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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1909)
PM THE GUIS OF ISSUESLONGPROMISED STATE MENT IN NORTH POLE DISPUTE. GIVES STORY OF THE ESKIMOS Tho Statement la Signed by Peary, BartleU, McMillan, Borup and Hen on of the Roosevelt Party Eski mo Doys Closely Questioned bv All. (Entered according to Act of Congress. In the year 1309, by ttio Peary Arctic Club, In tho odlco of Uio Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.) Now York, Oot 12. Tho following statement of Command er Robert E-. Peary, which ho submitted, together with tho accom panying map, to tho Peary Arctic club In support of his contention that Dr. Cook did not roach tho north polo, Is now mado public for tho first time. Tho statement and map have been copyrighted by the Peary Arctic club. INTRODUCTION BY PEARY. Some of my reasons for saying that Sr. Cook did not go to tho north polo will bo understood by thoso who read tho following statements of tho two Eskimo boys who wont with him, and who told mo and others of my party where ho did so. Several Eskimos who started with Dr. Cook from An- orntok In Fobruary, 1908, wcro at Etnh when I arrived thore In August, 1908. Thoy told mo that Dr. Cook had with him, after thoy left, two Eskimo boys, or young men, two sledges and somo twenty uogs. Tho hoys wcro I-took-a-shoo and Ah-pe-lah. I had known them from their childhood. Ono was about eighteen and tho other about nineteen years of age. On my return from Capo Sheridan and at tho very flret settlement I touched (Nerke, near Capo Chalon) In August, 1909, and nlno days beforo reaching Etah, the Eskimos told mo, In a general way, whoro Dr. Cook had been; that ho had wintered In Jones Sound, and that ho had told tho whlto men nt Elab that ho had been n long way north, but that tho boys who wore with him, I-took-a-Bhoo and Ah-pe-lah, said thnt this was not so. Tho Eski mos laughed at Dr. Cook's story. On reaching Etah. I talked with the Es Jtlmos thcro and with tho two boys and asked them to describe Dr. Cook's Journey to members of my party and myself. This they did in tho manner stated 'below. l(Slgned) It. E. PEARY. Signed -Statement of Peary, Bartlett, McMillan, Borup and Henson, In Re gard to Testimony of Cook's Two Eskimo Boyo. Tho two Eskimo boys, I-took-a-shoo and Ah-pe-lah, who accompanied Dr. Cook whilo'ho was away from Anorn tok In 1908 and 1909, wero questioned separately and independently, and wero corroborated by Panlkpah, tho father of ono of them (I-took-a-shoo), who wob personally familiar with tho first third and the last third of their journoy, and who said that tho routo for tho remaining third, as shown by thorn, was as described to him by his con after his return with Dr. Cook. To go more into details: Ono of the boys wad called In, and, with a chart on tho table beforo him, was asked to bLow .whoro ho had gono with Dr. Cook. This ho did, pointing out with his finger on tho map, but uot making any marks upon it. As ho went out, tho other boy camo In and was asked to show whero ho had gone with Dr. Cook. This ho did also without making any marks, and indicated tho Bamo routo and tho same details as did tho first boy. When ho was through, Panlkpah tho father of I-took-a-shoo, a very In telllgent man, who was In tho party of Eskimos that camo back from Dr Cook from tho northorn end of Nan sen's strait, who la familiar as a hunt er with tho Jones Sound region, and who has, been in Commander Peary's various expeditions for somo fifteen years, camo in and Indicated tho same localities and details as the two boys Then the first boy was brought in again, and with a pencil ho traced on the map their routo, members of our party writing upon tho chart whero according to tho boy's statement, thoy had ldlled deer, bear, somo of their dogs, seal, walrus and musk oxen. Tho second boy was then called in and tho two went over tho churt to cottier, tho second boy suggesting somo changes as noted herenftor. During tho taking of this testimony, Trained Eagles for Aviation. Ono of tho most fanatic ballooning projects of tho past was that of an Austrian who suggested, nearly