Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1911-07-14
COOK ON
PLATFORM |. /:
RUBS 1T INTO LIEUT.. PEARY
Chautauqua Program Proves to be
Interesting--Many High
Class Numbers.

At the Watertown Chautauqua last
Saturday evening DR.. Cook stood On
the platform and told the people in a
straightforward and simple manner
regarding his trip to the north pole.
he scored Lieutenant Peary for at
tempting to discredit him with the
American people and stated very
plainly that Mr.. Peary was liar and
thief and that he could prove it,.
While the rain was pattering on the
top of the tent for a good hour and a
half Dr. Cook held the closest attsn-
ton of his audience.
On April 21, 1908, the mysterious
center of the silver shining arctic
world was reached by Dr. Cook.Alone,
with but two Eskimo companions, the
American explorer undertook jour
rey of unparalleled hardship and
which called for almost superhuman
endurance. Probably no feat of equal
difficulty, adventure and hardship
will ever again be accomplished. 8
DR.. Cooks own story of his remark
able journey is one of the most thrill
ing, entertaining and gripping ac-
counts in the history Of exploration. 3
How, with the willing hand of q
two hundred and fifty esauimo, he
l
prepared, during the long winter
months of winter nights, provisions
for the polar journey; how, during
monthly periods of moonlight, he,
4 with natives, pursued walrus and
| wild animals in the dark frozen
north, how he braved death in dashes
over the chasm cut Greenland noun
4 tains and far out onto the frozen sea
4 ale told by DR.. Cook with graphic
vividness.
Starting poleward in the flaming
dawn of the coming months of con
tinued day, DR.. Cook steps upon the
circumpolar sea, and finally, with his
companions, embarks upon his his
toric dash. OF the lure of the aurors
shot skies, the purple SHOWS with
their lakes of sapphire and rivulets d
ruby; of the thrill Of those mad, I'm
petuous marches of the hnrdships o
the march, Of the days of hunger ant
starvation which followed, DR.. Cooi
tells with detail, During the brie
one hundred oboriginals of the north
One feels with DR., Cook the strang
fascination OF the north pole, and
; with him, one glories in an achieve
nlent marked by the setting up O
the Stars and Stripes ON the World
. Top, ..t--.
He said in part as follows: IN
!. 4 conviction that j reached the Pol
! never was based solely upon obsel
vatioas, figures or mathematical ca
, rularions. / did take these, of course
Sometimes took them hastily, agai
, working them out with most pain:
4 taking accuracy. Sometimes my min
was clear as crystal, again was dai
ed with hunger, thirst and colo
n These figures did not serve to col
!, vince me of my achievement The
only corroborated my inner conyit
ton of progress. They were impol
tant in working a plan of action G
the conquest, they must always b
!, insufficient. ~ 5s5 .Zs
0 WAS my inner conviction that
attained the Pole insane? This ha
i been asked and suggested. Perhaps
2 Which raises the whole problem Q
3 the border lines of sanity. I was,
o feel, no more insane than any ma
who frantically pursues an ideal-a
Ideal which may seem hairbrained
8 the practical-and who finally to hin
self, If no other, is satisfied that h
has accomplished his desire. My cor
Y lvicaion may be beyond the bounds Q
reason. Sometimes now ] feel tha
it is. Again do not, do not know
t / merely know. and describe, throug
I what II passed Moreover, and es
t pecially since ] have viewed me-
e from a peculiarly anspicious thougl
j. unenxiable angle OF late, have bee
3 impressed with the instability, tn
= fillogicality OF all human. reason.
Continued on Page 6