OLDTIMER THOMAS LONG RECALLS GRUELING 60 MILE RACE IN 1928
By Paul (Ipj Lien
Back in 1928 Fairbanks was
‘he scene of a dog race which
z olio wed a course from here to
Fox, Olnes, Chatamka. up Cleary
Summit and then downhill on
the home stretch.
The was over 60 miles
—and a v as a non-stop affair.
One of the mushers in that gruel
ing r<ac* still lives in Fairbanks
Tnat racer was Thomas H. Long,
row with the maintenance depart
ment for the State, who lives here
vith h i family at 1034-6th Avenue
Long *vas bom in the Panama
Cana! Z-me and came to Alaska
vith his fair !y in 1915, his father
takir.z a position as United States
.marsh.] at Ruby.
Mushed for Exercise
Long came to Fairbanks in 1926 to
f *er h gh school Being out of the
“bush." Tommy didn't qualify in the
c-onvenuonai sports such as uasket
ba!l so to get his exercise, he
mushed a team of dogs ia the after
noons.
As a boy growing up in Ruby.
Long became an expert with aog
teams, and it was fitting that he
should continue that sport in Fair
banks.
Dr. A. A Braafladt. a Fairbanks
dentist, had a string of 21 Siberian
huskies, and as a friend of Long's,
prevailed upon him to train his
dogs.
During the winter <4 192S-29.
Long would take the dogs for a run
south of Fairbanks, over the Tanana
River and out the Bonnefield Trail
lor 30 or 40 miles every afternoon.
In addition to driving the dogs.
Tommy still kept a job as janitor in
TAKING A 1 .tAIL BREAK — These are the dogs owned by the late
U.S. District Attorney Julien Hurley, and driven by Bob Buzby in
the early thirties. Teams like thes® Here a familiar sieht on the
street> of Fairbanks and along the Chena river .30 years ago.
I \ronnd Town with First National
Rev. O. P. Everette
During his 25 years in the I
ministry. Rev. O P. Everette. pj
pastor of the Fan banks Luther
an Church, Evangelical (Alco has r>:%
started lour congregations in W>
Iontana. Washington and Ore
o and relocated the former
iron 4th avenue to 1012 Cowles.
He was- born in Opstead. Minne
ota and left home as a young
boy, finishing high school in
North Dakota. Rev. Everette re
ceived his P» A. in English and
Literature in 1933 from Concor
dia College in Moorhead Minne
sota and his C T , B T.H., and
M.T.H at Luther Theological
Seminar at St, Paul. He met his
wife. Norma, in M( ntana and
they were married in Minnesota
During World War II when
pastor Everette was working
with home mission and related
work he gave 38 invocations for
launching landing ships.
Photo by JY Studio
rrom i».iy 10 ne ministered in churches in Montana and
<orth Dakota and then attended the University of Washington
in 1931 receiving his Master of Arts there in English special
izing in creative poetry.
In Seattle he worked for the war housing ministry of the
National Lutheran council and also started a church in the
northeastern section oi the city where he stayed until 1953
The Everettes then went to Sweethome, Oregon where he
also developed a new church. They came to Fairbanks January
30, 1958 and since then have rebuilt and relocated the Lutheran
Church.
The Everettes have five children. The eldest is Lt. Oliver
Everett, operations man on the U.S.S. Bauer out of San Diego.
One daughter, Mrs. Mavis Mitten, is teaching in Pullman, Wash
ington, and another daughter, Elaine, is finishing her senior
year of college at Paicfic Lutheran University in Tacoma Two
teenagers are at home: Paul, age 18. who is finishing high
school and will attend the University of Alaska, and Esther, 16,
who is a high school sophomore.
When he is not working with church activities Rev. Ever
ette enjoys writing poetry and magazine articles, in fact he has
published several volumes of poetry. He also enjoys gardening.
•
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the old school house on eighth and
Cushman.
Racing Was New
Dog racing at that time was com
paratively new to Fairbanks, but it
seemed like a good idea to have
some sporting event to make a break
during the long winter months.
Judge Cecil H Clegg and Julien
Hurley, who was then US. district
attorney, formed a group who
started the affair in 1927 which
has proved since to be an annual
event—rivaling races of the old
Nome sweepstakes.
When the winning purse of $1000
was announced, drivers and their
teams came to Fairbanks from all
over Alaska. They drove their teams
here, as it was too costly to fly
them by airplane. Planes were
then powered to carry only two
passengers—much less even think
ing of flying a dog. Airplane fares
to Bethel or Nome were $750 per
passenger.
Many teams were entered in the
race with Long.
Walter Nollner, Joe and Fred
Stickman. and Herbert Lawrence
brought dogs from the lower Yukon.
Walter Sakoff made the journey
here with his mail team from Flat.
Many Local Teams
In addition to these crack teams,
many of the local teams were to see
action in the race.
As the day of the race neared.
Long began running the dogs an ad
ditional 10 miles each day—and just
two days before the event, he ran
the course twice to Chatanika and
back.
On these runs Long took 11 dogs,
but found that two of them. “Nug
get" and “Tip" just didn't have it
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HAPPY' BIRTHDAY!! — Retired
from racing. Long now lives in
Fairbanks, and is shown with his
son •Pat” celebrating his birth
day. Long was raised in Ruby
and finished high school and at
tended the University of Alaska
in Fairbanks.
for the long grind. He suggested to
Braafladt that he take only nine
dogs, leaving the others behind—
but mainly because he wished to
use a very expensive 11-section of
walrus hide towline. Braafladt re
fused to agree, and he was the
boss.
Long had wished to substitute an
ordinary nine-dog section of rope
towline for the fancy line.
The day of the race was clear
and cold with a temperature of 30
degrees below zero.
Breaking of the trail was by dog
teams making the run prior to the
race.
Long Off Third
The teams left Fairbanks at 10
minute intervals—and Long was off
in third position. Ahead of him was
Nollner. and a driver from Minto.
(Continued on Page 5»
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