Col. Parker expressed his satisfaction with his present surroundings, but did not object to joining the merry party, as he remembered the many happy days spent with his comrades on Earth. Charlie Thomas, Arthur Copp and Frank Kingsbury were ready to say goodbye to 500,000-mile station when told of the doings on the planet Mars.
“We will stop off at Angel’s Camp and pick up Samuel J. Kelley, who was with me in Los Angeles once upon a time,” remarked Captain Haines, as they started out into space.
It did not take many hours to reach Angel’s Camp, where the whistles of their aeroplane tooted “73” to Sam Kelley, which brought that brother to the front, accompanied by Charles Stone.
The loiterers were taken aboard the car without much ceremony, neither having to undergo that irksome task of shaving and changing his clothes and both were delighted to be in such excellent company, with the prospect of meeting still more friends.
At Salt Creek, a surprise met the voyagers when it was ascertained that Frank P. Medina would be on hand to join the party. Medina had stopped off at Salt Creek with his friend, Jack O’Brien, of San Francisco, and had been having an enjoyable time, but was now ready to climb higher toward the goal.
And so it kept up all day, the passengers regaling themselves by merry songs and stories, in which Col. L. D. Parker took a leading part.
The Colonel was anxious to hear the latest news from Mother Earth and affectionately inquired after Edward J. Nally, Edgar W. Collins, A. B. Richards, A. A. Briggs, Thomas P. Wheeler, Harry A. Tuttle and many others, all old co-workers, and he listened with much interest to Arthur Copp’s history of each of these individuals.
Many more stops were made en route back to the planet Mars and many noted telegraph men were gathered into the van, notably James Bell, of Nevada; John Henderson, of Chicago; Ed. Sholes, Fred Benson, George and Joe Harris, of St. Paul; Ruby Sheldon, of Cleveland; Charles Catlin, Robert W. Chapman, George B. Simpson and Charles D. Burke, of Chicago.
Many songs were sung, everyone joining in singing “Where Is My Wandering Boy Tonight?” and “Hail! the Conquering Hero Comes,” until the long journey was at an end and they landed safely upon the planet Mars.
A big program of entertainment had been prepared to welcome the loiterers to their new resting place and a special bulletin of the two days’ proceedings was prepared by Secretary Fred B. Moxon to be transmitted to his terrestrial partner, who would then disseminate the same through the columns of Telegraph and Telephone Age to all parts of the earthly globe.