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    "title": "Scrapbook",
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        "James W. Davidson Papers",
        "Papers of James Wheeler Davidson"
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    "ocrText": "IVIT. Peary nrst\ndescendants and friends of the fortunate\nShould the first season be unfavorable as\nA MEDAL WON.\nspoke of his personal gratitude to the\nrecipients of the medal shall be household\nregards ice conditions, it could be devoted\nGeographical Society and its council for\nwords for generations to come,\nto detailed survey of the archipelago it-\nAnd now Mr. President and members of\nself and a reconnoisance of the east coast\nThe\nA\ntheir approval and appreciation of his\nthe society, as this seems a particularly\nas far south as possible, and the northern\nwork, and then proceeded fully to set forth\nfitting and appropriate time to speak of\njourney reser ved. for the following season,\nhig project, which has been enGorsed by\nthe future, I beg your indulgent attentión\nor the next.\nfor a few minutes.\nEach succeeding summer the ship would\nCiv. Eng. Robert E. Peary Receives\nthe society for reaching the Pole. His\nHistory has been made rapidly in the\nattempt to establish communication with\nremarks were as follows:\nAretic Regions in the past few years and\nthe party's base, succeeding probably\nMr. President,-F this night on I\nis apt to be made still faster in the next\nevery other year at first, then with in-\nthe Cullum Gold Medal.\nam a confirmed gold bug. There is\nfew.\ncreasing experience, every year, and keep\na long hiatus between this and the\nMy own reconnaissance of the Green-\nun its supply of food, dogs and Eskimos\ncollege trophies which I won in the\nland Inland Ice in 1886 was followed by\nuntil the objects of the expedition were\nboat race, at throwing the ball, and in\nNansen's crossing of the country in 1888.\naccomplished.\nwalking, and I never dreamed that my\nThen came my two expeditions of 1891 to\nShould the ship be unsuccessful in the\nA PLAN TO REACH THE POLE.\nability to get over the ground would in the\n1895, in each of which I crossed the nor-\npassage of Robeson Channel the first year,\nfuture win such a magnificent prize as\nthern portion of the Great Ice Cap from\nthe party would land at Hayes' Sound,\nthis, the first gold medal of the wealthiest\nWhale Sound to Independence Bay and the\nand devote the first year to explorations\nand most conservative Geographical So-\nnorthern terminus of main Greenland;\nOf that unknown region.\nciety of the world. I remember now in\nreaching an unknown portion of the east\nRetreat from the colony at Sherard Os-\nAN INTERESTING EVENING AT THE\nlooking at this yellow disk, that when a\ncoast and settling the question of the in-\nborne Fiord would always be practicable\nboy I read a little book containing cuts\nsularity of the Great Arctic Island.\nacross the inland ice to Whale Sound.\nAMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SO-\nand descriptions of the various medals\nSimultaneously with my second expe-\nHere let me call your attention to a few\nawarded my predecessor, Dr. Kane, of the\ndition started the expeditions of Wellman\npoints on which you must accept my dic-\nCIETY-A PRACTICABLE PLAN\nUnited States Navy. and yet I never\nto the Spitzbergen region, Jackson to\ntum, as I have no time to enlarge.\nthought of anything of the kind in con-\nnection with my own work. What I have\nFranz Joseph Land, and Nansen into the\nArctic exploration may be regarded as\nPLAINLY STATED-MR. PEARY\ndone hás been done for the pure love of\ngreat blank of the Siberian Aretic basin.\nsafe. This is shown by the experience of\nWILL LEAD THE PARTY AND\ndoing, and so the award of this medal,\nNow all of these expeditions but one\nthe last ten years.\ncoming unsought, unexpected, and best of\nhave returned, leaving untouched or un-\nNothing is to be gained by numbers; in\nSTAY UNTIL THE WORK IS DONE.\nall, by the unanimous vote of the council,\nfinished sevéral of the most interesting\nfact, numbers are a, and\nproblems of the North.\nthe frightful catastrophies of previous\nis ten-fold pleasing. One of man's God-\ngiven attributes is the desire to know\nNansen had wrested from the Stars and\nwork are, in my opinion, directly trace-\nInterest in the annual meeting of the\nAmerican Geographical Society in Chicker-\nStripes the record of highest north which\nable to that cause. The entire animus of\nmore, and thousands of eager minds and\nbodies are constantly at work widening\nit had held for a dozen years and placed\nthe Arctic regions is against large par-\ning Hall, New AYork, last evening, centred\nthe Norwegian flag far in advance.