The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-08-28

company DaTn, on lower rem avenue,
last night, twenty-four sturdy and de-
ermined-looking men sat about on
bales Of hay and for two hours dis
cussed in an earnest, anxious manner
ways and means for getting at the
wealth of the Klondike.
Twenty of them came in response to
a notice in the papers that Klondike
party was to be formed last night at
415 Penn avenue. The other four had
been at a previous meeting and were
the moving spirits in the project These
four were Druggist p. J. Vetter, who
originated the scheme; G. II. Corliss, of
South Main avenue, who is chairman
OF the club; William Pickering, of Dun
more, who was temporary secretary
and George Vincent, of Green Ridge,
permanent secretary. The others were
men of various types and various
places, two of them being Polanders
from the Continental, one man coming
from as far as Peckville, another being
rather frail youth with glasses and
golf cap, locomotive fireman was one
of the party, and a telegraph operator
another.
Miners seemed to make up the ma
jority of the party. They did not seem
to be acquainted but the prospect Of be-
ing comrades in a battle fraught with
great hardships, and afterwards pos
sible sharers In great riches, brought
them together in friendly relations and
though they did not know each others
names they saw from one another's
manner that earnestness and honesty
Of purpose was unmistakably there, and
they were ready to swear to stand by
each other through thick and thin.
PROMISES OF GOLD.
No. AIS Penn avenue Is Vetter's drug
store. When all the goid-seekers were
assembled, however, the back room of
the store in which the meeting was
called to order was found to be too
small and adjournment was made to
the Transfer company's new barn, just
across the way, which the stable boss
gladly loaned when he was told of the
| object of the meeting and promised a
| boat full of gold when the party got
| back.
The party climbed to the loft on the
| second floor and with the aid of a
miners lamp found a large open space
in one end of the room where the baled
hay is kept and here set out to make
their plans for reaching the Klondike.
| Bales of hay were arranged length
wise in the form of a semi-circle and
on these the party found seats. A large
lantern was loaned by one of the stable
hands and after the chairman had sus.
pended it from an adjacent wagon, he
took seat on the lower rung Of lad.
der learning against beam and called
the meeting to order.
WE'RE WELL INFORMED.
Little was actually transacted, bu
there was a good deal of talk and thi!
talk indicated that the majority of thu
men had given the subject considerable,
thought. They handled Alaskan anC
British American names as If they wer,
all Lackawanna county places. Dis
tances, routes, climate, custom law,
and in fact everything pertaining Il
the region was as familiar to them a!
their A, r, C's. Original ideas as t,
means of getting there were not want
ing.
Mr.. Fetter at the previous meetin,
suggested the feasibility of making
sure of getting passage by PURCHASING
or chartering a small ship. The ides
was deemed all right if party of tw
hundred or so could be formed, but a
such large crowd was thought to b
inadvisable for community-underta
ing on purpose such as a search 70
gold, II was given up and after length
discussion on the subject last night |
was the sense Of the meeting that tn
party should go over from Juneau an
that all future plans should be shepe
accordingly.
The only other matter Of importanc
definitely settled upon was that tn
party would stick together" as the
put 1t, until the gold regions wer
reached, and then act as individuals
They would travel as a military com
pany, 1t was agreed, buy their provi
sions and tools as a company, an
transport them as common property
have a common treasury for meetin
the expenses of the trip, and upon al
irving at their destination divide tn
stores, share and share alike. Th
time of starting will depend on futur
government reports, but 1t is likely I
; be in February.
EVERY MAN WILLING.
Every man present gave his nam
and address when the secretary wer
; among them to find out how man
, We're willing to undertake the trip ur
der the conditions, and not a single on
vas found deficient when the hat wa
passed around to make up $2.31 wlIic
Mr.. Vetter announced were II
expenses of the undertaking up I
: date. A monthly assessment OF te
cents head was fixed upon to defra
current expenses and regular meetin
nights were fixed on the first and thir
Saturdays of each month. Adjourn
ment was then made to next Saturda
night.