Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-02-14

In the annals of Arctic exploration
there is nothing to compare with the
case of DIR. Cook. He has been ac-
claimed and honored: he has been
denounced and condemned. He has
been hailed as the first man to pene-
trate the frozen North to the axle
of the earth, as the first to reach the
"Big Nail' of the Eskimos Then,
DIR. Cook has been denounced as "the
most colossal liar in history as he
says himself.
The career of DR.. Cook since his
claim to Arctic honors first thrilled
the world is too well known to need
discussion here. 1t is enough to say
that he was the center of the most
sensational conflict ever known and
that he, himself, now feels that he
must defend his achievements. 1t is
not in the province of this article to
espouse the cause of DIR. Cook, but
it cannot be amiss to give something
of what the explorer has to say. He
is now making a lecture tour of the
United States, giving from the stage
his version of his case.
For Current Features DR.. Cook has
prepared an article which deals with
what he calls the ''Polar Contro-
versy," starting with the time he and
his two Eskimo companions started
back from the top of the earth:
"On the return journey our diff
or1lf +boi
upward march. The ice began to |
break and separate; there was open
water with continuous fogs. With
clouded skies, it was impossible to |
determine the drift of the ice under
our feet. We were carried uncon-
sciously far to the west and south I
of our course, and, when skies finally
cleared and we got an observation,
we found ourselves away down in
Crown Prince Gustav Sea. After a
long and tedious journey, with starv-
alton staring us in the face, we
finally reached Jones Sound, and here,
on Cape Sparbo, we stayed through
out another long winter night We
ate the meat of the musk-ox and
used their fat for fuel and their skins
for clothing. We spent the winter in
an old cave. Early in March we
started for the long return march to
our Greenland camp. After many de-
tours, to avoid open water, and many
narrow escapes from starvation, we
finally got back to our Greenland
camp and here we saw for the first
time in fourteen months other human
faces except our own. Here with
their people I left my two Eskimo
splendid, faithful, helpful
manly fellows they had beenl They
had gone with me to the Pole and
pack, had suffered all of the fortunes
had suffered, had endured all the
uncomplainingly not for
money, not for honor-for they can
Tot appreciate either-but simply be-
ause they wished to be useful to one
They deserve just as much credit as
do for the result of the expedition,
nd 1 want you to remember them,
o remember their names: Ah-we-lah
nd E-tuk-i-shook.
"Now we were back to our Green
and camp; we were half starved, al
lost unable to walk. We naturally
ooked around for something to eat,
specially from our own school. But,
ad TO say, during our absence some
ne else came along and took that
amp, took everything we had in the
orth world This brrnUs rs To the
rst chapter of what is known as the
olar Controversy.
''Two months after 1 had reached
he Pole, two big ships started north
,r the Pole. They went north with
lie usual press bombast. At about
le same time my companion. Ru-
olph FRANKIE, who had been left in
reenland to guard my supplies, was
OK He was in desperate shape; he