Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-04-20

Polar Sea-"
l have n superb turn out, twelve dogs
anu fine sledge. The animals are IN
most excellent condition, every oue Of
them strong and healthy, and they arc
very fleet. They whirl my Greenland
sledge over the ice with n celebrity not
calculated for weak nerves. | have actu
ally ridden behind them over six meas.
ured miles in 36 minutes; and without
stopping to blow the team have returned
over the track in thirty-three. Sonutag
and | had a race, and beat him by four
minutes. | should like to have some Of
NV friends at Saratoga and Point breeze
up here to show them a new style of
speeding animals. Our racers do not
require any blanksting, after the heats,
or spOnging either. We harness them
each with a single trace, and these traces
ere of a length to suit the fancy of Tie
driver-the longer the better, for they
are not 50 easily tangled, the draft of the
outside dogs is more direct, and, if the
team comes upon thin ice, and breaks
through, your chances of escape from
immersion are in proportion to tEeir dis
tance from YOU. The traces are all Of
the same length, hence the dogs run side
BY side, and, when properly harnessed
their heads are IN line. Ny traces are
SO measured that tho shoulders Of the
dogs are just twenty feet from the for
ward part Of the runners.
The team is guided solely By the whip
and voice. The strongest dogs are placed
on the outside, and the whole team is
swayed to the right and left according as
the whip falls to the one side or other,
or as it touches the leading dogs. as it Is
sure to do If they do not obey the gentle
hint with sufficient alacrity The voice
aids the whip, but in all emergencies the
whip is the only real reliance. Your
control over your team is exactly in pro
portion to your skill in the use of it,
The lash is about four feet longer than
the traces. and is tipped with 'cracker"
of hard sinew, with which a skilIiul dri-
Yer can draw blood if so inc ined; and
he can touch either Of his animals on any
particular spot that may suit his purpose
Jensen had today a young refractory
dog in the team, and having had his pa
tience quite exhausted. he resolved upon
extreme measures. "You see dat beast"
said he, A." takes n piece out Of his ear"
and sure enough, crack went the whip.
the hard sinew wound round the tip Of
tic ear and shipped it off as nicely ss
with knife. The long lash, which is
but thin. tapering strip of raw seal
ska. is swung with whip stock only
two and half feet long. 1t is very
light, and consequently hard to handle
The peculiar turn Of the wrist necessary
to get il rollei out to its destination is a
most difficult undertaking. Il requires
long aud patient practice. ] have per-
severed and my perseverance has been
rewarded; aud If [ am obliged to turn
driver on emergency. feei equal to the
task; bEt | fsrventIy hope that the emer
gsEcy may not arise which requires me
to exhibit my skill.
1t is the very hardest kind of hard
work. That merciicss lash must be mer-
CHESS or il is of no avail. The dogs are
Quick to detect the least weakness Of the
driver and measure bin ON the instant
II not thoroughly convinced that the
soundness Of their skins is at his mercy,
they &c where the please. If they see
8 COX crossing The ico. or cnme upon
bear track, or = wind" a seal, or sight
b;rl, away they dash over y snow drift
aud hummoek, pr.ckiAg up their long
hushy tails for q wild, wolfish race after
the game. If the whip lash go,s out
with fierce snap, the ears and tsil drop
and they go on about their proper bust
mes; but woe be unto you if they get
the control. have seen my own driver
sorely put TO his metal. and not until he
bad brought yell # pain from almost
every dog in the team, did ae conquer
their Obstinacy. They were running af-
ter fox, and were taking US toward
what was unsafe ice. The wind was
blowing hard, and tho lash was some
times driven back iEt0 the drivers face,
hence the difficulty. The whip, howev-
eT, finally brought them to reason, and
IN full view of the game, and within
few yards Of the treaeherous ice, they
came first down into limp;ng trot and
then stepped, m1st unwiiiing'y. OF
course this made them very cross, aud
general tigLt-feTce and angry-now
followed, which was not quieled until
the driver bad sailed 10 among them and
knocked them TO right aud left with his
hard hickory whipstOck.