Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-14
DR.. COOK IN ROLE
OF STAGE "STAR'
Arctic Traveller Tells Audience
He's In Vaudeville Simply
to Get Hearing.

Or. FTe0crIck A. CDOkf WIN hebA
In the recent North pole controversy,
Is in Newark. He's on exhibition In
Proctor's Theatre. DIR. Cook Is one
of the performers at the vaudeville
house this week. and Judging from
his talk yesterday he will not make
much of an impression on his hear
ers. He was uncouth I'm his express
sions relative to his claims as the
first man to reach the pole. and ne
never hesitated In showing an fmpu-'
dent animosity to Admiral Peary ana
members of the National Geographic
Society.
DR.. Cook. in an interview yester-
day. said:
Lots OF people say that am ap-
pearing in vaudeville for the rooney
that is in it--that is absolutely I'M
true. L spent twenty years of my life
in my efforts to reach thefNorth Pole,
solely as a matter of scientific re-
search was not paid by the gov
eminent a yearly salary, neither did
expect a promotion and a retire.
ment.
"Why should / come before you
with scores of scientific workers back
ing me and with only a few others
discrediting my claims and ask for
your cooperation unless I had proof
to substantiate my claims. My
enemies have said that I was dis
credited by the University of Copen-
hagen which had bestowed degree
upon me. This also Is absolutely I'M
true. While 1 have never claimed
absolutely that I stood on the pin
point of the earth's axis, I do claim
that from all the observations 1 was
able to make, especially the length of
the human shadow, which l took
every hour of the day, and which
were of equal length, that did reach
a point known az the North Pc!
"But. when they retired Peary on
an 'old mans pension l wish to tell
YOU one thing. When advanced to
the pole and left my base of sup
plies at AnnoatolS left food sufficient
for two years. When my little party
returned to that point after many
months of hardships and nearly
starved we found that the Peary
party had taken our food.
I'VE made our way, however, and
when twenty-five miles south of Etah
we found two relatives of Peary's $,
and these we cared for with our sup
plies and kept them from starving.
Is that fair play? leave that en-
tirely to your judgment"
When asked why he had remained
silent so long after his claim had
been discredited by the National Geo
graphic Society of Washington DR..
Cook said:
at found that my silence was barring
INV, throat to q butcher, and now
am going to fight it out. The SO
called National Geographic Society Is
not a geographic society at all. Any
one with two dollars can become a
member regardless of their knowl-
edge. Forty EIGHT Arctic explorers
believe that I reached the pole, whiie
Peary is only fortified with three VIII
nesses. three steam roller MONKEY
wrenches who do not know the dir
ference between the Arctic pole and
BARRIERS pole"
DR. Cook declared that his downfall
was due to Peary's press bureau, the
yellow press, and in expressing ms
views on this line took opportunity
To severely assail several newspapers.
"Furthermore," continued DR.. Cook,
"I have submitted my proofs Of claim
practically to the whole word, ana
stand ready to do SO again, put 70
whom has Peary SupiiliIteu Lac
claims? No one but the National Geo
graphic Society, which knows nothing
of the subject This body appointed a
committee of three to examine my
proofs, and these three were personal
friends of Peary's. Therefore they
discredited me.
"what I now demand is recogni-
ton bv Congress of my achievement.
tried to reach the people through
the lecture platform. but later re-
allied that by appearing in the vaude-
vile theatres could reach about
a. 900 people a week, and have so
convinced my audiences that 1 have
| caused the malls of congressman
from the sections In which I have
| spoken to be deluged with demands
that my claim be given an official
hearing"
Tn his vaudeville sketch DR.. Cook
ia introduced by Captain E. B. Bald
win. head of the acknowledges
| arctic expeditions on two searches for
the North Pole In vouchsaf1ng for
the authenticity of DR.. Cooks claims
he declared that there were powerful
influences working against the physi-
clan. who was the surgeon for two
of Peary's parties.