\nties.\nour horizon. Fortunately for us, too,\nHe\nin the presentation of the George W. Cul-\ntastes differ here as elsewhere and each\nhas also shown that the entire segment of\nWhere three men will get along in safe-\nline of investigation has its devotees.\nthe polar basin north of the Siberian coast\nty and comfort, six would merely exist on\nThere is the astronomer, with his tele-\nis not available for further poleward ef-\nhalf rations and twelve die of starvation.\nscope, and his mathematics, reaching out\nforts,\nThe two-men party is the ideal one,\ninto infinite space.\nJackson is still in Franz Joseph Land,\nboth Nansen and myself have proved\nbut with all my admiration for the pluck\nthis,\nLe Verrier, projecting his mind into\nand energy of this gallant Englishman and\nThe leader of the expedition must be at\nspace, noting the perturbations of the\nplanets, grasping the meaning, determining\nthe free-handed generosity and public\nthe head of the advance party; no success-\nthe cause, then saying to astronomers:\nspirit of his patron, Mr. Harmsworth, I\nful Arctic party can be lead from the\nPoint your powerful telescope to such a\nfear that conditions are against him, now\nrear.\nplace in the heavens and you will see a\nthat it is established that Franz Joseph\nThe latitude of Lockwood and Brain-\nnew planet. There is the physical in-\nLand is merely an archipefago of limited\nard's farthest north is 83 degrees 24 min-\nextent with no land north of it.\nutes.\nvestigator with his countless experiments,\nhis delicate apparatus. Roentgen with\nMy own expeditions have satisfied me\nThe distance from this point, up to\nwizard skill discovering at last a way to\nthat from a sufficient depot of provisions\nwhich we know there is land, to the Pole\nlook through opaque objects. I have the\nand equipment located in the lattitude of\nand return, is less than the distance from\ngreatest admiration, amounting practically\nIndependence Bay the Pole is attainable.\nWhale Sound to Independence Bay and re-\nThe results of these various expeditions\nturn, which I have twice covered, once\nto awe, for these men, but there is only\none man in a century capable of such\nhave shown that there is left but one\nwith a single companion, and again under\nachievements, and in contemplating his\npracticable route by which to attain the\nthe heaviest handicap.\nalmost supernatural work one is troubled\nNorth Pole, and that route the one that\nQuite likely the question comes up: \"If\nwith a chill, disagreeable fear that, per-\nhas been known as the American, viz., the\nthis method is so practicable, why has not\nhaps, after all, the coming man be simply\nroute through Smith Sound, Kane Basin,\nthe establishment of a base in this locality\na toothless, baldheaded case for abnormally\nRobeson Channel, and along the northwest\nbeen attempted before? and why have I\ndeveloped gray matter; taking his food in\ncoast of Greenland. This route has been\nnot attempted it myself? It has been at-\nthe shape of pellets, and perhaps taking\ndeveloped almost exclusively by Americans\ntempted before. but there being, no means\nhis pleasures and propagating his species\n-Kane, Hayes, Hall and Greely.\nfor a continued effort, failure in the first\nin the same way; and the longing comes\nThe Pole is certain to be reached soon;\nattempt has resulted in its abandonment.\nover us to remain young and retain the\nit is only a question of time and money\nAs for myself, it has been entirely a ques-\npure animal life of primal man as long as\nand not so very much of the latter; and\ntion of money.\npossible.\nunless we are alert we shall be left in the\nThe funds at my disposal have not per-\nBut to the man of ordinary intellectual\nrear.\nmitted the charter of a ship beyond Whale\ncalibre and good physique, possessing\nI propose for your consideration now in\nSound.