
confession Is most remarkable pcrhap,
IN mat he acknowledges his belief that II
Is absolutely Impossible by scientific OBJ
serVations to ascertain the achievement
of the North Pole. and that his owr
conviction was not based entirely upor
such "proof'
II nm told that many people who dis
credit my original story of nv experi
ence believe in my good faith" says Dr
Cook. This moves me moro than
can toll. II did believe in myself, hon
estly and sincerely. II I felt convinced o,
my claim when reached Copenhager
and later New York. is II just to call m,
the worlds fakir. a common. deliberat,
swindler?"
Dcclaliuc a desire to take friend ant
foe into his confidence. Or. Cook, in
| painstaking effort TO explain himself.
gives al account of his early life, nj,
hoYhood ambitions, and the final focus
ing of his desire upon tic Roreal center
After sixteen years Of rruitless enor'
the final opportunity came 20 him witt
al invitation to accompany John r. Brad
! ley ON n northern hunting trip. DIR Cool
| says that his immediate intention wa'
| merely 10 return to the north. and tina
| It waa not until he arrived at Annoator
| that he finely determined to try for tn,
| Pole
Most certainly we talked OF the Pole,
says Or. Cook, "but. positively and ON
| phatioally, it was not an important in
cett,ve to the Journey Back in my
brain. barely above the suhconsciou
realm, was the feeling that this. how
ever, might offer opportunity in the prep
aration for n final future determination
| I, therefore, without any conscious pur
pose and with my last penny. paid on
of my purs" for extra supplies for per
sonal expedition should J leave the ship
when | left New York my plans were
| not at all definite Even had know
then that should try for the Pole
should not have sought any geogra phica
| license from some vague and unknown
authority. Though much has been mad
by critics of our quiet departure. al
ways felt the quest of the Pole as a per
sonal ambition. crazy hunger I had t,
satisfy.
Accused of being the most collosa
liar OF history, sometimes | feel that NOR
lies have been told about me than abou
! anyone ever born.
TOOK NO GUM DROPS WITH HIM
"As a popular illustration of the sor
of yarns that were told. let me refer I,
! the foolish fake of tho gum drops som
! one started the story that | expected Z
reach the Pole by hribing the Eskimo
| with gum drops-perhaps the idea wa
| that | was 10 lure them on from poin
TO point with regularly issued ration
! of these confections.
"Wherevcr I wen, on my lecture tou
| after my return to the United States
much to my irritation | saw Cook gun
| drops Conspicuously displayed I'm confec
| tionery store windows. Hundreds O
| pounds Of gym drops We're sent to my no
| tel with the compliments of the manu-
facturcrs On all sides heard the gum
| drop story, and in almost every pape
| read the reiterated tale OF leading tn
| Eskimos to the Pole by dangling a CUR
| drop on string before them. | neve
! denied this. as | never denied any OF tn
| fakes printed about me. The fact ie
| that | never heard the gum drop var
until ] came To- New York. We took n
gum drops with us on our Polar trip. and
to my knowledge. no Eskimo ate a gun
| drop while with me.
INCEPTION or THE POLE IDEA.
among the many things which tn
public has been msed into believing 1
| that Mr.. Bradley and | together con
| nived for the purpose of essaying thi
| ques, of the Pole. The fact is. despit
published statements. that not until
reached Annoatok and saw that condi
| tons were favorable for long sledg
Journey. did finally determine to max
northward trip; not until then did
tell, my decision definitely to MIR. Brad
! ley.
| could ! make one powerful dash an
achieve the thing that had haunted m
for years." he asks. MY former fail
| ures logged me. If ! did not try nov
| 1t wa q question whether ever again n
opportunity should come to me. At Ann
| oatok the best hunters of the tribes ha
| gathered for the winter hunt. Aread
| immense caches OF meat had been stored
Hundreds OF dogs. In prime condition
were there for selection. From tn
strong. hefty hunters | could pick tn
! best men to accompany me. Every con
d!tion was suspicious for the EFFORT.
confess the task seemed audacious al
most to the verge OF imposstbility ye
| I want to say that hsd not only IN
| determination to try, but tho precor
ceived conviction that the thing woul
be- done-yes. II by miracle. I woul
| try. I told myself; | believed I should sue
| coed
| After the departure OF Nj, Bradle
Or Cook says he began 10 brood upo
the task which he says he set himsel
saving My life from this time onwar
was Il curious combination OF outwar
| Impressions and retrospective experiences
] want you to understand this thing wa
no casual Jaunt with me. All my III
| hinged about II. my hopes were bent VI
on II, the doing of 1t WAS part OF M