n cen tury ago, that balloons might be guided in any desired direction with the old of trained eagles. Long Delayed Tribute. "Tho experienced reporter Is a model of courtesy," acknowledged a Philadelphia proachor. First bouquet of that kind In years and years. Cleveland Loader. EXPLORER I MAP SHOWING WHAT 2: It dovolopod that Dr. Cook had told i theso boys, as ho told Mr. Whitney nnd Billy Prltchnrd, tho cabin boy, that thoy must not tell Commander Peary or any of us anything about their Journoy, and tho boys stated Dr. Cook had threatened them If they should toll anything. Tho narratlvo of theso Eskimos is as follows: They, with Dr. Cook, Francko nnd nlno other Eskimos, left Anoratok, crossed Smith's Sound to Capo Sablno, Blept In Coramandor Peary's old house In Payer Harbor, then went through IUco strnlt to Buchanan bny. After a few marches Francko and three Eski mos returned to Anoratok. Dr. Cook, with tho others, then pro ceeded up Flagler bay, n branch of Buchanan hay, and crossed Elles mero Land through tho valley pass at the head of Flagler bay, Indicated by Comtnandor Peary In 1898, nnd utilized by Svcrdrup In 1899, to the head of Sverdrup's "Day Fiord" on tho wost sldo of Elloamero Land. Tholr routo then lay out through this (lord, thonco north through Sver drup's "Houorka Sound'' and Nansen strait. On tholr way thoy killed musk oxen and bear, and mado caches, arriving eventually at a point on tho west side of Nnnscn strait (shoro of Axel Hoi berg Land of Svcrdrup), south of Cape Thomas Hubbard. A cache was formed hero nnd the four Eskimos did not go beyond this point. Two others, Koolootlngwah and Inughito, wont on ono more march with Dr. Cook nnd tho two boys, helped to build tho snow Igloo, then returned without sleeping. (Theso two Eskimos brought back a letter from Dr. Cook to Francko, dated tho seventeenth of march. Tho two mon rejoined tho other four ,mon who hnd been left bohlnd, nnd tho six returned to Anoratok, arriving May 7. This information was , obtnlnod not from the two Eskimo boys, but from tho bIx men who returned and from Francko himself, and was known to us In tho summer of 1908, when tho Roosevelt first arrived at Etah, Tho information Is Insorted hero as supple mentary to tho narnttlvo of tho two boys.) After sleeping at the camp where the last two Eskimos turned back, Dr. Cook and the two boys went In a northerly or northwesterly direction with two 6ledges and twenty-odd dogs, one or more march, when they en countered rough Ice and a lead of open water. They did not enter this rough Ice, nor cross the lead, but turned westward or southwestward a short distance and returned to Helberg Land at a point west of where they had left the cache and where the four men had turned back. Suggestion as to Clothing. Clothing ought to bo mado with tho soft ancient Egyptian or modern Chi nese buttons. Maybo removable ones are better still. If It wero not for buttons most laundering could bo done by machinery. New York Press. Salt Whale. Already qulto a trade Is done with Japan In canned and saltod whale meat It Is said to bo mora tendor than beef and to tastb lilto a. Na tional Food Magazine. PEARY CLAIMS IS ROUTE TRAVELED BY DR. COOK After being Informed of the boys' i narrative thus far, Commander Peary suggested a series of questions to be put to tho boys In regard to this trip from the land out and back to It. Did they cross' many open leads, or much open water during this time? Ans. None. Did they make any caches out on tho Ice? Ans. No. With how many sledges did they start? Anp. Two. How many dogs did they have? Ans. Did not remember exactly, but some thing over twenty. , How many sledges did they have when they got back to land? Ans. Two. Did they have any provisions left on their sledges when they came back to land? Ans. Yes; the sledgeS still had about all they could carry, so they were able to take but a few things from the cache. From here they went -southwest along the northwest coast of Helberg Land to a point Indicated on the map (Sverdrup's Cape Northweit). From here they went west across the Ice, which was level and covered with snow, offering good going, to a low Island