\nsomething of primal man's love of free-\nthe simplest and fewest possible words a\nThe points in favor of this project are:\ndom and contact with nature, there is an-\nsafe, common sense project for reaching\n1. The utilization of the Eskimo, the peo-\nother field of discovery that of the\nthe Pole by the only remaining practicable\nple best fitted in the world for that par-\nexplorer. What better than dowered with\nroute. I have no theory to advance (the\nticular kind of work. Men who, under\ngood blood, strong lungs and strong mus-\nPolar regions are peculiarly hostile to\nthe leadership of one whom they know to\ncles, as the explorer must be with every\ntheories); therefore, I have no long array\nbe their friend, and in whom they have\nbreath a pleasure and every step a source,\nof arguments to marshal. I have to pre-\nthe utmost confidence, would follow to the\nAnteus-like; of new strength to find and\nsent simply a plain statement of facts.\ntraverse new lands, add to our knowledge\nThe conquest of the North Pole, the\nnificent dogs.\nend, faithful and loyal as their own mag-\nof the world we live in, and obtain infor-\ncomplete delimitation of the Greenland\nWhat could be more effective, more\nmation of value to mankind. There is a\nArchipelago, the last of the circumpolar\nconstant intoxication in such work, in the\nIsland groups: and the elimination from\npractical, than a party, its rank and file\nmade up of the children of the North Pole\nthought 'my eyes are the first that have\nour maps of the unknown area between\nitself, a surgeon for emergencies, and a\never looked upon this scene, mine the\nthe 84th parallel and the Pole, are import-\ntouch that has wakened the sleeping prin-\nant geographical desiderata.\nrection. leader to furnish will, intelligence and di-\ncess.\" Every one of you who is or has\nThis work can be accomplished without\nbeen a mountain climber, knows this feel-\nrisk of life or health.\nMarkham, President of the Royal\nAccording to the theory of Clements\ning. y where, whether in the tropies,\nIt can be done at a comparatively small\nROBERT E. PEARY, C. E., U. S. N.\nthe temperate zone or the aretic circle,\ncost.\ngraphical Society, the forefathers of these\nthis feeling holds possession of the trav-\nThe time for this work is favorable; the\npeople, centuries ago, during the migra-\nIn Arctic Field Costume.\nprobabilities of success flattering; the re-\ntion of the tribe from Siberia to its present\neler, and yyet it seems to me as if the\nquisite experience and inelination to un-\nhome, may have crossed unknowingly the\npurely personal effect is stronger in the\nnorth than anywhere else. The midnight\ndertake it available. The one element\napex of the earth. What a striking co-\nlum gold medal, the first awarded by the\nsociety, to Civil Engineer Robert E. Peary,\nsun, the noonday night, equally unap-\nlacking is the necessary funds.\nincidence if their children should be the\nproachable in sublimity the dazzling bril-\nMy plan in fewest words is to raise a\nPole instruments of wresting the secret of the\nU. S. N., for his delineation in 1892 of the\nliance, the universal darkness, the inky\nfund sufficient to insure the continuation\ncoast line of Greenland, and consequent\nsea, the snowy land, the mighty bones of\nof the work of exploration for ten years, if\nnecessary, say $150,000, and deposit in a\ninto the ley waste from the Northern\n2. Land for a base. The party launched\ndemonstration that it was an island, and\nmother earth beneath the feet, the infinite\nheaven, unbroken, uninterrupted above the\ntrust company; purchase a ship; give her\nArchipelago, would have some definite,\nnot, as Peterman and other eminent_geog\nhead; the crystalline air, biting, it is true,\na minimum crew; load with concentrated\nraphers had believed, a continent.\nfer\nbut pure as the celestial ether; the infinite\nprovisions; proceed to Whale Sound; take\na ship drifting with the drifting ice, to\nfixed point to which to return, rather than\non board several picked families of my\nvanish like will o' the wisp, as did the\nthe preliminary formal business of the\nsilence, the indescribable desolation touch\nfaithful Eskimos, with their tents, canoes,\nFram from Nansen. Then should the\nevening, Mr. Peary, in the uniform Of his\nand keep in vibrant unison the highest,\ngrandest, noblest, purest chords in human\ndogs, etc.; force` a way through Robinson\nparty be swept westerly in its retreat, it\nrank as lieutenant, took a seat on the\nnature. Mr. President, you and the mem-\nChannel to Sherard Osborne Fjord or far-\nwould still strike land, and finding depots\nplatform on President Daly's right, and\nbers of the American Geographical Society\nther, and land people and stores; then\nat each prominent headland, could easily\nreach headquarters.