26 DRAMATIC ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COOK AND PEARY 



The utility of polar research needs to be considered from two 

 points of view, that of its benefit to mankind from the economic 

 status, and that of its intellectual significance, its usefulness in 

 extending the boundaries of human knowledge. Before the result 

 was achieved, we were ignorant what the advantage might be in 

 either of these cases. When Alaska was purchased from Russia 

 for a few millions of dollars, there were many who looked on the 

 transaction as a sheer waste of the public money. But the baby has 

 grown since then, and it has not done growing since. No one can 

 venture to say how many hundreds of millions of dollars Alaska 

 may yet be worth. 



As regards the North Pole area, no one knew what might be 

 found there. Shackleton has found veins of coal near the South- 

 Pole; for all that any one could say, land containing veins of gold 

 or diamonds might be found at the North Pole. Though this was 

 improbable, it was not certain, and though the event has proved 

 that no land exists there, this could not be known until the Pole was 

 actually reached. Dr. Cook tells us that he found a large new 

 island on the route to the Pole ; who knows of what value this may 

 prove? Here is what Evelyn B. Baldwin, commander of the Bald- 

 win-Ziegler expedition to the Arctic realm, says of the possible 

 output in wealth of the polar lands : 



"Up on one of the lonely shores of Greenland huge deposits of 

 cryolite are being mined by hardy Americans. At another point 

 Dr. Chamberlin and I saw quartz formations with unmistakable! 

 signs of rich gold deposits. And there is a great cliff composed of 

 almost solid iron ore of the finest quality which was discovered by 

 Peary. It is but logical to suppose that in this region of extraordi- 

 nary magnetic phenomena we should find ores and other minerals 

 with unique properties and of exceptional purity. 



"I, as well as other polar searchers, know that there are coal 

 beds enough in the so-called frozen north to be of inestimable value 

 to future generations, especially when the deposits in other parts of 

 the globe have become exhausted. Many times have I encountered 



