CONVOLVULUS 



1565 



COOKE 



CONVOLVULUS, konvol' vulus, a genus of 

 slender, twining or trailing herbs with milky 

 juice, bearing trumpet-shaped flowers. The 

 name comes from the Latin, meaning to roll 

 around or twine, and was suggested by the 

 habits of these herbs. Some species are com- 

 mon weeds; others are cultivated in gardens 

 for their beauty, and still others have strong 

 medicinal properties. The growth of all must 

 be watched, however, for if they reach out 

 and twine on other plants, the latter will be 

 suffocated and die. 



Related Subjects. This topic should be read 

 in connection with the following articles in these 

 volumes : 



Bindweed Moonflower 



Botany Morning-Glory 



Dodder Scammony 



jalap Sweet Potato 



CON WAY, HUGH. See FAR.GUS, FREDERICK 

 JOHN. 



CONWAY CABAL'. See CABAL, subhead. 



COOK, FREDERICK ALBERT (1865- ), an 

 American physician and explorer who, on re- 

 turning from the Arctic regions in September, 

 1909, thrilled the world with the announcement 

 that on April 28, 1908, he had discovered the 

 North Pole. Previous to this he had accom- 

 panied Peary as surgeon on his Arctic expedi- 

 tion of 1891-1892; and had performed like 

 service in 1897-1899 for the Belgian Antarctic 

 expedition. In 1906 he and a companion 

 ascended Mount McKinley, Alaska, and Cook 

 claimed that they reached the summit; later, 

 the claim was disputed. 



When he first returned from his "dash to the 

 Pole" he was received with extraordinary en- 

 thusiasm at Copenhagen, Denmark, and in 

 America, where his lectures attracted large 

 and interested audiences. Nobody at first 

 .questioned his right to the honors showered 

 upon him, for it was known he was a veteran 

 polar traveler, who possessed such knowledge 

 of the high latitudes as would make possible 

 the feat he claimed to have accomplished. 

 However, scientists soon began to express 

 doubts as to the truth of his story, and when 

 Peary returned from his Polar expedition, in 

 September, 1909, with reasonable proofs of his 

 own discovery of the Pole, it was generally 

 believed that Cook was mistaken. Finally, 

 after a thorough investigation, the learned 

 scientists at Denmark announced that the 

 proofs submitted by Cook were not sufficient. 

 He continued his lectures, however, and many 

 who heard him were convinced of his sincerity. 



While very few believe he accomplished the 

 trip to the Pole, there is a very general ten- 

 dency to concede Cook's own honest belief 

 that he had done so. 



His writings, in addition to several magazine 

 articles, include My Attainment of the Pole, To 

 the Top of the Continent and North Pole and 

 Bradley Land (with E. S. Balch). See PEARY, 

 ROBERT E. ; POLAR EXPLORATION. 



COOK, JAMES (1728-1779), one of the most 

 famous navigators of all time, who devoted his 

 life to exploration and practically changed the 

 map of the world. He entered the British navy 

 in 1755, and his first valuable service included 

 a thorough survey of the Saint Lawrence River 

 and the Newfoundland coast. Next he was 

 heard of in command of a scientific expedition 

 to the Pacific Ocean, during which he visited 

 New Zealand, discovered New South Wales and 

 returned to England by rounding the Cape of 

 Good Hope in 1771. A year later he set out 

 again and added greatly to his discoveries. 

 Another expedition followed, during which he 

 explored Cook Inlet in Alaska in a vain at- 

 tempt to discover a near route to the Arctic 

 Ocean. His rediscovery of the Sandwich 

 Islands (now Hawaiian Islands) led to his 

 death. Venturing ashore to demand restoration 

 of a stolen boat, he attempted to seize the 

 native chief and hold him as a hostage. A fight 

 ensued in which he was killed. His wife and 

 children were pensioned by the British govern- 

 ment, and it was declared that high honors 

 would have been bestowed on him had he 

 safely returned to England. 



COOKE, JAY (1821-1905), a famous American 

 financier who rendered invaluable service to the 

 United States during the War of Secession as 

 the chief financial agent of the government. 

 All of the great war loans, together reaching a 

 total of $2,000,000,000, were negotiated by him. 

 He was born in Sandusky, Ohio, and began his 

 career in 1838 as a clerk in the banking house 

 of E. W. Clarke & Co. of Philadelphia. Four 

 years later he became a junior member of the 

 firm, and in 1861 established in Philadelphia 

 the famous banking house of Jay Cooke & Co. 

 The national banking system organized during 

 the war had his warm approval, and he was 

 helpful in popularizing it. In 1873 his great 

 banking company failed as a result of investing 

 too heavily in Northern Pacific Railroad stock, 

 a failure that helped to bring on the financial 

 panic of that year. Cooke later built up an- 

 other fortune, partly by investing in Western 

 lands, and all claims against him were paid. 



