The Wrangell sentinel., 1924-04-24
Wrangell Delegation
 To School Meet Has
 Keen Disappointment

has come to large group or lnulVl- duals for some time than came to the Wrangell school and PIT. A. delegations Monday evening when the steamer Alaska left for Juneau without them.
 Gaywith joyous anticipation eigh- teen contestants for the Inter-School Meet had left their homes when the boat appeared from the south. For many weeks preparations had been made. Special work along certain lines had won each one right to represent his or her school. Money had been raised for the trip; plans had been made and mothers had sewed and worked that the boys and glrls might look their best. Now all was ready and the delegation was one of whom any community might be proud. Several of the children had never visited a larger town than Mrangell and all loked forward to lne trip.
 An hour or so later they were re- turning to their homes and the com munity still had a right to be proud oI them for in spite of their disap- poInlment, they were showing a brave front and in many cases mak- ing laughing remarks designed to cover the deep hurt, as the Alaska departed for the North.
 With the present excellent steam ship schedule it seemed as if nothing of the sort could happen but the Alaska was carrying capacity pas senger list and the fact that a num- Der Of them would leave the boat at Shakan, five hours out of Wrangell, did not make it possible for the Wrangell delegation to be allowed to get on here even though all of them would have been willing to sit up all night if necessary.
 When the Meet was changed from
  engagement had to be made by the Meet Board of Control and the Meet dates that were published by the steamship companies were April 23- 26 with the usual qualifying state ment If accommodations are avail able" For these dates, the Queen was a little early and the Alaska the only boat that would get the Wran- gell and ketchikan contestants to Juneau without a waste of time, ana because the company had published the rates and no word was received that it might be inadvisabe to de- pend upon a Westward boat, Juneau Ketchikan and Wrangell planned entire delegation of contestants, wis itors, members of the school faculty and P.-T. A. delegates, twenty-seven return fares amounting to s364 were purchased Saturday. Had any word been received from Seattle that the Alaska could not accomo- date the delegation, the trip could have been made on the Queen which was in port Saturday night.
 On Monday morning Supt. G. C. Mitchell of Ketchikan cabled Alas ka unable to accomodate delegation Can get aboard at Shakan. Wran- gell delegation can also get aboard at Shakan," and consultation with local steamship men was called im- mediately. In view of the fact that Shakan is only five hour run from Wrangell on the Alaska, it was thought that the local people could get on here and get their reserva- tions after leaving Shakan. The weather was very uncertain and it was thought advisable to await the Alaska rather than to make the trip to Shakan in small boat granting that one could be secured. and that the parents would consent to a gasboat trip.
 The blow fell that night when the Alaska came and there was no choice but to go to Shakan, where the AL aska would be unloading for several hours, on small boat, or not to go at all. Only eight passengers could be taken on at Wrangell and as thirty wanted to go the question was serious one. While the Alas ka was in port, attempts of every possible kind were made to solve the problem but without avail. Every effort to get boat that could carry at least twenty-two to Shakan was futile. It was perhaps fortunate that this was so as an unreasonable snow storm ragged later in the even ing which would have made gasboa, travel precarious.. It was variously stated that the Ketchikan delegation had popa fo CboRop on tho l;r1,,