Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-02
READY TO START.
The Local Klondikers to Begin
Their Journey Today.
The Wllkinsons Make an Early Start by
Going to Buffalo Tuesday-other
Parties Getting Ready to
Follow.

Follow.
President Charles A Wilkinson of the
Worcester & Northwestern Mining and
Trading Company, and his young son,
| Charles Wilkinson, secretary of the
same company, left the city for Buffalo,
Tuesday evening, at 1856 o'clock, and
thus the advance guard of the Worces-
ter Klondikers has made the initial step
in the long trip for Alaskan gold. Presi-
| oent Wilkinson and son were accom-
| panied to the station by a few of their
most intimate relatives, and only a few
OF the other members of the company
chanced to be present when the fare
wells were said.
Mr. Wilkinson has relatives in Buffalo.
| whom he will visit, and after a brief
stay there. he will join the main party
or klondikers upon their arrival at Buff
| falo. In the absence of Mr.. Wilkinson
and his son, the candy business at Har-
rington corner will be in charge of an
other son, James A. Wilkinson. Mr..
| Wilkinson's wife and two daughters,
with his son, James A. Wilkinson, will
remain in Worcester at their home on
| Crown street until the Alaskan gold
| fields yield their returns to the Worces-
| ter diggers.
| During the day there were a few Wis
1tors to the company's old headquarters
| at 554 Main street, but the members
preferred to pass their last hours with
| their families, where they had them,
and with their friends where families
were lacking. During the morning ana
| afternoon, few gathered at the rooms
| to get few minor pieces Of the equip
ment, but the gathering was not gen
eral. The men seemed to appreciate
fully that they We're about to leave
| friends and families. perhaps to return
with their dreams of Spanish castles
realized and burdened with the precious
| gold dust, possibly to return only in
spirit The conversation was carried
on in a low tone, and the talk was Sc
! rious. There was no idle boasting, no
gay bravado no talk Of riches. During
the evening a few members called, but
they left, preferring to hasten to their
friends, where they might bask in the
affection of happy home before start
ing out on an uncertain trip to the
cold and inhospitable north.
1t was the intention of the members
to carry their baggage to Union station
| during the day, but the effects of the
blizzard upon the streets were too last
| ing. The special baggage car of the
| Klondikers was at Union station early,
| considering the conditions of the travel,
| but only few ventured to place their
| precious baggage within. The equip
snent is not in trunks or boxes. Every
| thing Is packed in sailors waterproof
| bags. every article being so placed as to
make the best economy of space. Some
| of the members confined their equip
ment to one bag, and others had sew
eral. The bags will be taken to the
| Klondike region direct, and hence great
care was taken in the packing, al
| though a Encouragement may be made
| later. The equipment was complete,
| with the exception of food, which will
| be purchased in Seattle. The baggage
| car occupies the central track of the
| Fitchburg road within the train shed,
| and today the members of the company
will take their bags to the car with all
| possible speed. 1t is hoped to have the
car all ready and every mans bag on
/ board before l o'clock, that the mem
bers may have full opportunity to bid
| farewell to their friends and may not
be tnterfered with in the least by regard
for their baggage. Teams were engaged
during the day by members of the
company, and the entire equipment viii
probably be loaded early in the morn
ing.
The tourist car, which is to be occu-
pied by the party of Al, is one Of the
latest and most approved design, and
| will afford every comfort to the Wor-
cester goldites. This will be ready for
! boarding early this morning, and the
I party will commence to choose their
! seats at / O'Clock, the car being on the
| central track, with the baggage car at
/ tached to it. There will be 80 to leave
| Worcester besides ]. F. Healey, the
ticket agent, who will accompany the
party to Seattle. The party will be
a3l,v-t 1tr or txyifh a
spray of water, and will be decorated
| for the trip, at least for portion of it.
| What the SO members who leave Wor-
cester dread the most is the farewell.
| They do not fear the rigors of Klon-
dixie temperature or a charge of the
| Yukon braves, but they do bend the
knee before the tears of their wives and
/ the strained, beseeching looks of their
| children.
The train bearing the Worcester party
will leave at 3.45 o'clock, and Ticket
! Agent Heaiy told a Spy man Tuesday
! evening that the train would leave as
scheduled, and that no weather condi-
lions would prevent its departure.
All the equipment has practically ar
rived except the rubber coats which
were expected from Boston Tuesday,
but did not get through, owing to the
snow blockade. If this part of the
equipment fails to arrive, while the
party is at Seattle other rubber coats
will be purchased. The fur sleeping
bags have all arrived, with footwear,
clothing and food,
John Neil has been given valuable
rifle, bearing the inscription, Presented
to John NeiH by his South Worcester
friends, Jan. 81, 1898" This is engraved
on a silver plate on the stock, and with
/ it was presented to Mr.. Neill by his
host of friends 500 rounds of ammuni-
ton and reloading apparatus. 1t
would require columns to write of all
the souvenirs and gifts which have been
presented to various members of the
company by their friends The mem
bers are popular, and the gift Of various
parts of the equipment bear testimony
to this fact.
Thursday afternoon at 3 45 Mr.. Healy
will send out another Klondike party
This will comprise i. D. Pennell,
was formerly proprietor of the Aldrich
wooden mill of Woodbury. village, Mill
bury, and two or three others Thomas
| Gummers has been announced to go,
but may not at the last moment, and
there are two who do not wish their
names published. This party will go
independently, but will follow in the
main the route of the Worcester COM
pany, although they VIII go to the
! Klondike proper. Next week, probably
| Thursday, third party will be sent
out by Mr.. Healy, being a group Of four
or five under the direction of William
Morrison of the Three Cyclers fame.
The heads of these parties We're former
ly connected with the Worcester COM
pany, but Withdrew for one reason or