which they had seen from the shore of Helberg Land at Cape Northwest. On this Island they camped for one sleep. From this Island they could see two lands beyond (Sverdrup's Ellef Ring nes and Amund Rlngnes Lands). From the Island they Journeyed toward the left-hand one of these two lands (Amund Rlnges Land), passing a small Island which they did not visit. Arriving at the shore of Amund Rlngnes Land, the Eskimos killed a deer as Indicated on the chart. The above portion of the state ment of the Eskimo boys covers the period of time In which Dr. Cook claims to have gone to the pole and back, and the entire time during which he could possibly have made any attempts to go to It. If it Is suggested that perhaps Dr. Cook got mixed and that he reached the pole, or thought he did, between the time of leaving the northwest coast of Helberg Land at Cape North west, and his arrival at Rlngnes Land, where they killed the deer, we must then add to the date of Dr. Cook's let ter of March 17th, at or near Cape Thomas Hubbard, the subsequent four or five sleeps at that point, and the number of days required to march from Cape Thomas Hubbard to Cape Northwest (a distance of some sixty nautical miles), which would advance his date of departure from the land to at least the 25th of March, and be prepared to accept the claim that Dr. Cook went from Cape Northwest (about latitude eighty and a half de grees north) to the pole, a distance of Damage Done by Brown Rat. Tho brown or Norway rat Is re garded by tho Unltod States depart ment of ngrloulturo as "tho worst mammal pest In tho United States, the losses from Its depredations amount ing to many millions of dollars year ly." Peculiar Florida River. Tho St. John's rlvor In Florida Is tho only navlgablo rlvor In tho coun try that flows In a gonorally north erly direction Into an ocean. five hundred and seventy geographical miles, In twenty-seven days. After killing tho deer thoy then trav eled south njong tho cast sldo of Rlng nes Land to tho point indicated on uio chart, whoro thoy killed another door. They then wont cast across tho south pnrt of Crown Prlnco Gustnv sea to tho south end of Helberg Lnnd, then down through Norwegian bay, whoro thoy secured somo benrs, but not until after thoy had killed somo of their dogs, to tho oast sldo of Gra ham Island; then eastward to tho lit tle bay marked "Eld'a Fiord" on Sver drup's chart; then southwest to Holl's Gato and Simmon's peninsula. . Horo for tho first time during tho entlro Journoy, oxcept as already noted oft Capo Thomas II. Hubbard, thoy encountered open water. On this point tho boys wero clear, emphaUc, nnd unshakable. Thoy spont n good deal of tlmo In this region, and finally abnndoncd their dogs and ono Blodgo, took to tholr boat, crossed Hell's Gato to North Kent, up into Norfolk Inlet, then back nlong tho north coast of Colin Archor Peninsula to Capo Vora, whero thoy obtained fresh older duck eggs. Horo thoy cut tho remaining sledge off, that is shortened it, as it was awkward to transport with tho boat, and near horo thoy killed a wal rus. From Capo Vera they went on down Into tho Bouthwcst unglo of Jones Sound, whoro they killed a seal; thence cast along tho south coast of tho sound, killing thrco bears at tho point noted on the map, to tho ponln sula known as Capo Sparbo on tho map, about midway on tho south sldo of Jones Sound. Horo thoy killed somo musk-oxen and, continuing cust, killed four moro at tho placo Indl cated on tho chart, nnd woro finally stopped by tho pack lco at tho mouth of Jones Sound. From horo thoy turned back to Capo Sparbo, whoro thoy wintered nnd killed mnny musk' oxen. After tho Bun returned In 1909 thoy started, pushing tholr sledgo, across Jones Sound to Capo TennyBon; thonco along tho coast to Claronco Head; (pnsBlng Inside of two small islands not shown on tho chart, but drawn on it by tho boys), whoro they killed n bear; thence across tho broad bight In tho coast to Cadogan Fiord; thonco nroilnd Capo Isabella and up to Com mandcr Penry's old housd In Payor Harbor near Capo Sablno, whoro thoy found a seal cached for thorn by Pan Ikpah, I-took-n-shoo'n fathur, From horo thoy