ALASKAN TRAVELERS
OFTEN OWE LIVES TO
INTELLIGENT CANINES
SEATTLE, Mar. 24.—(AP).—The
diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alas
ka, bringing its desperate race be
tween death and dog teams with an- j
titoxin, centered the attention of the
country on what has become a com
monplace to "sourdoughs,” the usu- i
nl method of transportation in the
frozen interior of the northern ter- j
ritory in winter—tin adventure at !
best.
It is only on such occasions as j
epidemics that the mushing is car
ried out at such hazardous speed,
but the usual progress across the
center of Alaska is made once a
fortnight throughout the winter by
the mail carriers, who travel S70
miles from Nenana to Nome. Nu
merous other traders, prospectors
and trappers are on the go fre
quently for long or short journeys.
French-Canadians in the employ of
the Hudson's Bay Company 300
years ago, learning the use of dogs
and sleds from Eskimos in the far
northwest of America, used to shout
"marche” when they wanted the
dogs to speed up. In the mouths of
English-speaking men this became
“mush,” which has stuck as a “get
up” to the dog and as a designa
tion for travel by dog-drawn sled.
Tragedies of the trail, for men,
I
are comparatively few, partly be
cause the winter drives are under
taken only by hardy, experienced
men, and largely because of the un
canny ability of the dogs to avoid
hazards of the trail. Overflows are
dreaded possibilities. Most of the
mushing is done on the ice ot riv
ers or seas and the rest of it over
land from one body of water to an
other. Sometimes the swiftness of
the current or the entry of a side
stream causes the water to flow
above the ice, making slush of the
snow. There lurks death for man.
If he gets into it his legs will freeze
—temperatures of 50 degress below
zero are frequent on tilt* trail. Freez
ing follows instantly after emerg
ence from the slush, and the musher
is helpless. But a good lead dog
detects an overflow a mile off. He
scents it, and suddenly departs from
the deep trail and leads the team
off through unbroken snow. Around
the overflow he detours, coming
back to the trail when past the
slush.
On ice covered with sharp projec
tions, called spear ice, occurring on
rivers and seas, the dogs wear moc
assins. Sometimes under pressure,
such as when 300,000 units of anti
toxin were taken from Nenana on
the Alaska Railroad Jan. 27 and de
livered in Nome by relays of dog
teams Feb. 2, several dogs are car
ried on the sleds, the animals tak
ing turns at riding and running.
The principal sled dogs are Husk
ies and Malamutes. Huskies are
I
HARDWARE, STOVES AND RANGES,
FURNITURE AND RUGS
GLASS AM) CHINAWARE
PLUMBING, TINSMITH AND GUN REPAIR
SHOP
J. L. GRAEF
r
1
Service Is Our Watchword
BECK & WHITE
High Grade Line of
CIGARS, TOBACCOS, &
CANDIES
FINEST BILLIARD HALL IN ALASKA
Seward
Plumbing
Company
A SHOWER BATH WILL
FRESHEN YOU UP; WE
INSTAL THEM CHEAPLY
ASK ABOUT IT
Tel. Adams 80
Every day in every way
You enjoy your meals
AT
THE FISHER CAFE
Seward, Alaska Chas. Fisher, Prop.
Bread—two loaves for 25c
The “Saturday Evening!
Roast”
GET IT AT
Carstens Packing Co.
E. E. KURTZ, Manager
Free Delivery Phone Main 130
crosses of domestic dogs and prai
rie wolves. They weigh 60 to 65
pounds. Malamutes are crosses be
tween domestic dogs and timber
wolves. They weigh 75 pounds and
up. The leaders are light in weight.
They are brain workers, and really
lead. They do not work, but watch
the trail.
Trail dogs sleep comfortably in the
snow. In a severe blizzard an Al
askan will leave his dogs to burrow
in the snow and outlast, the storm
if they can, and he will make his
way to shelter.
The bond between a driver and his
dogs is not exactly that pictured by
a dog-lover in the States. The mush
ing dog, being half wolf, generally
would live like a wolf except for
restraint. Most sourdoughs profess
to feel no love for sled dogs, and
aver that the dogs feel none for
them. On the other hand such a
writer as Hudson Stuck, Episcopal
archdeacon of the Yukon and Arc
tic regions, affirms that some sled
dogs love some men.
Dogs are used in Alaska for win
ter travel only, fn the summer they
live in camps, where they are chain
ed each to a trolley wire that gives
him a run. For if they could reach
each other, there usually would be
trouble. In winter, work and the
blacksnake whip keep them in or
der. On the trail they are fed once
every 24 hours on whatever the
master is able to give them. Often
it is dried fish.
A passenger may ride on the sled
but the driver runs behind it. and
rides on the rear runners alternate
ly. A good day’s travel is 40 to 5(
miles, but. in a^ storm and in bad
going among hills a team and twc
men may work from six in the
morning until nine atnight advanc
ing only ten miles.
In the diphtheria epidemic the
dogs got through and an airplane
primed for the flight, failed to start
But airplanes are being used in
creasingly in the north, though usu
ally in summer, for winter flights
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I
i
I
Ice Cream
MADE DAILY
HIGH GRADE
Candies
Framed Pictures, Photog.aphs,
Curios
SYLVIA’S
Phone Adams 128
TAILORING
Come In and Get Measured for
a Suit. Guaranteed Fit.
