Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-10

dog understands what is wanted of him.
Even before he is full grown he Is thor
ouehly conversant with his duties.
The much-referred-tO intelligence or
the Scotch collie, which is a sort OF
first cousin Of the EsQuimau dog, is
undoubtedly even surpassed by that OF
/ his Attic relative. Some of the char
acteristics OF the Esquimau draft dog
are almost incredible. Any one who
has observed them finds it difficult to
deny him the credit of reasoning
power. had one dog which persisted
I in feigning lameness or sickness In
order to shirk duty. de would sud
denly begin to limp dreadfully and
| look back az the driver with most
pitiable expression. lie succeeded
several times in arouSing my sympathy
and being released from the harness
until one of my Esqulmaux assured me
that il was all triekery. Alter that
punished him whenever he tried to
skirk, and in every case it would be
DAYS before any signs OF lameness
would be seen. He had trick OF slip
ping out Of the harness, in which ne
was an expert, and made his escape
from the ropes in q manner which
would make a Spiritualistic medium
green with envy. This dog, though
Sinking his work, had incurred the
enmity OF the rest OF the team, and
they resented repeatedly his unwilling
ness 20 meet his part Of the Teams ooli-
cations. saved him several
times from the fierce on
slaught OF his colleagues after
he had run away from the sled.
A good Esquimau leader dog is a
wonder of Intelligence. Heis not guild
ed by the line or whip, but merely by
words and motions of the hands IL,
when the team is rapidly moving, he be
suddenly called upon 10 halt, 1t stands
10 reason that if he stopped abruptly
the rest Of the team and the sled would
run over him, or would become EN-
tangled in a snarl. He, therefore, when
commanded to halt, makes curve to
the right or left and falls TO the rear,
moving slowly until the sled can be
stopped. He then looks with bright
eyes at the commander, waiting orders,
and a motion of his hand suttices 10
make him change the direction in which
the outfit is going. The leader, at least
in some instances l have observrd, is
extremely proud OF his responsibility,
and, as a consequence, maintains an
exclusive demesnOr toward his col
leagues. He sleeps by himself and
growls when approached by what he
considers his inferior. IL Is customary
20 feed him separately and encourage
him in his vanity, and it is conVen-
tional rule never TO submit him TO phys
ical punishment.
The worst punishment that can be in
ficted upon a conscientious leader dog
Is 70 reduce him to the ranks, and his
abject demeanor as he sOrrowfully sinks
along with his tail between his legs is
almost heartrending. On the other hand,
the dog that has promoted at once as
sumes a self-conScious strut. The old
adage that dog will not eat dog was
proven. repeatedly on my trip. On one
occasion a dog received no food for
nearly five days because we had through
the bungling Of lying guide underesti-
mated the length Of march and had
run out of the supplies of dried salmon,
which forms the sole diet Of the EsQui-
mau dog. In consequence we lost half a
dozen Of our faithful animals by Starva-
ton, trial which to me was more ago
nizing than any personal suffering. l
never saw during this period OF misery
a single sign shown by any one of the
team to satisfy his cravings upon the
body Of his fellow.
Fidelity is the chief virtue Of the Es-
quimau dog. One Of my leaders, when
crippled by starvation and ovework,
had 20 be abandoned because he refused
to be carried on the sled. l left him
behind, feeling as If were tearing my
self away from dear friend, but before
we continued our way gave him the
last fish we had, depriving ourselves OF
that much food. Three days afterward
while we were encsmping at the EsQut-
mau village of KahOnak, the dog
reached us. having followed our trail
with bleeding feet and emaciated body
for eighty-fv miles, forty-fve Of which
consisted Of crossing the surface o. the
great Lake Hanna in "poorga" "a
rather exaggerated species Of blizzsrd.)