The sun., 1910-12-23
Ships Cabin Breaks Into a
Riotous CIamor as the
Vessel Is Docked.
G. WASHINGTON BRINGS HIM
Says He May Not Have Been 1t
the Pole, but Is Sure About
Mount Mckinley.

In n few minutes last evening IN.
Frederick A Cook had a wish gratified
which he has said h desired most earn
es'ly To have grntrfi.d tn find out what
the American people think of him Even
II DR. Cook. who arrived from Europe last
night on the George Washington Of the
North German Lloyd Line had stuffed
cotton IN his ears and kept them plugged
from the time IN. customs Inspectors
boarded the liner at Quarantine until
the ship was docked at Hoboken about
r NJ the homecoming explorer must
have heard the uproar Of debate which
started in the saloon Of the ship wnen
"A tall passenger with monocle told a re-
porter heatedly that tn. pa@sen gers on ths
way over had refused 70 associate wits
DR.. Cook. and another passenger a.
heatedly said that the first passenger waa
talking through his hat and that only q
man who kept his hat on in the presence
Of ladies would make such remark about
"A perfect gentleman like DR. Cook any
way
Whereupon third passenger. a fraction
OF a second later. back ed up the first pas
senger Into the saloon now were crowd
ing passengers who had interrupted
their farewells and things to take an
active part in the oral riot Girls wers
standing high on the upholstered chairs
to get better view Of the debaters, who
were shaking fingers in one another's
faces. The word spread and the smoking
room was deserted
And il all came like thundsrclap just
az the close Of peaceful voyage. For
week the passengers had been talking
among themselves about how much they
admired the doctor or how much they
didn't; hut all this smoking room and
saloon debate was of a kind that might
be called smoulderng
Two minutes after the reporters boarded
the ship DR.. Cook himself was sitting
quietly in the saloon talking TO friend.
All around were passengers with hats
and coats ready. baggage packed and
with no thought Of anything except to
debark a. soon ~ possible and seek
hotels or homes And then of q sudden
But did you ever see Capt. BonAvita
in the old days enter the arena with his
twenty-ssven lions. all acting a. peace
fully ms one could wish? And then one
lion makes a sudden sideSwipe at q team
mate and in two seconds the battle Ia
spread out like the Hundred Years War
Friendships made on the boat that prom
iss-d Ia be lifelong were broken on tbs
instant. At the beginning OF hostilities
the doctor withdrew and did not appear
until just before the boat docked.
Or. Cook boarded the boat at Bremen
wearing a full beard. No one recognised
him at the time. but soon there was a
searching Of the passenger lis. when il
was noised about that he was aboard.
few hours after the boat sailed tho
doctor appeared in fhe smoking room,
now minus his beard but wearing a m,n-
tache
Further than the occasional remark ~
he passed That's Or Cook. no particular
attentiuA was paid tn him during the rest
NJ the trip. He made few friends about
half "A dozen and accompani ed by these
he would seek table on the port side OF
the smoking room each evening and drink
ale while he played cards with his friends.
One man walked up 20 him on the second
day. ~ related Ivy one Of the girl passeu-
gers last night. and asked
Are you Dr. Cooke
L am a DR. Cook he replied with q
smile
The DR.. Cook who said hs went to the
north pole?" continued the gentleman who
had sat long in the smoking room.
4 have been there answered the ex.
plorer lightly and continued his constitu-
tional
Throughout the voyage. however. the
doctor had little TO say about his polar
and Mount Mckinley trips as he would say
last night when interviewed by the re-
portars while coming up the bay. And
about all he would say 10 the reporters was
that ne believes he was at the pole, but
may he mistaken hut ia certain that
he reached the top Of Mount Mckinley.
For further information DR.. Cook re-
ferr-d his gurstioners to a brief type
written statement. such as IL now coming
To he known A. the canned I'M nterview. Even
when asked pointedly why he had chosen
fo come home on a ship named the George
the doctor got half way
through his SET answer. You'll find all
that explained in my magazine story. the
publication Of which, &c. before he re-
called himself
I'm see you gentlemen here in the
saloon in half an hour was the Doctors
reply TO the frat Question put 20
him The debates thar soon were 20
increase TO a volume tina, could drown
out the siren of t..r big ship were just
beginning 10 get under way in far corners
of the saloon The doctor and I Everett
Harry. associate editor Of Ham ptoR's
Y10azirs. who had boarded the boat
with the reporters. went below and were
rlosefed
Some OF the girla aboard were telling
Of the time, they had asked the doctor IN
come on dec. To ,be photographed and
how gracious he had been about being
.napsho ted when the tall man with the
face and the monocie
hurried uD to say harsh things about tho