crossed Smith Sound on tho lco, arriving nt Anoratok. (Signed) It. K. PEARY, U. B. N. ROUF.HT A. HARTLETT, Mustnr 8. S. Itoouovolt. D. R. M'MILLAN, ClEOnOE HORUP, MATTHEW A. IIKNSON. WOO D) 8ad. Two Uttlo girls woro out walking when they passed tho big brick build Ing of an orphan asylum. "That, Mln nle," said Rosy, nnxlous to Impart her knowlcdgo to hor younger sister, whoro tho little orphans Hvo. Mr. and Mrs. Orphan aro both dead." A Foolish Notion. Most of tho mon who think tho world Is against thorn aro so Inslgnlfl cant that tho world has never noticed them. IBB IN BRIEF NEWS NOTES OF INTEREST FROM VARIOU8 SECTIONS. ftLL SUBJECTS TOUCHED UPON Religious, Social, Agricultural, Polit ical and Other Matters Given Due Consideration, Tho town of Valley has lot tho con tract for ii systout of waterworks. ' Most Doatrlco schools, closed for a tlmo because uf diphtheria, havo.ro uumed. A groat tomporanco pnrado planned for Omaha has boon called off for tho prosont Poncn Is busy with improvement, tho city council having ordered much work to bo dono. Saloons of Arapahoe endorse tho 8 o'clock closing law, declaring It n good measure for all tho pooplo. Tho potato crop of Cuming county, now being harvested, Is good. Thoy nro being sold nt 59 cents a bushel. Presbyterians of Deavor City will erect a $7,000 church on tho ground occupied by tho structure somo tlmo ago burnod. John McClung, n woll known sport ing chnractor of Indlnnoln, was found dead In bod nt tho l'nhuor hotel In McCook. Death was duo to hoart dls case. Tho stnto railway commission granted tho Farmers' Co-operatlvo Telophono company of Jnnsen author lty to Incroaso Its capital stock by ?500, making a total of $10,500. Miss Altco Everett of Lyons ous talncd n broken shoulder whlto play lng basket ball. Sho In teaching school near Sioux City and wns tnkon to her homo on account of tho nccl dent Bishop Bonacum of tho dloccso of Lincoln confirmed a clnss of flfty-flvo In St. Patrick's church at McCook. It was tho first visit of tho bishop thoro In his capacity for sovcral yoars. Governor Shnllonbergcr honored i requisition from tho govornor of 1111 nols for tho rotum to that stato of Frank Grant, who Is accused of lar ceny. Grant Is now undor arrest at Red Cloud. Tho Dodgo County Poultry associa tion hns decided to add an exhibition of dogs nnd cats to tho regular show, which will bo hold at Fremont In Do- combor. Thoro nVo a humbor of kon nels of blooded dogs In thnt vicinity which it is oxpocted will probably bo shown. Tho Wright & Hoard ranchos In Banner county, comprising 8,360 ncros of land, hnvo been sold at auction for $101,400, or nn avorngo prlco por aero of $12.13. Tho land Is to bo out urt Into thirty-four different tracts nnd each trato sold soparatcly to tho high est blddor. , Frank Martin, sontonccd to twolvo yoars on tho chargo of assnult to kill, declares ho was not in Dawes county at tho time of tho assault, Novomher 12, 190?. Evldcnco was prcsontcd to tho govornor and ho took tho enso undor ndvlsoment, Martin filing a plea for clemency. With n complaint of assault nnd battery filed against him and charges of bootlogglng und robbery hold In aboyanco, William Cnrron, alias "Rod" Kennoy, 1b kooplng himself clear of tho locality about Central City Just now. Thoro is a warrant out for him, but ho appears to hnvo mado u good getaway. Congressman G. W. Norris mndo a short nddross to tho students of tho high school nnd eighth grndo nt Su porlor on tho Panama canal. Tho congressman was In town n Uttlo ovor nu hour between trains, but Suporln tondont Stnloy took advantngo of tho tlmo ho did hnvo to got u talk from him. Tho Inst hospital rooprt from tho state ponltontlnry shows that two pa tlonts afflicted with tuberculosis nro constantly rocolvlng treatment In tho penitentiary hospital and that tholr condition Is ho bad that thoy aro n monaco to tho othor prlsonors. Tho two prlsonors will probubly ho re leased under tho law passed by tho laBt legislature. Tho pollco of Fromont nt daylight tho othor morning found Mrs. Ell Itondy sobbing pitifully outside tho window of tho city Jail, whero hor husband Is confined on u fifteen days' sentence