The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-05
OUR ARGONAUTS LEAVE.
First Topeka Party for the
KlOndike Starts Today.

The first party to leave Topeka for
the Klondike left at 1850 over the Santa
Fe. The party was composed of Frank
Sawyer, A. w. Newland, Ed Chance
and w. S. Culver.
Long before the time for the train to
leave a large crowd of the friends of
the gold hunters were gathered to bid
them goodby and good luck.
II have had Is years experience min
ing in British Columbia and have no
fear that we will come back empty
handed said Ed Chance who has been
in the employ of the car department of
the Santa Fe for several years. I'VE
Will be guided by circumstances as to
where we will prospect, but we will
start our prospecting tour from Daw-
son City. We will hunt for gold and
that is certain we may stake our claims
near Dawson or we may explore terri
tory that as yet has received little or
no attention from the miners in the
KIondike. The reports are that gold
IS so plentiful that a person who knows
nothing about prospecting or gold min
ing stands as good a show as one who
stand a good chance as two of us are
experienced while the other two are
lucky without experience"
Mr.. Chance was besieged by railroad
and shop men who wished to give him
parting handShake. I'll tell you how
near we have guessed about the luck
and experience when we set back he
said as he was pulled from the steps of
the car by dozen hands whose own
erS wished to be recognized
My arm has been going up and
down like a pump handle" said Mr..
NeWlanG, land I haven't thought a
thing about gold or Klondike for
about ten minutes, and I guess that is
the first ten minutes have not thought
about it since the party was organized
and the plans made. We carry :, 900
pounds of supplies and provisions with
US, making 500 pounds to each man.
We consider that enough for the two
years that we expect to be gone. We
are grub staked' to the amount Of $6-
500, that being the capital invested in
the company and representing the 20
shares. We have laid our plans for
two years trip, and at the end of that
time one or more of us will be left
in charge of our interests in the Klon-
dixie while the rest return to Topeka
and report to the stockholders"
Mr.. Frank Sawyer has had some ex-
perience in mining in the west. He said:
Mr.. Newland has had ten years ex-
perience in mining in Colorado. and
with the experience of Mr.. Chance, we
will not want for good advice. We ex-
pect to reach Portland and be ready to
start from there by boat for Dyea on
Feb. 10. We go to San Diego by the
Santa Fe and from there over the
Southern California to Portland We
expect it to take US two weeks to reach
Dyea by boat, and from there we figure
that it will take US two months to cross
the ChilcOot pass on foot, and to reach
Dawson City"
Eyes, we have a regular department
store in our outfit said Mr.. w. S. Gull
yer. 'If it were all spread out it would
be like a fire or bankrupt sale. We
have a tent 10 by II, a camp stove, axes,
drills, shirts, felt and leather boots,
shoVe1s, heavy coats lined with sheep
skin and WOOL tea, sugar, tobacco, whis-
ky for medical use only, good, whole
some groceries, but not anything in the
fancy line. Much of our food is in con-
densed form, such as extract of vine
gar. Some of our supplies we will get
at Portland and Seattle"
IF anybody in the KlOndike country
finds gold it will be these fellows said
Mr.. w. H. Davis, president of the com
pany. They all go with determi5nT3tion i
to win, and win they will They all have
the true grit and it will be more than
mere hardship that will turn them PACK; tx
We estimate that it will take about SlO00
for their expenses the first year, and after
that they will be supplied direct from To-
peka if they are in need OF anything.
The conductor called ''All aboard" and
there was a last scramble among the
friends to have last handshake and
as they stood on the steps of the train
that was to carry them on their journey
10 an unknown country full of hardship
was a study. They were leaving their
friends wives and children for at least
two years. Among those on the platform
there were some whose eyes were full OF
tears but except for the set and serious
expression of the men who waved a tare-
We'll from the steps on the car as the
train pulled out, passer-by would think
that from their clothes and from the
guns, they were only going on a days
hunt.
The officers of the company are: w.
H Davis of Parkhurst & Davis, president:
W. F. Schoch, vice president; F. NJ New
land secretary: Andy Smith, Santa Fe
On gineer treasurer. Among the stock
holders are: Charles S. Eagle, + s. Wool
verton Mr. Ben Kassebaum, Miss Kate
fxasse6aun. Miss Emmie Kassebaum and
Mrs. L. D. Reel
Just before leaving the party had a pho
+oera nh taken in their Klondike clothes.