▁Edmund ▁Mc Il hen ny ▁and ▁his ▁mother ▁Mary ▁El iza ▁A very ▁had ▁lived ▁since ▁ 1 8 1 3 , ▁Mc Il hen ny ▁was ▁educated ▁priv ately ▁before ▁att ending ▁W yman ' s ▁Military ▁Academy ▁in ▁Illinois ▁and ▁Dr . ▁Hol bro ok ' s ▁Military ▁School ▁in ▁Sing ▁Sing ▁( now ▁O ss ining ), ▁New ▁York . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 2 , ▁Mc Il hen ny ▁en rolled ▁at ▁Le high ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Ph i ▁D elta ▁Th eta ▁frat ern ity , ▁but ▁he ▁dropped ▁out ▁of ▁school ▁to ▁join ▁Frederick ▁Cook ' s ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁Ar ctic ▁expedition ▁as ▁an ▁orn ith ologist . ▁The ▁expedition ▁ended ▁when ▁their ▁ship ▁Mir anda ▁was ▁w reck ed ▁off ▁Green land . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁he ▁fin anced ▁his ▁own ▁Ar ctic ▁expedition ▁to ▁Point ▁Bar row , ▁Al aska , ▁where ▁he ▁le ased ▁an ▁old ▁government ▁station , ▁built ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁ 1 0 0 ▁men ▁in ▁an ▁emer gency ▁and ▁now ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ste am ▁Wh aling ▁Company . ▁During ▁the ▁famous ▁rescue ▁of ▁a ▁str and ed ▁Japanese ▁wh aling ▁fleet , ▁Mc Il hen ny ▁refused ▁to ▁house ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁res cu ed ▁sail ors ▁except ▁a ▁few ▁officers , ▁including ▁the ▁Japanese ▁advent urer ▁and ▁entrepr ene ur ▁Ju ji ro ▁W ada . ▁He ▁did ▁provide ▁cot ton ▁intended ▁for ▁tax id erm