Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-19
And do you think it wonderful ?"
But amt it?''
SEARCH FOR A LOST MAN.
a Bold Dash with Dogs and SIedge fo,
Life or Death

a IONu Dash WIN DOgS ana SleuSs Tor
Life or Death.
Many Eskimos were looking for the lost
man, but very few of them had taken
their dogs and sedges, as it was easier to
follow a trail on foot; and, as a conse
quence, nearly all the dogs were scattered
around through the snow-villaoe near the
ships, and the best sledges were leaning
against the snOwhouSes. n half an hour
1t would be so dark that they could do
little, and the missing man must be reach
ed before that time. Instantly orders
were given to bring together all the best
dogs of the village With their harness on,
while four or FIVE men hastily iced the
runners of one OF the best sledges Twen-
ty dogs to a single sledge is about the
greatest number ever used by these ma
tlves, and this large numbec is uncommon,
eight or nine being the usual team.
This team. however, increased to a score
of Dogs before it was really known how
strong it bad grown, and there were yet
some twenty in harness in the hands of
the men, women, and bows who had sour
ried around and picked them up, and
we're now waiting to have them hltched to
| the siedge.
Fortunately, the very best dog driver of
| The village was present, and, having made
a long leading line of strong sled ge-lash-
ing. reaching from the siedge ten or twelve
| feet beyond the team already hitched, he
| fastened on a new and second team of
twenty dogs. This doubling of teams
| is not very unusual whenever two or more
| sledges are together on a journey and d
short hard pull has to be made, but never
in the history of that region had double
team of perhaps forty fine dogs been
known, and especially to draw only an I'M
loaded sledge!
1t seems impossible to foretell bow
rapidly the swift dogs would 90 with that
10 ~e feather of light sIedge fastened be
hind them. 1t would be like fastening
| two huge locomotives to a hand car and
turning on all steam. The sledge was
| kept turned upside-down to prevent the
| dogs from making bolt forward, which
The, are prone to do when first hitched,
whenever anything aLead attracts their
attention; a I'd. to assist the drivers in this
restraint of their animals. u great circle OF
sailors, and Eskimo men, women, and
children formed in front of the teams.
| The best driver of the village turned the
| sled sledge over carefully and took his
| position on the right side of the Stats.
about the middle OF the sledges length.
stretched out With his feet to the rear.
| His companion driver took a similar pc
cltiol on the lett side.
! The best drivers can use The whip as
well in the left as in the right hand.
These hips are very lor g, the lash often
| being frfeen 10 twenty feet 10 length. A
,trong lashing of seal thongs. woven ii
agonalIy across the Stats. gave the dog
drivers something 10 hold on bv their
peri!ous fight across the ice fields and
hummocks to the other side Of the Day.
Over the frynt ct The siedge lay one Of
the drivers with sharp knife LII his
hand. 1t was ms duty TO cut the trace OF
any dog that should fall, or of any whose
harness was entangied In a projecting