The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-18
Will They Go to Gold
Fields or WOn'tThey Go?
WHERE IS THE STEAMER?
Sh. Has Been Looked For a Long
Time But Hasn't Come.
WHO IS BACKING THE SCHEME ?

where's that Klondike steamer that
was coming around hersy' inquired the
thin man, with the shawl around his neck
and the back Of his head. to the fat man
with the ear mufiiers and the faded
paddock coat as they stood in front OF
newspap Office and read on the bulletin
board something about an Alaskan steam
er exploding.
"Blest IL 1 know" responded the fat
man with a shiver. ''Thers was u good
Zeal in the papers about her coming
around to show to the folks about Lcrs
who thought they wanted to 20 where ii
was colder But mover have seen any
thing about her arrival. Perhaps the
blzzart froze her boilers somewhere I"
Probably, quite few people havo bsen
equally curious TO know what has become
OF the much doomed steamer that, it had
been announced, would carry any stray
gold miners who might be- found here
abouts from Seattle 10 st. MichaeIs. altar
they had gone across the country from
Providence and vicinity 10 the Puget
SOUND mstropolis. The steamer was the
New Orleans Of the Cromwell line, which
is now supposed To be in New York, Its
headquarters. 10 tempt the hesitating,
and, as a guarantee cf good faith that the
klondik ike excursion management was to
make everything as pleasant and up To
date as possible the Argonaut the New
Orleans, so 1t was announced some weeks
ago, was to come afound TO Providence
harbor where every body interested could
inspect her.
That was several weeks ago. The news
papers, thanks to the enterprisiDg press
agent employed by the management. pub
lished pictures of the craft and glowing
accounts of how She was fitted up and tee
ovdu IA bfsafr s1IG ltrff
the steamer that they looked for hasn't
come yet.
The other day, however, an alarming
rumor reached town that there was
serious hitch in the proceedings necessary
TO produce the steamer. 1t was reported
that the steamer needed docking aud
overhauliDg, and that the Cromwell line
people claimed tDat the Providence
capitalists who were in the venture were
to pay for this work, while the latter
argued that the steamer was 10 TO put IN
prime condition by the present owners
before the cash was paid. Ihe contract
between the parties appears 10 have been
only n verbal one 1t is said that tho
management OF the Kioudike picnic has
the money oil ready in bank, the pur-
chase price being $50, 600. 1he cost of
| docking might be i've or six hundred
dollars ana the discussion that has in
tsrruI ted the progress of events was over
the question OF who should pay for this
| work.
Announcement hos haen made for some
| time that the steamer Is actually pur-
| chased, but, 80 far as can DO learned, the
shin and the money have not sctualiy
changed hands, pending the settlement or
| the dispute referred to. At the office or
| the management 1t was said that the
| steamer would be here very soon, but
| that has been announced for several
weeks paat and the end OF tie very
| soon" is not yet known TO be IN sight.
| Other than that statements, Information
regarding tho enterprise. seems hard to get.
The date fixeu for the a. partur5 OF the
expectant kloDdikeIs is March 0. That
| date is approaching fast. The tlan Is 10
go by rail To Seattle, the Chicago &
| Great Western and Great Northern rnii-
roads bsiBg the routes from Chicaeo, and
| thence take the New Orleans TO St.
! MichaelS thence bv Yukon river
steamers "built especially Tor us TO
Dawson City. and altar that 90 as you
please and come homo when you can.
| This program was contingent on the
! riising Of n rarty TO the number OF 2UO
, w 10 ssould each make "a deposit of $500,
| of which $50 ives for passage money, Sla0
| for "outht OF clothing, hardware and
groceries. and 800 for transporting the
outfit To Dawson City.
/ ThSss terms seemed reasonable, and tho
outfit, while not SO clabofate,as might be
desirable for prolonged stay at the
| Waldorf Astoria Hotel seemed TO Include
| all the necessities of life as it is suppose
| TO be in the gold flelds, including such
| things rs &c cakes Of toilet soap. Il
piece of mosquito netting, ""2 cups, silver
| plated, F" ~ miners gold pam (tbis
| being particularly attractive To the chap
| who sits him down to dream OF panning
out gold like sitting the stove ashes In
tho morning), and "A seeming suficiency
OF evsporated onions, salt black pepper,
Boston taxed pork and beans, baking
| powder anu the like Of that tuat from
all that can pe learned from the current
| Klondike reports, command fabulous
prices In the klondike II you have any
surplus after providing for your own
victualling needs.
whether the required 200 Argonauts
have been enlisted Is not yet known. ~
one man remarked, ''If he had S3OO 10
wouldn't give n darn to 60 TO the klon-
dixie; he'd be abls TO get along all right
at home." As the management Is SOUND
and responsible. Of course. those who
have depositfd will get their money back
in case tho picnic fails 10 start.
III it fails Tor lack Of a sufficient number
to guarantee the cost 10 won't DO Tor
lack OF newspaper booming so Tar. nc
least, as one newspaper Is concerned,
which hes filled its columns with kion-
dixie matter recently with frequency
and enthusiasm that suggests that 10 has
an interest In the scheme With the ex-
cfption OF the Telegram the local news
pnpsfs have rather fought shy OF nova
relating TO the matter n offered by the
4 mmf m n n