Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-12-07

IN an article which VIII be publish
ed in Hampton's Magazine, confesses
that he does not know whether he
reached tho North Pole or not. Dr..
Cook, who has been in hiding for
over q year, has informed the edi-
tors Of the magazine publishing his
story that he Will return to the Uni
ted States with his wife and chill
dren December 90, in order to spend
Christmas here.
Cook Doesn't Know.
DR.. Cook, In his story, deals with
the psychology Of his adventure and
says:
did get to the North Pole? Per-
maps l made a mistake in thinking
that did. Perhaps l did not make
mistake. After mature thought /
confess that do not know absolute
ly whether reached the Pole or not.
This may come as an amazing state
ment, but | am willing to startle the
world If, by SO doing, I can get an
opportunity to present my case. BY
my case, mean, not my case as
geographical discoverer, but my case
as man. Much as the attainment Of
the North Pole once meant to me, the
sympathy and confidence Of my fell
low men mean more.
IF, after reading my story, you
say Cook is sincere and honest; half.
crazed by months Of isolation and
hunger, he believed he reached the
Pole; he is not faker;' then I
shall be satisfied"
Dr.. Cook tells the story of his life
and pictures what he calls the over
powering ambition for exploration
that beset him until it finally culmi-
mated in his effort to reach the Pole.
Says He Was Half Mad.
DR.. Cook says that at the time he
convinced himself he had discovered
the Pole, he was half mad. He spent
two years in his quest, and during
that time endured hunger and priva-
ton that, he says, would unbalance
any mind.
The explorer states that it would
be impossible for any man to demon
stratc beyond question that he had
been to the North Pole. He charac-
teriZes the region as region OF in
sanity, where one cannot believe the
evidence gathered by ones own eyes.
hot J,1
upon the discovery of the Pole as an
afhievement for his own personal
o3tisfacion, for the satisfaction OF
and desire that was greater
than any other factor in his life.
When he found how tremendous a
sensation his statement that he had
attained the Pole created, he was
overcome with bewilderment.
Tells of His Flight.
DR.. Cook then tells the story OF
the days in Copenhagen and later in
New York, and OF the crisis in his
life that led to his flight from New
York and his voluntary exile from
the United States. The explorer
says that, notwithstanding he fact
est newspaper men in the world day
after day, and that sums ranging up
to several thousands OF dollars were
offered for clcw to his whereabouts
he has never worn disguise and
has never taken any unusual precau-
ton to conceal his identity. Part of
the time, he says, his wife has been
with him and part Of the time his
children.
Or. Cook and his wife are now in
Europe and the children are now in
q convent in France. Most Of the
time during his exile Dr. Cook has
been in London. He says that he
has gone out among Americans there
with the utmost freedom and at
times has registered under his own
name, and that only few have
guessed his identity. Those who did
guess it, DR.. Cook says, were turned
away with ease by the remark:
"Why, yes, | have been told that
before"
Wants to Return.
With the opportunity for thought
that his exile has given him, Dr..
Cook says he has found growing
stronger and stronger the desire to
return to his own country, to be un-
dcrstood by his own people. He re-
alizes better than any one else the
esteem in which he was held.
81 have been called the greatest
liar in the world, the most m0nu-