Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-30
HAD TO COME HOME
Klondike Hardships Too Much
For Aldrich Party.
Messrs. AIdrich and Buffum Return from
Alaska, Leaving /. c. PendeIl
to Go 1t Alone.

That Klondike is not a land OF golden
dreams is realized by two Worcester
would-be gold hunters, who returned to
day afternoon after reaching the Alask-
an coast, but who were daunted by the
unknown terrors Of the Chilkoot pass.
Three apparently courageous and spirit
ed young men, Charles T. Aldrich, Jr.,
of Millbury, George d, Buffum of Tx
bridge and L. D. Pendell Of Worcester
left this city last month bound for the
Alaskan gold fields. They reached
Seattle safely and then Dyea, but there
Mr.. Aldrich's and Mr.. Buffums hearts
sank as they contemplated the awe of
the Klondike aurora borealis, and they
came back.
They had felt confident of reaching the
Ell Dorado of the NORTH but through
sickness and that longing for home
which was more potent than all, they de-
cided to return to their native heath.
and Tuesday afternoon, after a long ride
from Seattle, disconsolate and careworn,
they arrived to be warmly greeted by
their hosts Of friends, who forgot all
thought Of gold, and turned their effort
to a fitting reception to their old COM
rades
Both Mr. Aldrch and Mr.. Buffum did
not care to talk Of the trip, aside from
mentioning that they had actually been
to Alaska and had found 1t advisable to
return. Mr.. Aldrich returned to Millbury
and Mr.. Buffum, after leaving his grip
and satchel at Mellor's drug store, chat
ted briefly with few friends, and then
took the train for his home in Uxbridge.
Through friend Of Mr.. Buffum, it was
learned that in the opinion Of these two
members of the party the brilliant pros
poets of the Klondike had been much ex-
aggerated and from the Investigations
they had made, they were satisfied that
the representation were the word paint
ings of fanciful artists. While they en-
dured no hardships themselves, the re-
turning starved travellers from Dawson
City and other parts OF the klondike
region whom they met and the tales of
woe and suffering which they heard
were more than enough to convince
them that there was nothing but trou-
BILE between them and the Klondike
rainbow.
| Mr.. Buffum was seen at Harrington
corner for few minutes Tuesday after
noon, before taking the train for Tx
| bridge, and said that he had suffered
! considerably from i'll health and did not
think it wise or advisable to continue
| the journey. He was satisfied with the
! trip ne had made. There had been many
pleasing incidents on the route to Seat
| tie and thence on the steamer Navarro
| to Dyea, but all in all he did not care
to repeat the experiment, and was salts
/ fed to let his life follow the even tenor
| of its course without resorting to gold
chasing or hunting rainbows with their
pots of gold.
When the majority of the Aldrich
/ party, so-called, from the fact that Mr..
Aldrich was the leader, was welcomed
| back to this city, there was the instant
! query: But where is Pendell?" All
the Information that could be secured
from his companions was that they had
left him in Alaska.
Nowhere is his brave spirit more ap-
preciated than at his home, l Hollis
street, where live his father and mother,
Mr.. and Mrs. j. r. Pendell, and where
his sister Miss NJ. E. Dina Pendell,
teacher In music in the Fort Edward
Collegiate Institute of New York, is now
stopping. The family knew Of the dis
ruption of the party Tuesday morning,
when a long letter was received by Mrs.
Pendell from Hler son. The letter is
dated March IA, at Sleeps camp, where
Mr.. Pendell made the regular stop after
crossing the Chlkoot Pass In the
course of his letter, after extending
family salutations, Mr.. Pendell writes:
"Of the Aldrich party, c. T. Aldrich,
Jr, George E. Buffum and L. c. Pen
del, only the latter, l.. c. Pendell, has
the courage to go on. AldTich was sick
in body, sea sick and home sick en- route,
and Mr.. Buffums health would not per-
nit him to go on. l have the strength
T o411-
the sickness which would prevent
my advancing on my Journey
would be such a severe sickness as
would preclude the possibility of return
ing home. l do not find it cold, as the
days, are warm. l wear my gloves or
mittens, and good part of the time my
bicycle cap. The temperature goes 30
degrees below zero at night, but the
snow melts by day, and 1t Is fast going
away. People who come here and are
not accustomed ''to work." are liable to
be homesick and sea sick, and sick gen.
orally l have good food plenty Of 1t
and a bed of the best of Arctic down.
The people here are all honest as a
rule, some naturally so and others from
the miners law"
This is the first authoritative letter
from Worcester man In the Klondike
region and his people were enthused
by the news, and when told of the ar
rival of the companions of their son,
they were not surprised.
At the conclusion of the letter, Mr..
Pendel1 wrote that Mr.. Aldrich and Mr..
Buffum had separated from the party,
and returned to America. Mr.. Pendell
and his companions on their outward
bound trip, took the same route as the
large Worcester party, and from Seattle
took the steamer Navarro for Dyea-
The seaport proper is Skaguay, and then
the boat carries the passengers for four
miles until Dyea proper Is reached. Mr..
Pendell forged ahead from Dyea with
out his companions, who were satisfied
with their Investigations as far as that
city.
Mr. Pendell wrote Interestingly of his
impressions of Dyea and the grand pas
sage of the famous and dangerous Chill
koot pass At Sleeps Camp, Mr.. Pen
dell seemed to be happily situated His
destination is not known Before leav-
ing Worcester he had a particular place
in mind, about which he had received
exclusive information.
nA.-~A NrtnIgc ElIAnEnAI