C. HENNING
Seward, Alaska
Take
THE FUR FARMER
MAGAZINE
and know the fur business. It
deals with every phase of fur
farming'. Learn how others made
a success of farming fur bearing
animals.
Address
21 GOLMAN DOCK
Seattle, Wash.
HOTEL OVERLAND
GORDON SHEA, Propr.
SPECIAL RATES BY WEEK
OR MONTH
New Heating Plant Just Installed
K-_____-?
PIONEER CLUB
John Nash, propr.
SOFT DRINKS, CANDY
CIGARS AND FRUITS
are considered extremely hazardous.
The government is working on a
plan to deliver mail in winter by
a plane equipped with runners so
it may alight on the snow.
“The Covered Wagon”
Accountants Fk Bates
NEW YORK, Mar. 24.—(AP).—
The Board of Examiners of the Am
erican Institute of Accountants has
set May 14 and 15 as the days for
the spring semi-annual examination
of public accountants who wish to
become members or associates of
the institute, or who wish to try
for state registration as certified
public accountants.
Indo-China May Become
Important Sugar Center
MANILA, Mar. 24.—(AP).—George
H. Fairchild, publisher of the Man
ila Times, as well as a large pro
ducer and exporter or sugar, who
recently returned from a three
months’ visit to Indo-China, Java,
Straits Settlement and India, stated
that the sugar industry in Indo-Chi
na is destined to become of consid
erable importance in the future.
“In Indo-China developments fin
anced by the French government are
proceeding and recovery from post
war conditions is practically com
plete,” said Mr. Fairchild. “While
sugar cane is growing in many plac
es, there are very few sugar mills
in evidence, a large part of the cane
being used for eating purposes by
the people. During the last two or
three years, however, two modern
sugar centrals have been erected.
While difficulties have been encoun
tered in trying to induce the people
to raise sugar cane for the centrals,
as was the case in the Philippines
a few years ago, many are begin
ning to appreciate the advantage of
I modern factories and it is believed
J the pioneering period is over and the
; sugar industry in Indo-China is des
I tilled to become of some import
! ance.”
i
Mr. Fairchild said there was much
optimism in the Straits Settlement
and apparently no country in the
Far East was so peaceful. He said
the increased prices for raw rubber
and tin were a large factor in bring
ing about the optimism there.
Parker’s Duofold Fountain Pens, at
the Alaska Shop. tf
THE PALACE
John Mattich, Prop.
POOL, SOFT DRINKS AND
CIGARS
Furnished Rooms
Phone Main 55
ARONERICSON
Painter and Decorator
SIGNS WALL PAPER
hi
Neat
Neat Neat
Neat
per lb
Steer Beef pot roast . .18
Spa re ribs ...-. .22'/2
Leg of Pork ...25
Weiner Sausage •22,/2
Bologna Sausage .- 22'/2
Fresh Creamry Butter, 2lbs .95
May Flower Butter, 2 lbs 1.15
Young American Cheese ... 35
Pure Lard .. .20
Frankfurters .— ... .2214
Wild Rose Bacon .-.35
Wild Rose Ham .-. .30
Cottage Cheese, 2lbs . .65
Pickled Pork . 20
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
FRYE-BHIHN CO.
PHONE 91
MANY WOMEN EXHIBIT
AT LONDON DOG SHOW
LONDON. March 24.- Eight Thous
and dogs, from comical little pups of
a few ounces weight, to massive mop
ing St. Bernards, were entered this
month in Cruft’s Show, the greatest
crowd of canines ever exhibited in
England. Almost one-tenth of the en
! tries were Alsatians. The interest in
i them beginning after the war has in
j creased with unexampled rapidity, un
; til the Alsatian has become the most
popular of all show dogs in Oreat
Britain.
Each year the proportion of women
j exhibitors increases. Most of the
kennels scattered over the country are
nowadays in feminine care.
The men. however, still an- in the
majority among the owners of sport
ing dogs. This year, with King (ieorge
; among the exhibitors, the Labradors
I seem the most popular of all retriev
! ers. Their smooth coats far outnum
i her the wavy-haired type of hunting
' dog. Sportsmen regard them higli
j ly not only because of their surpassing
hunting qualities, but with due regard
j for their good looks, docile disposition
: intelligent and affectionate ways. They
are both faithful companions and trust
! worthy guards.
--
A vfiiite topaz from a mint* in Bra
! zil, weighs 90 pounds and is the larg*
I est precious stone ever discovered. Ir,
! is now in a Chicago museum.
An Eskimo tribe at Smith Sound,
Greenland, is said to be the most
northerly people in the world.
The deepest well in the world is
said to be that at Gobelins, in France,
which is nearly two miles deep.
A CARLOAD
OR A SACK
*_C-O-A-L--i
HEALY LUMP, NUT OR MINE RUN,
BAXTER NUT OR MINE RUN
EVAN JONES LUMP OR MINE RUN
NANAIMO RANGE COAL
IN SACK OR BULK
THE ALASKA TRANSFER
WOOD, ICE, HAY AND GRAIN,
TRANSFERRING AND TEAMING
TEL- MAIN 17 ARCADE BLDG.
H. V- HOBEN A F. DAVIS