The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-04-21
Likes Cook Personally.


OF the country. 2
Likes Cook Personally.
At the same time Professor Parker
spoke in most kindly way OF Dr..
Cook, saying that he was a pleasant
companion, brave and persevering.
Professor Parker took pains to mark
out In Ink for me the route traversed
by Cook in his first expedition in 1908.
He was not with Cook at that time.
but knew Of his work both from Dr..
Cook himself and others. The expedi-
ton passed entirely around Mount
Mckinley, crossing the gigantic Alas
kan range twice. Any one who knows
aught Of the character Of the country
can appreciate the difficulty Of the
task. That exploit alone was enough
to establish DR.. Cooks position as an
explorer" said Professor Parker.
He then went on to explain what he
believed to be the real motive behind
Cooks attempt to deceive the world.
Since Parker Jointly with Cook was
the head Of the 1906 expedition he per-
haps knows more about it than any
other man except Cook himself. 'sIn
my opinion it was lack of money that
made DR.. Cook send out the story that
he had climbed Mount Mckinley" he
said. He had incurred many liabili-
ties in making the trip and was inan-
cially at the end Of his rope. If he
failed, ruin practically stared him in
the face. Even If this had not been
true he had not time to return and
make another try at Mount Mckinley,
as he was even then contemplating a
dash to the pole To save himself
financially and to carry out his plans
he sent the Mount Mckinley story to
the world
I cannot convey too strongly the
fact that Professor Parker showed alb
solutely no personal rancor in his dis
cussion of this matter He said he
spoke Of it only as man Of science in
the interest of truth. From my own
observation of him believe that, aside
from the natural desire Of any noun
tain climber to be the first to scale a
difficult peak, he would be actually
glad if he found DR.. Cooks little brass
tube on the top Of Mount McKinley-a
thing the Fairbanks expedition failed
to do-and would lose no time in con-
veying the news to the world.
The boat in which the Parker expe-
dition will traverse Cook inlet and as
cend the Sushitna and the dangerous
Chulitna rivers has been especially
constructed for this trip, is forty feet
long, capable of twelve miles an hour
and is run by kerosene motor. It
will be tied up at the first base.
From observations made during the
1906 expedition and from photographs
made by other exploring parties in the
region Professor Parker believes that
there is practicable pass through the
range just to the eastward Of Mount
Mckinley and possible ascent along
the ridges to the east or northeast. It
is on this that he bases his chief re-
lance.
The Life Of an Explorer.
OF Belmore Browne, the second in
command, it was said that he was the
life of the 1906 expedition. Mr..
Brownies most remarkable feature is
his eye. It is Of that peculiar gray
blue which looks like polished steel.
Large, luminous, steady, fearless, it is
such an eye as one would look for in
a warrior. Merely because Of Profess
or Parker's face and Belmore Brownies
eye I expect much from this expedi-
ton.
Of the other members of the party
81. r. Tucker, the forester, has done
considerable climbing in the Appala-
chians and elsewhere, while Professor
Kuntz, the topographer, is noted in
the world of science. In a letter in
closing his photograph Waldemal
Grassi, the Columbia student, says
that he is an American educated
abroad, that his father is an importer
of italian produce in New York and
that his grandfather was a general of
artillery in the Italian army This
strain Of warrior blood should come in
good play, for it takes quite as much
OF the soldier to conquer a mountain
as it does to take city.
Professor Herschel Clifford Parker
was born in 1867 and is the grandson
Of a Brooklyn physician. On his
mothers side Professor Parker is de.
scended from a Revolutionary officer
and delegate to the Continental con
gress. The lad was educated in pri.
vate schools, in the Brooklyn Poly.
technic and in the Columbia School OF
Mines. Immediately upon graduation
in 1890 he was made an Instructor in
Columbia and thirteen years later was
elevated to professorship With
Walter G.. Clark he was the joint in
ventor Of the carbon filament used in
the incandescent light and of the
helion filament, whose light is almost
four times as strong. He is also cred
tied with other noted inventions and