Negro Companion Adds to History

Says top was reached by error

Thinks he was treated unfairly

Eskimos only to share honors

Peril of last day's travel related

U.S. flag run up on hoe handle

Happy group in a wild land cheers

How Dr. Cook fooled the people

The discovery of the North Pole by Commander Peary (who on his retirement assumed the rank of captain), and Matt Henson is a wonderful tale from any angle. Peary has lectured and written upon it, almost ignoring Henson, his negro companion. Henson is even now lecturing upon it at Wonderland Park with slides, sledges, furs and polar outfit. Each tells his straightforward tale of reaching "the big nail" on top of the earth and the details of hardship and hair-breadth escapes are secondary in the weird glamour of the exploit. But there are side lights upon the journey to the pole that have been scarcely touched upon by either lecturer. In a recent written article Commander Peary treated his former companion in a way that Henson does not like. Henson has replied by writing for the Boston Sunday American some of the side lights upon Commander Peary. He makes clear things long kept in the background touching the polar discovery, tells of a change of heart that came over commander Peary when he found that they had traveled too fast and were already at the Pole. Henson says Peary intended to visit the Pole entirely alone, or accompanied only by his Esquimo boys. He also shows how impossible was the story of Dr. Cook. Henson adds that Commander Peary, in spite of his recent unkind attitude was formerly one of the best of men to work for, treats of the fortitude of those engaged in the expedition, and for the first time relates how Commander Peary rode on sledges almost all the way to the Pole and back for the very good reason that ten years before, after a similar expedition, he suffered the amputation of nine of his ten toes, a fact that, if generally known has by most people been long ago forgotten.

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