\nsend the ship back.\nas soon as routine matters were concluded,\nhave been my firm, consistent friends\n3. A practicable and already utilized\nfrom the day when I presented to you my\nAs soon as the freezing of the ice in the\ncame forward and remained standing\nfirst project for Greenland exploration,\ngreat fjords of the northwest coast would\nroute for a retreat independent of the ship\nor outside assistance.\nduring Judge Daly's presentation ad-\nand you endorsed it and gave tangible\npermit sledge travel, the work of advanc-\nIn a nutshell my project means, First:\ndress. The remarks of the venerable jur-\nproof that you meant the endorsement.\ning suppliesnortheastward along the coast\nThe raising of a sum sufficient to insure\nist and geographer were brief and full of\nMy work has determined what Sir\nwould be commenced, taking comparatively\npersistent, continued effort so that if the\nClements Markham, president of the\nshort stages and light loads so that the\nattempt fails the first year it can be re-\nappreciative feeling, and when he told\nRoyal Geographical Society characterized\ntrips could be quickly made. As soon as\npeated the next, and the next, and the\nMr. Peary that only one other person in\nas one of the oldest and most interesting\nthe supplies had been advanced the first\nnext until it is done.\nthe world deserved the medal more than\naretic problems, the insularity of Green-\nstage, the party itself would move forward,\nleaving a cache behind, and as they would\nSecond: The establishment of a party of\nhe did, and that was Mrs. Peary, the\nland, and I am more than glad that it has\nbe following Eskimo customs and living in\npicked Eskimo families, a surgeon and an\naudience broke into hearty applause.\nsubstantiated the views you have always\nsnow houses, this could easily be done.\nexperienced leader at the highest prac-\nheld that the land of the inner polar\nJudge Daly acknowledged the special sat-\nThen the second stage of advance would\nticable point on the northwest coast of\nmust be in the form of detached islands,\nbe taken up, and the work carried on un-\nGreenland: with ample supplies; means of\nisfaction which Mr. Peary's work had\ngroups, rather than a great Arctic con-\ntil the departure of the sun. Each the\ncommunication, which would enable the\ngiven him, by its demonstration that the\ntinent, as was urged by the great German\nbrilliant winter moons of the polar night\ncolony to sustain itself until its work is ac-\nGeographer Peterman.\nwould afford opportunities for continuing\ncomplished, and with a practicable line of\nviews which he had held concerning the\nMr. President and members of the\nit, so that early spring should find the\nretreat entirely independent of the ship.\ninsularity of Greenland were correct, and\nGeographical Society I thank you from\nparty and the bulk of its supplies located\nThis project in more detail and accom-\nfully confirmed by the facts. Taking his\nthe bottom of my heart for this high\nat the northern terminus of the North\npanied by maps will be placed before your\nseat, Judge Daly immédiately rose, and\nhonor.\nGreenland Archipelago, probably not far\nCouncil in the belief that it will meet the\nprovoked another round of pleasant ap-\nThere will be in the future many con-\nfrom the 85th parallel, with caches behind\napproval and endorsement of the society\ntestants who will strive for the prize, and\nit at each prominent headland.\nWith that endorsement. I believe the time\nplause by holding up the medal in its\nwin glory for themselves and the society.\nFrom this point, when the proper time\nwork. is opportune for raising the money for the\ncase, and remarking that he had every-\nAnd the name of the society linked with\ncame, with picked dogs, the lightest pos-\nthat of its revered Vice-President Gen.\nsible equipment, and two of the best of the\nThere is not a man or woman here to-\nthing which had been assigned to him,\nCullum, will be more and more widely\nEskimos, the dash for the Pole would be\nattempted with strong probabilities of a\npatriotism to see the realization of\nnight whose heart would not thrill with\nexcept to present the medal, which he\nknown, and in the families and among the\nthen handed to Mr. Peary.\nsuccessful termination.\nproject and know that it was American this"
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