Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-02-17
ON TO THE KLONDIKE /!
The Grant County Alaskan Expedition Now on
Its wau to the Cold Fieids-h Description of
the Start from Lancaster.


little after O'Clock the Grant county
Alaskan expedition left Lancaster by
rail for Seattle, where they will take
boat for Dyea, from which place they
sledge it with dogs to Dawson city.
On Tuesday morning of this week a
special train pulled into Lancaster di-
rect from st. Paul. 1t was made up
of two tourists cars and a baggage
car, which latter the colored porters
informed the curious is properly
called a .'mule"-because it goes
ahead of the ''coon," we presume.
The three strangers, which were let
tered Northern Pacific Railway"
were run in on siding and lett here
all day Tuesday in charge of S.
Martin and G. Brooks. two eolored
porters who reside in St. Paul. The
two coaches, the "mule" and the two
colored porters all go through to
Seattle.
A tourists car is simply sleeping
car with compartment partitioned
off in one end for a kitchen. In this
room is fine range and other handy
appliances for cooking and preparing
food for the table.
All day Tuesday the to wrists cars
were examined by many of our citi-
zens with considerable curiosity as
they were the first sleeping cars ever
run into Lancaster. although the rail-
road has been built here about twenty
years. The porters were very OBJ
liging, too, as they made up two
hunks Tuesday morning and left them
in that shape during the day SO that
persons who had never seen them
could see just how they worked.
On Tuesday the '.mule" car was
loaded with baggage and made ready
for the dogs.
THE START.
This, Wednesday, morning broke
with heavy sunless sky from which
flakes Of snow fell that were driven
by bitter northeast wind against
the blue faces of five or six hundred
people who had gathered at the depot
to see the expedition off. Although
early in the morning, the whole city
and many people from the country
turned out to cheer the brave boys at
the starting of their long journey.
The two tourists cars had been
fancily festooned with bunting and
flags, and on the sides of the cars were
the words in huge letters: alaskan
edition-Lancaster."
The mule was a sight to behold.
1t was a bowling menagerie. The
floor was covered with clean straw.
Kennels had been constructed along
each side of the car and each stall
held two dogs that were securely
muzzled and chained-eighty dogs in
all. Muzzles and chains proved to be
the right thing, for the great dogs
were in the worst possible humor and
excited to fighting pitch by their
crowded proximity. Not that they
were really crowded together; but one
or two feet of space between two
strange dogs is hardly enough to keep
them in a peaceable frame of mind.
As it was, all they could do was to
show their teeth and growl and bark
and tug at their chains. The dogs
were the finest specimens of their
kinds raised in this country and were
well worth looking at
At s:20 the locomotive bell tapped
aud the crowd reluctantly fell back
as the splendid train moved slowly
out from the depot. Il cheer went up
from the klondikers that was answer
ed by the crowd in a tear-drenched
tone Of voice. Another cheer from
the cars and dismal failure on the
part of the crowd to find voice to
answer Here and there a tiny hand
kerchef waved from the trembling
hand OF some weeping wife, or some
little girl whose papa was going away.
Here and there in the line. went up
the cap from the gray head Of the
father and waved long farewell to
the boy on board. The gaudy train
crept slowly around the bend and was
lost in the beyond, and the great
crowd turned sadly homeward.
AN INCIDENT.
The Alaskan expedition numbers a