for beating her. Mrs. Ready naked a snckful of banainiH. n nack. ugu of chewing tobacco and a now pipe und somo smoking tobacco through tho barn to her husband Holl ho in a good physical condition for moro beating when ho gots out In pursuance of tho order of tho court ordorlng tho destruction of nil tho liquor found In tho possession of Illicit selleri! convicted during tho last yenr, Shorlff Her of Morrlck county emptied two barrels and ono cuso of boor Into tho sower. Thoro hns been n general clounlng up of nil boozo Joints In the county during tho last eighteen months und ovor $2,000 has been imposed In flues nnd ono party given a long torm In tho county Jnll Recont ralnH in Nebraska hnvo grontly helped winter wheat. LaBt year thrcshlug machine com panics agreed not to exhibit at stato (airs and tho agreement was kept so far ad known. Seeretnry Mollor of tho stato board of agrlculturo has re colved ono application for a threshing mnchlno company for spneo on tho stato fair groundB next year. Mr. Mel lor has not replied to tho uppllcn Hon, but will probably confer with ofllcors of stnto fairs In other stntos as to whothor or not there Is Hkoly to bo room for such exhibits noxt DICKINSON GETS A MED AC Secretary of War Is Rewarded for Saving the Life of a Detroit ( Lawyer. J Washington. An almost forgotten' incident in which Secretary ot War Jacob M. Dickinson heroically res cued Jnmes F. Joy, n Detroit lawyor, from tho Detroit river 14 years ago, wns recalled when n hnndsomo solid gold mcdnl, suspended from a ribbon held In tho benk of nn American caglo wob presented to Mr. Dickinson on behalf of tho United States gov ernment Tho modal, approved by President Tnft beforo his departuro oh his trip and commemorating tho courago ot Secretary of War Dickinson. tho wnr secretary In saving tho llfo ot n fellow man, was presented by Assistant Secretary ot tho Treasury IIIllcs. "In testimony of heroic deeds in saving Hvcb" rend tho Inscription on tho mcdnl, which also boro n laurel held aloft by a woman. Touched deeply by tho unexpected recognition of IiIb net. tho secretary of war, with, characteristic modesty, merely said: "I did not hnvo much tlmo to con sider what was best to bo dono when Joy fell Into tho river nnd If I hnd I might hnvo dono what Rip Van Wlnklo told hlB wlfo Grctchort he would do In enso sho fell into tho wa ter, 'Go homo nnd think It over.' " Ho added that ho did not know he had dono anything romnrkablo. Dickinson probubly owes his Bent In President Tnft's cabinet ns Bccro tnry of war to tho act of heroism. GEN. BELL A MOUNTAINEER Chief of Staff of tho Army Makes a Difficult Ascent In the Grand Canyon. Los Angelas. During his rocont visit In tho Grand canyon, on his way. east from tho coast, Gen. J. Franklin Boll, chief or staff or tho Unltod Stntcs army, demonstrated thnt ho is a stronuous tnountaiucor. Tho gonornl and his aid, Capt. F. W. Sladcn, Miss May Chandlor ot Los An guoB, J. II. Fleming, mentor of trulls, horses and wheeled vohlclos at El Tovar, nnd a guldo, composod a party which negotiated tho ontlro Bright Angol trail. Tho gonoral gallantly act ed ns Miss Chandlor's special escort Tho picturesque wondoro ot tho mighty chasm woro vlowod from Gen. J. Franklin Bell. every avallablo point on this steep path from tho rim to the' bottom, Gen. Holl's conspicuous oncrgy was. not exhausted In overcoming tho hard, ships of tho Bright Angol trail, so ho proceeded, with a guide, to climb a mountain 1,000 foot high which rises up from tho depths ot tho canyon neat tho root of thu trail. Tho sides or tho mountain nro woll nigh perpendicular, making tho task achieved a most tollsomo ono, From tho side or this mountain Hows a liv ing spring, creating a splondld pool ot pure water ut tho bottom. Gen. Boll nnd nldo proceedod oast, continuing tho general's oillclnl army Inspecting tour, while tho Los Angeles1 party, which Included Miss Chandlor, lier mother, Mis. Harry Chandlor, and tho tatter's rather, Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, roturned to ttio city. Slow Growth of Australia. At thu beginning or tho present year thu population of Australia was 4,276,000. vear.